Tuesday, May 12, 2009

10 inalienable rights of the reader


French writer Daniel Pennac has formulated the following "Reader's Bill of Rights" in one of his children's books.
  1. The right to not read
  2. The right to skip pages
  3. The right to not finish
  4. The right to reread
  5. The right to read anything
  6. The right to escapism
  7. The right to read anywhere
  8. The right to browse
  9. The right to read out loud
  10. The right to not defend your tastes
  11. I think these are brilliant. I couldn't agree with them more. However, I do want to add just a few items.

  12. The right to write about what you read - As someone blogging about books, this is a given.
  13. The right to read tax-free books - Currently, there's a big issue here in Manila about imported books being taxed. Check it out here.
  14. The right to listen to audio books - Many people now consider listening to audio books as a form of reading. Whatever works, right?
I'm sure you can think of other rights that we have as readers. I would love to hear from you. Just post what you can think of in the comments section.

12 comments:

Portobello's coffee said...

14. The right to protect your books in gauge 8 plastic cover. :D

Anonymous said...

15. The right to write notes on the edges of the book.

16. The right to have your very own personalized bookmark.

17. The right to start reading from the back.

Unknown said...

How sad to tax imported books :o(

LoF said...

every reader has the right to beautifully typeset books.

anyone publishing a book directly from Microsoft Word or other PC word processing programs should be sentenced to many years of hard labor.

Peter S. said...

Line of flight, I agree with you. I love books that have been executed aesthetically -- from the layout to the type used. I used to work for a book publishing company and I was finicky about the type used in the text.

LoF said...

I loved Robert Bringhurst's The Elements of Typographic Style. (I read version 3.1) He's a typographer and poet. I have always been particular with the typesetting of my work, but after reading this book several years ago I committed to one typeface for all of my professional work! That is how inspiration it was.

Dinah said...

the right to take a peek at the ending :-)

hey, care for an ex-link? linked you up at htpp://bookishworm.blogspot.com Thanks

Portobello's coffee said...

18. The right to be ridiculously ecstatic when you find the book you've been desperately looking for in the bargain bin at 75% off!

Peter S. said...

Hi Dinah! Sure, I'll link you up.

gege said...

the right not to cover my book in plastic and let it breath so that my skin can touch its skin and I can molest, caress, and abuse it to a dog-eared, well-loved, well-used beauty.

Peter S. said...

Hi Gege! Hmmmm... Well, even though I may not agree with you, still, it's your right. Hehehe.

Hello Portobello's coffee! I have mixed feelings about that (#18). Sometimes it's maddening to see a copy of the book you've bought at full price being sold in the bargain bin!

fantaghiro23 said...

19. The right to refuse to buy a book at full price.

20. The right to buy a book at full price, especially if you've been eagerly awaiting it for months and months.