Idea 98 The Man Who Hated Alice

Once upon a time, I met a man who hated Alice in Wonderland. After very little probing, it appeared that he had not read more than 60 pages of the book. I mean through the looking Glass too, of course. It is impossible to read one without reading the other. I was shocked, not by his strong words but by the fact that he applied them to a book he hadn't read.

Later I asked myself if I would have been so shocked if he had read it after all. my immediate impression was no. reading the book would have entitled him to his view. if I had not read a book or say I'd read 20 pages of a book,  what would I have said in his place? I'm afraid I might have said no more than "I couldn't get into it, the first 20 pages were horrible."

The interesting thing is, this man is a good man. How then to absorb his boorish comment? Once it was clear he hadn't read the book, I realized my reaction was probably more damning than his opinion. Let the man believe what he believes.

Besides, I had appointments to keep and there are worse evils than being a good man with a rotten affection for sweeping judgments, both his own and mine.