Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about talking to strangers…
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We were all warned as children to 'never talk to strangers', but how do you feel about book-talk with random people? When you see people reading, do you ask what it is? Do you talk to people in the book store or the library? Why or why not? What do you do if people talk to you? (question courtesy of Dena)
I'm not really the person likely to start a conversation with a stranger, but if someone talked to me I would answer and if asked about my opinion I would give it honestly but not in too much detail so as not to bore the asker!
No I don't ask what people are reading, I might try to read the title if the cover is interesting but I would not be too obvious about it.
Sometimes I get approached at the bookstore about a book or an author or asked for a recommendation about a certain genre and I would reply as breifly as possible again not to bore the person! If the person is intersted in more details then I would give it.. If I'm reading a book and someone asks about it I would be happy to talk or discuss it!
So what do you do in these circumstances?!
14 comments:
I'm pretty much the same way you are - I'm not the one likely to start a conversation, but if someone asked, I'd be happy to give them my opinions.
I'm a natural chatterbox, so I've been know to talk books with strangers!
what is the opposite of a natural chatterbox? that would be me...so no, rare is even the book conversation that I start.
I think it is good to keep it brief unless they seem to really be genuinely interested! That is a good policy to have.
I do about the same as you. I also try to read the titles of books people are reading.
Keeping it brief is a good idea too.
If someone is reading a book that I have read or is on my wishlist, I talk to them, ask them what they think or give my thumb's up or whatever. I am in between a chatterbox and a not-so-much.
I am a pretty shy person so I wouldn't strike up a conversation. But -like you- I would answer if I was asked.
I usually pay attention to what people are reading, but rarely talk to them about it unless I know them.
Had a strange conversation with a man while reading Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz. I'd just gotten to the part where the family was covering up a brutal rape & this stranger on the subway was telling me how much he LOVED the book.
I tried very hard not to cringe away and look at him like a rapist.
I'm the same as you and keep it brief. My post is up now.
here
If i were the person who ask the question, i would like to hear briefly, short but full of information. Unless, if i want to know more detail then i would ask more questions. I would be worried if i bother the person with too much questions, LOL.
Hmmmm...I know I don't like to be bothered when I'm reading, so I don't think I would do it to someone else. Maybe if they were holding a book I thought looked interesting, but not actually engaged in reading it, I might ask questions about it.
Yvonne,caite,insert book title here,Robin, yeah we are the shy ones :)
Beth, Wow I guess you are the socialist :)
Jenners, thanx yeah that's what I think too.. I wouldn't want to ask someone's opinion about a book and having him/her discribe every detail in the book! that would spoil my fun :)
Jenny Girl, my snooping buddy :) isn't it just cool!
Vickie, that's reasonable.. being in the middle :)
Texas Red, Yikes.. not the best response from him or the right timing, LOL.. I haven't read the book but watched the trilogy as a series on TV and I remember it was good.. but I read only two books for him a long time ago and didn't like it.. that was the time I used to read in Arabic :)
Duchess Berry, yeah I know what you mean :)
melody of a mom, that sounds pretty good.. I wouldn't want to be interuppted in the middle of something really interesting either :)
I'm pretty much the same way, except I don't really like to be interrupted when I'm reading - then I just shut the whole world out, so I may not even notice if people try to talk to me.
R. nice! that goes great with the earphones ;)
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