One of the benefits of being a Philosophy major, besides the endless job opportunities after graduation, is the volume of required reading each semester. A rough estimate of this semester’s load: over 2000 pages. Naturally there are times when I come to class without having actually finished the assigned reading. And as lame as it may sound, I feel kinda bad about it. Still, I find myself able to participate without looking like a complete idiot, more often that not.

I have my methods. Usually, I just wait for the discussion to delve into enough detail so that I can ask a meaningful question based solely off of what I just heard. But a distinguished professor at Paris University appears to have mastered my trade and written a book about it : Comment Parler des Livres que l’on n’a pas Lus (translation for followers of John Kneeland : How to Talk about Books that You Haven’t Read).

The London Times reports that Professor Pierre Bayard, who in the face of academia proudly lists the classics he’s never read, focuses on the relationship between psychoanalysis and literature. That’s right–a literature professor who often references (and even reviews) books he’s never read. Apparently that’s not a problem; Professor Bayard argues it may even be preferable.

“The discourse on books that have not been read places us at the heart of a creative process which leads us to their origin,” Bayard claims. If that’s the case, I guess coming to class unprepared isn’t so terrible. If my fellow classmates would do the same, maybe we’d all get to experience this creative process together in a more profound way.

Professor Bayard offers explicit advice for the non-reader engaging in discussion: “Avoid precise details. Put aside rational thought. Let your subconscious express your personal relationship with the work.” I consider myself open-minded and I have no problem putting aside rational thought (especially on the weekends). Maybe I’ll take the Professor’s advice and give it a shot.

And to express my thanks to Professor Bayard, I’m putting his book at the top of my list of those I’m not going to read.

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