Popularist or Literati?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Quality and popularity are arguably completely different properties of anything. Previous posters have already taken the words out of my mouth, but I will say something about this 'attitude' that has been touched upon. As a philosophy student, I can barely introduce myself to someone without having them assuming that I am one of these people who only read certain books because no-one else will. I think books (and I find that it is books, generally) have this amazing power to divide people. People can be so vilified because of their choice of books (there's an analogy here but I can't quite grasp it!) and it is quite sad that, as Lalwende says, people will so readily exclude certain things (especially books) from their agenda just because of some skewed vision of....I'm not sure what it is....respect? Or maybe they're trying to be so achingly hip or cool that they feel they must or must not do a particular thing.

Anyway, sorry for rambling on....