I'm reading Twilight, along with half the rest of the population, and I've noticed the strangest phenomenon. People who see me with the book are overwhelmed by the uncontrollable urge to talk to me about it.
First, when I picked up my copy from the hold shelf at my local library, one of the chicks standing in line at checkout with me started gushing uncontrollably about how much she loved the book. This seemed odd to me because, well, clearly I haven't read it yet, so what am I supposed to say? How nice for you?
Then, I decided I wanted to take myself to a nice quiet lunch at a local restaurant yesterday and brought the book along. It wouldn't fit in my bag, so I held it against my chest, cover facing in, with my arm around it. One of the hostesses recognized the book by the font on the back flap and proceeded to bubble enthusiastically about how great she thought it was. Then, a second hostess led me to my table and she too performed the magic back-flap parlor trick. For the third time in less than a day someone began volunteering their opinion of the book I'm reading. How weird is that?
I read constantly. I read in public all the time. This never happens. Then I pick up the Teeny-Bopper Bible and all my lovely reading privacy goes to hell. Random strangers interrupt my reading to talk to me.
And as happy as I am that America's teens are literate, I find this damned annoying. Did I ask for their opinion? Do they think I care? My internal monologue goes into high-snark mode, leaving me with nothing to do but smile because if I open my mouth...
So I ask you: Random Strangers volunteering their opinion of a book you clearly have not finished reading. Annoying? Sociable? Aggravating? Friendly? What do you think?
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While, admittedly, much of my reading consists of things the average passerby is unlikely to recognize (see: the newest NEA report on their education recommendations for 2020), I choose to liken this phenomenon to random strangers offering opinions of movies I've yet to see or other events that are simply "SO FUNNY" that I "absolutely MUST" see them "IMMEDIATELY."
While I may not initially find their unfounded assessment of my tastes irritating, I seem to reserve all of my distaste for this practice until after I've seen the aforementioned event or film and, having been forewarned of its unsurpassed excellence, been severely disappointed. At that point, the rage I feel towards the - let's call him a "spoiler" - is sadly redirected to my movie-going companion.
This, I feel, is a similar kind of rage to that which I feel towards radio stations that knowingly reveal the ending to last night's Apprentice when clearly, half the country has TIVOed it. I don't have TIVO, but that's beside the point.
So, in summary, unless we're sitting in the same book club sharing a plate of tea cakes, I'd be pleased if folks could refrain from sharing unsolicited opinions.
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