Elusive Classic Literature

I just finished reading Nick Hornby's The Polysyllabic Spree, which is a collection of articles he wrote for a literary magazine. It's about his struggle to read all the books he's actually bought.

This makes me feel a lot better about myself. I have this terrible (or maybe not so terrible, you decide) habit of buying classic literature that I will NEVER read. Let's face it, I amble into bookstores to either A: read a whole bunch of trashy metal magazines that run loads of pictures and publish dreadful articles (Metal Hammer, Revolver, Terrorizer, I'm looking at you. But that's okay, because I love you anyway), B: buy pulpy horror novels, or C: books that analyze pop culture, especially music.

So no, of course I'm never going to read Dante Alighieri's The Inferno. Or The Jungle or Crime and Punishment or Walden. I could have saved that $10 on another vampire novel or a slice of pizza and soda or even more useful, Iron Maiden crap. But no, something compels me to pick up that classic literature and have it sit on my shelf for eternity.

I thought I just had a problem. Here, it turns out, I'm okay. Nick Hornby does it too, and if they guy who wrote High Fidelity does it, then it's okay for me.

Hmm...I wonder if Bruce Dickinson buys a butt-ton of books that he has no intention of reading? Then, my habit would be really spectacular....

Books I Haven't Bought, But I Intend On Reading: Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore by Albert Mudrian (wink, wink Decibelians) (But seriously, I do want to read it.), David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, any Emily Dickinson poetry anthology (I hope she's as good as her last name implies).

Books I Just Read: The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby, The Missionary Position by Bruce Dickinson (the first book I ever read that made nauseated), Lucky by Anne Sebold (crazy/awesome), Traitor to the Blood by Barb and JC Hendee