How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read




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ClassGraphic Have you ever nodded thoughtfully through a discussion of Ulysses or Crime and Punishment, secretly hoping no one would ask your opinion? Pierre Bayard’s witty and subversive book How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read (Bloomsbury, 2007) invites us to rethink what it means to “know” a book. In this study group, we will explore Bayard’s playful arguments about reading, memory, cultural knowledge, and the performance of literary conversation. Group members will engage in lively discussions of Bayard’s work, reflect on their own reading habits, and parse the social forces that shape how we talk about literature. Together, we will ask: What does it mean to be well-read? Can skimming, forgetting, or even imagining a book be as valuable as reading it? Engaging and liberating, this study group encourages a joyful reexamination of our lifelong relationship with books, reading, and literary culture.
 

Class Details

4 Session(s)
Weekly - Tue

Location
Virtual - Any Location

Instructor
Multiple

Tuition: 

$0.00

Email olli@northwestern.edu for more information. Send to Friend »

Schedule Information

Date(s) Class Days Times Location Instructor(s)
1/20/2026 - 2/10/2026 Weekly - Tue 01:15 PM - 03:15 PM N/A, Virtual - Any Location  Map Galen Burghardt  ; Valerie Maragos  ; Thomas Green 

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