Two-thirds of Brits have lied about reading books they haven’t. Have you? Why? What book?
In normal, everyday interaction with family and family I don’t think I have ever lied about what I have or haven’t read. There’s not really much point, is there? If I haven’t read something, it only means there is the opportunity to discover something possibly amazing and be able to discuss it in the future with people who already have.
However, in my work as a bookseller, I have said I’ve read something I’m trying to sell when I haven’t. I may have flicked through it, and I do try to be as informed as possible on much of our stock, but sometimes it just slips out “oh yeah, I really liked it.” It’s usually when I’m feeling a bit pressured and the customer isn’t giving me much guidance in assisting them, but it is terrible and I feel a little bit guilty about it afterward. I suppose it’s just a part of the routine of working as a retail monkey.
I can see doing it for the sake of work. That’s a little different, I think.
Oh I know, it still makes me feel a little uneasy/cheap when I do it though.
Oh naughty! Well do you feel better after confessing?
Strangely enough, I do feel a bit better now that I’ve got it off my shoulders! Seems that others don’t think it is as terrible as I (sometimes) do.
My answer was a lot like yours except that I don’t work in the book industry.
I think that’s actually a perfectly fine reason for the small little lie. No one get hurts and who knows, maybe the person buying the book will love it!
True, and it’s not as though I’m bragging about what I have read, I’m just trying to help customers find a book I think they’ll enjoy. (That can be a very difficult task at times, people are so particular!)
I used to do the same thing when I was waitressing – customers would ask me if I’d tried this dish (I hadn’t) and I’ll say, ‘yeah, it’s wonderful!’.
But I agree with you – I don’t see the point in lying about reading books I haven’t read.
(Oh wow, waitressing. There’s something I don’t miss at all!) I don’t think the survey linked to in the original question is really talking about the sort of people that keep book blogs – passionate readers. We don’t have to brag about what we’ve read because we’re OBVIOUSLY all fantastically well-read anyway!
What you are doing is different. You are not ‘bragging’ or ‘saving face’ you are working. It is like when my boss asks me ‘did you do that thing yet?’. ‘Yes Boss, just finished”, and I hadn’t even thought about it in hours. LOL!
Haha, I’m feeling a bit better about the little white lies now.
How will I every believe a bookseller again (ha ha)!
Haha! Maybe the byline for my blog should be something like “destroying faith in booksellers since 2009″?
I haven’t done it yet, i hope I won’t have to do it but when I used to work for a major bookseller I admit I felt tempted a few times to do just that.
It’s strange how a simple “I read it and loved it” from a bookseller can push the customer from “meh I don’t know…” to “I’ll take it!” All part of the job, I guess.