Judging a person by their book cover
By vicki2876
@vicki2876 (5636)
Canada
September 30, 2008 8:16am CST
My daughter has a new English teacher this year. She met with each student privately to get to know each other. When she was with my daughter she asked what types of novels does she like. She said she liked fantasies and named off a few of her favorite stories. She then felt that my daughter was creative and imaginative. I met this guy who read a lot of "self-help" and "earn money fast" type books and put a judgment on his character. Another person read many biographies of mass murders which I felt he was a bit off. Another lady I know reads lots of harlequins and seems very romantic. One of my favorite things to do is read. I tend to like to read horrors, thrillers, and suspense types of novels.
Do you feel that what a person reads reflects their character? What types of books do you like to read?
3 people like this
8 responses
@DreamOn01 (146)
• United States
30 Sep 08
What a person reads may tell you something about him/her, but I don't think I'd call it a direct reflection of someone's character. Some people read a wide variety of things while others don't enjoy reading at all. Others stick with one genre. It would by no means provide a full view of someone's personality. I personally read some fiction like mysteries, historical fiction, and fantasy, and some nonfiction like books about history, biographies of historical figures, and some science and technology.
@DawGwath (1042)
• Romania
30 Sep 08
Well actually it does reflect their character! Of course I'm not saying that a person who reads biographies of mass murderers is actually a murderer, someone who reads fantasy is a daydreamer or if someone reads "self-help" books is a totally helpless person. But, reading is quite a complex process, and you can't just go and read Immanuel Kant without throwing the book on the window after the first pages, unless you have a huge cultural background and a great package of knowledge in the philosophical area, for short, to be very wise.
I like reading a great category of subjects, especially psychological, horror or fantasy novels, but also philosophy and science, without getting into too many formulas. I don't consider myself a very smart person but I tend to accumulate as much knowledge as I can.
2 people like this
@Gemini_7000 (358)
• United States
30 Sep 08
I personally don't think it reflects their character - a person is what a person is.. I like to read fantasy, thillers, murders, foresic thrillers, about vampires, werewolves, wizards and so on. I don't care for romance.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Oct 08
hi vicki You cannot judge a person by what she reads as I am
an elderly peaceful woman who loves thrillers, and suspense
type novels, and Patricia Cornwell is one of my favorite authors and she writes books about a lady who does autopsies and post mortems, Yet I am not at all blood thirsty.so no these do not reflect my character at all.. this is an interesting discussion.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
10 Oct 08
You know it is quite odd as "don't judge a book by it's cover" can somewhat go along with this discussion. I think that the books people read do reflect them but I am not sure if that can really be true as a person's book cover could very well be a cover to who they really are, and that can be taken in one of two ways either it can be taken in a good way so that they are a respectable individual with morals in a bad way where you would not wish to be near them.
I like to read Westerns and also romance. What would you say of me from the style of books that I like to read?
1 person likes this
@jzjqdkd (273)
• China
1 Oct 08
yeah, what a person reads in some degree reflects the character of this person,it tells what they love,or what kind of book they like to read.every person has different favorate,for me,i like to read poems,and prose,and love stories.which make me feel refreshed.
1 person likes this
@lamtieuyen (58)
• United States
5 Oct 08
I think it does in a sense. Like if you like to read mystery books or suspense ones, you're into solving problems or puzzles? Or like to analyze things with your brain? *shrugs* Just a common example but maybe it's just that you find it interesting.
