andrewducker | DnD, Season 1, Episode 2

Many years ago, when I was active on usenet, I encountered an argument over whether Watchmen or Gravity's Rainbow was the better book. I attempted to intervene and soothe the clearly hurt feelings on both sides, but this was to no avail and I seem to recall that a fully blown (albeit brief) flamewar erupted.

The point being that whether a book is any good or not depends fully on whether the reader is in the right frame of mind for it at the time they encounter it. If you share my prediliction for thoughts on absolutes, meaning, life and general philosophising then you'll probably enjoy the works which strike a chord with me on those topics (Signal to Noise, Brave New World, Fight Club, Brazil, and so forth). If, on the other hand, you feel entirely differently then you'll be off enjoying entirely different works. And your choice will be entirely valid _for you_ - because a book is only worthwhile insofar as it reaches into its readers and brings something out of them, and as our insides are altogether variable it seems only reasonable that the books, music, films, and other causes of emotion and thought within us would also be highly varied.

All of which is by way of thoughts incited by