You know what I was saying about writers reading?

You know how I was saying writers should read?

Writers should not read Ian McEwan. At least not if they're me.

Just thought I should provide that small caveat to my wholesome advice. As Nick Hornby says, if you don't like a book, do yourself and everyone else a favour and stop reading it, because there is no "right" or "wrong" when reading. You're always right. It's the pure selfish joy of reading. You get to put the book down.

By the way, for the record: the book is Saturday, and what I don't like is long, slow description of a man stumbling numbling through a right wing perspective he just feels wash over him like instinct. McEwan is smarter than that and should stop pretending he's not actually representing a more considered perspective. I didn't like this when Flannagan did it with the terrorist book and I don't like it when Helen Garner does it. Smart writers making their characters stupid and innocent thereby depriving them of the eloquence to defend the perspective they are invented to represent. It seems to be to be weak or dishonest. I think I'll go back to the young adult fiction. Immediately.