[F]olks would better off dipping their heads in a bucket of liquid [nitrogen] and battering them against a tree very very hard than reading Baxter's Titan. It would not surprise me if reading that book causes birth defects.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The reviewer harshly criticizes Baxter's Titan, claiming reading it is harmful.
- In plain terms
- Reading the book is supposedly worse than a dangerous stunt.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid books you consider harmful.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a book harmful?
- How should we evaluate literary criticism?
Another view
The claim is hyperbolic and lacks evidence.
More from James Nicoll
Romeo and Juliet *died*. I always liked that in a teen romance story.
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Permalink to quote #4 The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, E…
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