Arnold Bennett

Literary Taste How to Form It Arnold Bennett

At the beginning a misconception must be removed from the path. Many people, if not most, look on literary taste as an elegant accomplishment, by acquiring which they will complete themselves, and make themselves finally fit as members of a correct society. They are secretly ashamed of their ignorance of literature, in the same way as they would be ashamed of their ignorance of etiquette at a high entertainment, or of their inability to ride a horse if suddenly called upon to do so. There are certain things that a man ought to know, or to know about, and literature is one of them, such is their idea. They have learnt to dress themselves with propriety, and to behave with propriety on all occasions; they are fairly up in the questions of the day; by industry and enterprise they are succeeding in their vocations; it behoves them, then, not to forget that an acquaintance with literature is an indispensable part of a self-respecting mans personal baggage. Painting doesn't matter; music doesn't matter very much. But everyone is supposed to know about literature. Then, literature is such a charming distraction!