Michelle Dean disapproves of books that advertize the time it should take to read them:
[T]he purpose isn’t so much informational as it is, I think, sort of hilariously disciplining of both
author and reader. A slow reader will feel guilty; a fast reader will feel pride; in both cases the feelings serve no useful purpose. For a writer of any real caliber the thing is actively self-debasing. This is an author saying to you: “I have written a book. Isn’t it great? It is, but it is only worth five hours of your time. It might take you longer to read War and Peace, sure, and you might have to do a couple of re-reads. But the whole sum of human knowledge on offer in this book: it’s five hours only. I’m just efficient like that.”
(Photo of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s Without Their Permission via imgur)
The Dish 