Books Which Sell But Go Unread

Another · Feb 13, 2008

Interesting article on books bought but not read, with possible implications about book promotions and sales:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/we...yt&oref=slogin

Booksellers have a term for books more sold than read: GUBs, or "great unread books." Apparently the industry knows some books are sold but not read or read very little because buyers:

- imagine themselves better readers than they are, or imagine they will be better readers in the future
- wish to have bookshelves which tell the world they are a certain kind of reader, even if they are not
- wish to give books (especially as holiday presents) to make themselves look smart, not having read the book and not caring especially whether who they give it to reads it
- don't research a purchase very well before buying, relying on blurbs or covers

Hawking's Brief History of Time spend more than two years on the Times best seller list and has sold 3.5 million copies in North America, but estimates are far fewer people actually read it. Looks good on the shelf, along with War and Peace? Proved harder to read than anticipated? One survey in Britain found 33 percent of adults confessed to lying about reading a book to appear more intelligent.

Of course writers, agents and publishers probably don't think about purposely generating books to be bought but not necessarily read. However, the article makes one wonder about, at least:

- pitching books as gifts
- the importance and implications of covers and blurbs
- stroking the ego side of book buying.

Thoughts?

KTC · Feb 13, 2008

It's probably true of a lot of books...and for the reasons listed in the article. I know one that I personally have read. I see it on people's bookshelves all the time. I asked if they liked it and the answer has almost always been that they didn't read it. Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses. I wish I hadn't read it. Nothing to write home about. They all bought it to jump on the bus. My copy was given to me.

melaniehoo · Feb 13, 2008

I think there's a point there, but I can't imagine someone writing a book with the hope that people will only buy it. Although, as I say that, there probably ARE those who just want the money. I think ultimately it does the author a disservice if no one reads the book and would make it more difficult to get future deals.

The only book I bought without much intention of reading it was the 9/11 Commission Report. It seemed like something I might want in the future.

KTC · Feb 13, 2008

Update: I just looked at my bookshelf. I see two I haven't cracked. Carl Sandberg, a Biography & Lovecraft, a Biography. I do intend to read them, though. And it's a bookshelf nobody really sees as I am in my bedroom...so they're not there for eye candy. Really! I read the Mallarme bio beside them. I did.

Kevin, guilty as charged.

JeanneTGC · Feb 13, 2008

Some of it can be time. I have a LOT of books I want to get to. I buy more all the time -- bookstores, used bookstores, used book fairs -- but I don't have time to get to them all.

But I will.

Shadow_Ferret · Feb 13, 2008

I have a lot of books that I bought and haven't read.

But really, who cares WHY they bought the books as long as they do buy them.

Sean D. Schaffer · Feb 16, 2008

I have a couple books I've bought over the years that have gone unread. One was Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by General Lew Wallace. I don't have that particular book anymore, because I tried reading it and found it moved very slowly. Too slow for my taste. I think I actually took that book back to the bookstore, because I was so disenchanted with it.

But among books I've never even opened, I have Gift of the Magi, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories, and Robin Hood.

Well, I've read portions of Robin Hood, but I never really read through the entirety of the book.

Also, I've been toying with going to the used bookstore up the street and getting some of the classic volumes they have, printed anywhere from the 1890's to the 1930's. They're cool, and I would not mind having one or two of them to either open up and read or even just to display on a shelf. I'm particularly thinking of The Croquet Player by H. G. Wells, which, from what I've seen of the blurb, could be quite an interesting read.

Further, I'd love to have some of R. L. Stevenson's assorted works in their original form. I believe I saw a Stevenson book on that shelf... *Drool*

--Sean

bluntforcetrauma · Feb 16, 2008

I trudged through King's Everything's Eventual. Maybe 3 of the 14 stories were of interest to me. I did skim over the included Dark Tower short. It was awful.

Claudia Gray · Feb 16, 2008

Just for the record, I love "War and Peace." It's long, and there are a number of characters to keep up with, but it's not difficult prose (if you have one of the good translations) and there's tons of excitement, emotion, humor, etc. I think more people are scared of that one than they should be.

Red-Green · Feb 16, 2008

I think my mother is one of these people. She has bookshelves full of "classics," many of them lovely antique editions. Once while I visiting I pulled down The Brothers Karamazov to pass the time and she yelled at me. She didn't want me to damage the spine by opening them. I said, "Well, how do you usually read them?" She gave me a suspicious look that I interpreted as: "I don't read them. That's not what they're for."

ishtar'sgate · Feb 16, 2008

Too me that's odd. I don't buy books unless I intend to read them and all the books on my shelf have been read at least once. Perhaps people are caught up in the hype of a 'must have' book only to find it doesn't live up to the hoopla.

Linnea

Fox The Cave · Feb 17, 2008

I remember King said something about this in the preface to Everythings Eventual. He commented about how he's not embarrassed "one fucking bit" about the success of Riding the Bullet, but would probably be dissapointed if he found out "just how many of the people that bought Riding the Bullet, actually read Riding the Bullet."

The man's got something to say on everything.

Will Lavender · Feb 17, 2008

ishtar'sgate said:
Too me that's odd. I don't buy books unless I intend to read them and all the books on my shelf have been read at least once. Perhaps people are caught up in the hype of a 'must have' book only to find it doesn't live up to the hoopla.
Linnea

Or they're collectors. Or they just like the feel of a new book. Or they buy a book, read about another book, and then have to go out and buy the second one.

Each of these cases fits me. I'm a rabid buyer of books, but I do not finish a whole lot of books -- especially with two small children. I love the feel of a book, the promise it holds. I have over 4000 in my collection and many are unread, but I am always reading something.

Priene · Feb 17, 2008

KTC said:
Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses.

I adore that book. Everybody should read it.

Hobbes · Feb 18, 2008

I am the only person I know who has actually read Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. I thought it was excellent.

However, I will admit my copy of War & Peace is still waiting to be read.

maestrowork · Feb 18, 2008

I don't buy books I don't intend to read, but the fact is a lot of times I don't get to read or finishing reading them.

I figure I'll have all the time on my hands when I'm on my death bed.

benbradley · Feb 18, 2008

Priene said:
I adore that book. Everybody should read it.

I've got a copy [The Satanic Verses] right here, I admit I've only "tried" to read it, didn't get into the style or whatever.

Hobbes said:
I am the only person I know who has actually read Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. I thought it was excellent.

I read it way back when it came out, enjoyed it, however I'd already read many "popular" books on science, so it didn't even tell me a lot I didn't already know. I loaned it to a friend who said it was too hard to read.

Hobbes said:
However, I will admit my copy of War & Peace is still waiting to be read.

With all the books I have (thousands), I don't have War And Peace. Some things I just KNOW I won't read...

Susan Breen · Feb 18, 2008

I keep buying political autobiographies although I know I don't like to read political autobiographies. Invariably I've just talked to someone who has read the book, and then I think I really should read it, and so I buy it, and then nothing happens.

Shadow_Ferret · Feb 18, 2008

ishtar'sgate said:
Too me that's odd. I don't buy books unless I intend to read them and all the books on my shelf have been read at least once. Perhaps people are caught up in the hype of a 'must have' book only to find it doesn't live up to the hoopla.
Linnea

I buy a lot of books. I don't buy books unless I intend to read them.

However, life, children, spouse, work, writing, death, often get in the way of what I intend to do and what I actually do do.

Potluck · Feb 18, 2008

You guys have bookshelfs? Jeese, I just stack my books in piles on my bedroom floor. The piles I've read, split into crap piles and good piles, the piles I should read and of course the 10 books on 'how to write like an idiot' stacked on my california king size bed (now I don't feel so lonely).

I buy a lot of used books from estate sales. I have piles of the old serial books from the 20's and 30's. After reading a couple from the series I'll never read the rest.

Oberon · Feb 18, 2008

I got a lot from Hawking's book, but not everything in it. It's a subject that requires deep thought, not good for lazy readers like me. I have made several essays into Goedel, Escher, Bach, but always get bogged down in the mathematics and give up. Some books I buy i start to read and discover I don't like them. Donations to library. Other donations are books I've read and know I won't read again. I have a few collectible volumes I try to keep in shape, but I am not otherwise a collector, and I believe very strongly that books are to be read, and I wish well-read volumes, even with marginal notes, could be as valued as mint condition never-opened treasures.

czjaba · Feb 18, 2008

I'm another one who buys lots of books. I have every intention of reading them...eventually.

Storyteller5 · Feb 18, 2008

I can't imagine buying books just to display. I buy books to read and the people I surround myself with are readers too so I can't relate to that article.

Potluck · Feb 18, 2008

Storyteller5 said:
I can't imagine buying books just to display. I buy books to read and the people I surround myself with are readers too so I can't relate to that article.

I like to collect old books, like the old grade school primmers, or 100 year old play books. The grade school books have notes in them from the kids that used them. They are fun to read.

Each book I read is like a trophy and I can't give it away even if I hate it.

KTC · Feb 18, 2008

Redzilla said:
I think my mother is one of these people. She has bookshelves full of "classics," many of them lovely antique editions. Once while I visiting I pulled down The Brothers Karamazov to pass the time and she yelled at me. She didn't want me to damage the spine by opening them. I said, "Well, how do you usually read them?" She gave me a suspicious look that I interpreted as: "I don't read them. That's not what they're for."

lol. I'm anal about damaging spines too. I read them, though, I just don't open them fully. I'm very careful. Then by wife comes by and leaves them wide open face down and chucks them in her purse and drives over them with her car. Drives me nuts. My Brothers Karamazov is actually in pieces...I've read it so many times.

Books Which Sell But Go Unread

Forever Learning

Stand in the Place Where You Live

And thus we begin the edits

Stand in the Place Where You Live

I *am* Catwoman...and Gini Koch

Court Jester

Esquire

KoalaKoalaKoala!

living in the past

I get cancer. I kill Jack.

Everything is what it seems.

Out to lunch

Sneaky. In a good way.

Fear the Death Ray

It's a doggy dog world

Court Jester

dreaming of the day...

Say something...

Stand in the Place Where You Live

I am Catwoman...and Gini Koch