Pierre Bayard: reading between the lines?

I used an exerpt from an interview with Pierre Bayard as a springboard to discuss a few things about books and reading but amuirin pointed out that I wasn’t forthcoming about how I felt about the man. Before I jumped into it, I thought I would throw up a few more comments about and attributed to him.

In a review of Bayard’s new book, and the man himself, from The Times on February 5:

A distinguished professor of literature at Paris University has become a bestselling author with a work explaining how he comments authoritatively on books that he failed to finish, has forgotten or has never read.

Pierre Bayard, 52, who specialises in the link between literature and psychoanalysis, stunned specialists with the admission that he is anything but an assiduous reader.

He says that he often makes references in lectures, meetings, reviews and conversations to works that he has not read — without being found out.

However, Bayard — who has never finished Ulysses by James Joyce and forgotten what Steppenwolf, Hermann Hesse’s classic novel, is about — claims that this in no way devalues his opinion.

“It’s possible to have a passionate conversation about a book that one has not read, including, perhaps especially, with someone else who has not read it.

Letting the French play with psychoanalysis was little different than letting children play with matches. Years ago, while following up a short interest in Freud, I ended up reading Lacan who brought that peculiar philosophical obfuscation and absurdity that only the French have managed to master. I’m not in the habit of bashing the French but when it comes to postmodern thought, God save us. And the fact that Bayard is a teacher of literature and psychoanalysis explains much.

Essentially it explains that reality and common sense have been shown the door, along with responsibility. I think it is just fine if someone decides not to read a book from beginning to end (we all do it sometimes), or at all, but if they have been paid to either review, discuss or teach the book, its ludicrous to do anything but read it carefully from beginning to end.

I really like the last bit about having a passionate conversation about a book with someone else who has not read it. Yep, put me down for that. Be a hell of a book club if everyone took that approach.

That being said, I think he is right to say there are many valid ways to read a book but he really should qualify that. There are many ways to drive a bus but if you are doing it for a living, you have to stop for passengers, stay on the road and follow your route.

I’m sure he’s smart but he’s a fool.