Reading the World

excellent reading !

I must confess it took me a while to get into this book and appreciate its premise. I mistakenly thought Ann Morgan was going to be directly commenting on or reviewing the books she had read in her international challenge . This she has done but on her blog page. Here she reflects more on the process and the politico-sociological challenges raised and challenges her readers to move away from white Eurocentric or America- centric viewpoints and seek out authentic world voices. Morgan has been on an amazing journey and doubtless enabled some unknown authors to find new readership that can only be good for them and their country. A handful of the books she encountered she found to be disturbing because of the extreme prejudice they promoted but overall it seems like most voices were inspirational.The book certainly inspired me to broaden my reading. I consider myself to read pretty widely and certainly have a number of favourite international authors but Ann's achievement is pretty impressive. Of the 160 odd books Morgan listed at the end I was pleased to find I had actually already read 4, or 5 if I count vol 1 of the Arabian Nights!“Travel broadens the mind “ they say. I am mostly an armchair traveller but Morgan's study also touches on research that is able to offer some sort of proof that reading itself, so long as one takes in a varied diet, is one of the most effective ways to literally broaden the mind and break down prejudice.

I miss working and living with colleagues from around the world so I thought of reading more from their cultures. Finding this book has encouraged and enabled me to do that. I'm finding quite a few of these books in our local library, or that they will source them for me, bonus!

I approached reading this book with real enthusiasm having hears the Author interviewed on the Radio. Her reading project seemed interesting and I hoped that from it I would learn about a number of books and authors from around the world.However the first quarter of the book was set out like like an (under) graduate extended essay addressing the question of whether there exists something called " World Literature" and if there is is it overly Eurocentric. There were many learned quotes and it did not surprise me to learn that when French writers were consulted on the world's greatest books they mainly named books by French Authors. The next section covering how the author collected writing from all over the world was more interesting but what I was hoping for was some kind of reading list that would help me to expand my reading. It is possible that this might have been included near the end but I'm afraid I didn't get that far. perhaps I was just expecting the wrong book and I've been a little harsh in my rating but I hope by writing this review others considering choosing the book will know what to expect.

What IS this book? Well, it's a very engaging, interesting account of what happens when you undertake to read a book from every country. It's also so much more than that - imagine going for a drink in some lovely old pub with the author, and them telling you what they've been up to in a way that's as intellectually stimulating as it is accessible. It's just a thoroughly good, and unique read. Recommended for everyone, but especially bookworms, lovers of humanity, geography, and interesting facts, and also for people who've read everything. I think you'll find they haven't....

A bit dry ... I thought there would be more about the books rather than the blog