Whatit takes to be well read

aumz · 22 May 2006 at 13:27

I have never really been a book person in my life, only forced reading for exams and assignments etc.

When someone is regarded as "well read" what does that mean exactly. If I go out and read hundreds of mediocre books would I be considered well read or is it (as I assume) quality over quantity.

Changes in my life have made me want to start reading books, from novels to autobigraphies. I would firstly like to make a list of books that are considered must reads. Such as the Dickens, Shakespears, etc of this world.

Zefan · 22 May 2006 at 13:29

Well read normally means they've been to university... well as far as I know. When you go to university you're said to be "Reading" your course. Like this, "Hi what're you doing?" reply = "I'm reading Politics at Cambridge." So someone who's highly educated is said to be well read.

That's my view on it anyway.

SiriusB · 22 May 2006 at 13:34

Zefan said:
Well read normally means they've been to university... well as far as I know. When you go to university you're said to be "Reading" your course. Like this, "Hi what're you doing?" reply = "I'm reading Politics at Cambridge." So someone who's highly educated is said to be well read.

That's my view on it anyway.

It can apply to anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time learning about a subject. Do not necessarily have to go to university to be well-read on something

SiriusB

Gilly · 22 May 2006 at 13:35

I'd call myself well read but never really considered going to Uni.

Zefan · 22 May 2006 at 13:35

In that case I'm well read in womenry

SpicyDuck · 22 May 2006 at 13:38

Just don't make the mistake of pronouncing "read" as a verb, like I heard someone do in the past.

"Well, I really do think I'm well reed", haha.

Phil.

Wryel · 22 May 2006 at 13:54

If you mean well read in terms of just books and not knowledge, I would say it was someone that has read a majority of the 'classics' - and can comment on all of them.

Alex_L · 22 May 2006 at 13:55

For me being well read is more about having a good general knowledge of things like history, politics, culture, geography, art & literature and just the world at large generally. I suppose traditionally you gained from reading, hence well read.

I don't think someone who has studied for a degree is necessairly well read, because degress tend to be in a fairly specialised field, and I've met people with degrees who in my mind are very ignorant because they don't have any appreciation of thigns like history and literature or even the world at large

penski · 22 May 2006 at 13:59

Gilly said:
I'd call myself well read

Four years and 52k of posts'll do that to a man

I take 'well read' to mean an intelligent person who has a broad knowledge base garnered from education (more self-education than scholastic) which he (come on..we all know wimmen only buy glossy magazines to look at the pretty pictures) can use readily and easily.

*n

Gilly · 22 May 2006 at 14:06

Wryel said:
If you mean well read in terms of just books and not knowledge, I would say it was someone that has read a majority of the 'classics' - and can comment on all of them.

I think this is closest to how I would rate it. I've read Shakespeare, Dickens, Dostoevsky, Tolkien, Hugo, Tolstoy, Dumas, Orwell, Huxley, Chaucer, Milton, Defoe, Swift, Shelley, Twain, Wilde, Stevenson, Stoker, Steinbeck, etc, etc.

To have read the majority of them and other important authors of (fairly) recent times I'd consider well read.

penski said:
Four years and 52k of posts'll do that to a man

Try 7 years and god knows how many posts

Possibly 80k or more.

spirit · 22 May 2006 at 14:15

its not just reading the books, understanding appreciating etc

Gilly · 22 May 2006 at 14:17

I don't think anyone could make it even half way through that list of authors without understanding. Either they'd develop the means or they'd get bored.

theleg · 22 May 2006 at 14:24

Gilly said:
I think this is closest to how I would rate it. I've read Shakespeare, Dickens, Dostoevsky, Tolkien, Hugo, Tolstoy, Dumas, Orwell, Huxley, Chaucer, Milton, Defoe, Swift, Shelley, Twain, Wilde, Stevenson, Stoker, Steinbeck, etc, etc.

To have read the majority of them and other important authors of (fairly) recent times I'd consider well read.

Ive read none of those. Well bit of shakespeare and dickens in school but nothing past that.

Mellownatts · 22 May 2006 at 14:25

I would say that it means that someone has a vast amount of knowledge in a particular subject.

Gilly · 22 May 2006 at 14:27

Balddog said:
Ive read none of those. Well bit of shakespeare and dickens in school but nothing past that.

Nothing to be embarrassed about. I've been a bookworm as long as I can remember.

Mellownatts said:
I would say that it means that someone has a vast amount of knowledge in a particular subject.

Surely that would be a specialist in a subject. Not someone who is well read.

theleg · 22 May 2006 at 14:28

Ive always taken well read to mean knowledge and understanding in a number of subjects...IE something along the lines of traditional wisdom.

theleg · 22 May 2006 at 14:29

Gilly said:
Nothing to be embarrassed about. I've been a bookworm as long as I can remember.
.

I read a lot but I guess I dont share the same opinions of great authors

Id like to think im averagely smart but who knows.

Gilly · 22 May 2006 at 14:30

So just an antonym of wise? Where does the reading come into it?

Balddog said:
I read a lot but I guess I dont share the same opinions of great authors

But, then again, you might. You won't know unless you read their opinions though

kitten_caboodle · 22 May 2006 at 14:31

penski said:
I take 'well read' to mean an intelligent person who has a broad knowledge base garnered from education (more self-education than scholastic) which he (come on..we all know wimmen only buy glossy magazines to look at the pretty pictures) can use readily and easily.

*n

theleg · 22 May 2006 at 14:35

Gilly said:
So just an antonym of wise? Where does the reading come into it?

But, then again, you might. You won't know unless you read their opinions though

Well you cant gain knowledge and understanding unless you read the stuff...although I guess it depends on the subjects involved. Reading the great works of fiction is one thing, but I dunno..

Would you consider someone who has extensive knowledge of world politics as being well read? Even though they hadnt read the works of all those great authors?