In Theory // What does it mean to be well read?

I was recently pouring over a poets and writer's magazine and something I read in an article has stuck in my mind. The author of the article is an agent who works for writers, helping them to get their work published. She said that she loves reviewing work from writers who she can tell are 'well read'. As I thought about it, I realized I didn't really have a great definition for the phrase. 

What does it mean to be well read?

The dictionary defines well read as: (adj.) (of a person) knowledgeable and informed as a result of extensive reading. 

That's not a very clear definition. So I went hunting for a better one. 

As it turns out, there are quite a few other people who have asked the same question and multiple book blogs have their own interpretation of the idea.

Amanda, from bookriot.com, expresses frustration with the term's ambiguity in that it implies having read lots of classics as well as thorough knowledge of the obscure authors as well. You know, the ones that wrote something brilliant and then went and hid under a rock so no one would know who they were. She goes on to give her definition on the BookRiot blog:

"...reading thoughtfully from a wide variety of genres (not limited to, but definitely including, the classics) and a multicultural array of authors in such a way that allows you to think and converse about the human experience thoughtfully."

She then urges us to pursue our own reading journey with the above loose boundaries. I like that. 

As a side note, Jeff from BookRiot does offer a 100-book suggested reading list alongside their definition of well read. You can look at it here.

I didn't want just one opinion so I got a second. I visited the 101Books blog where Robert is reading his way through Time Magazine's 100 Greatest Novels since 1923. I was very inspired by his goal. He also agrees that it is an equation involving diversity in your reading and not necessarily quantity, that determines whether or not you are well read. 

A third opinion came from The Literature Network Forum. Some of their interesting ideas include the fact that it is very difficult to say you are well read through many different genres, cultures, time periods, and subject matter simply because of the sheer number of them. On a different note, they also clarified that reading crap can help you discern between good and poor writing. However only reading crap will not further your goal of being well read.

So...that being read (yes, that was an effort to be clever), these are my four take-aways for perspective and taking action:

1. It is impossible to define well read beyond a very general definition where plenty is left to interpretation.

2. Challenge yourself to your own reading goals focused on the different genres, time periods, cultures, and subject matter you enjoy. If you're diversifying and reading quality--you're headed in the right direction.

3. With 129 million books published, and plenty more on the way, don't let yourself get overwhelmed with the quantity. Set your goals, stay current, and don't forget about the greats from the past.

4. Talk to other readers and get recommendations! If you don't know where to start, let someone else help you get started. 

That's all I got--sorry this post was a little long and has no pictures. For those of you who truly love to read that shouldn't matter to you. :) I hope that helps/inspires you to challenge yourself!

"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." - Mark Twain

Thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts!