Better Than Life [Paperback]

Daniel Pennac (Author), David Homel (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996

In this entertaining and illuminating little book, French writer Daniel Pennac identifies the ways that well-meaning parents and teachers unintentionally quash their children's joy of reading and offers simple, practical, inspired suggestions to restoring that joy. "Highly recommended."--Library Journal.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A best seller in France last year, this is a collection of short essays and reflections on reading and the reader by a former teacher. Pennac indulges in a sometimes philosophical, yet simple and practical reasoning that addresses many of our attitudes toward reading. He attempts to demystify the traditional, mostly school-rooted conception of knowing how to read. He goes so far as offering a "Reader's Bill of Rights," which guarantees, among other things, the right to reread, skip pages, not to have to defend your taste, and even not to read at all. Reading behavior in general, and youth and reading in particular, are prominent in his analysis. He points out that when it comes to reading, modern youth are often considered lazy and spoiled by the easier access to other media; by contrast, reading would seem to be a Sisyphean task. Pennac thus calls for a change in attitude toward reading. His style is witty and masterly, and the result will provide entertaining and engrossing reading. Highly recommended for most libraries.
Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Coach House Pr (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889104999
• ISBN-13: 978-0889104990
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,196,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites...I return to it again and again, August 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Better Than Life (Hardcover)

In this short, simple book, Pennac describes the change that is wrought over children as they learn to read. First, there is the wonder, the closeness, the beauty of being read to by a loving parent. The child becomes a little tyrant, demanding "Another!" or "Again!", hungry for words, hungry for imagination, hungry for the closeness of someone they love. Then, another change - they begin to learn to read and write. They get caught up in the wonder, the magic of it. (Pennac's description - filtered through the wonderful translation - of a child learning to write "Mommy" is very touching). Then, there is a third change. The child is "forced" to read for school. Long books. Boring books (at least to the child). The child would rather watch TV, rather be anywhere than at his desk. Worried, the parents sit downstairs - in front of the TV, discussing worriedly why "kids don't read" (A telling bit of irony there). Pennac also provides a sort of "Bill of Rights" for readers- reminding us that we are free to skip chapters or put a book down if it's not for us.

As someone who went through a brief "non-reading" period in junior high (but thankfully came back to the written word), this book had me nodding in agreement and chuckling at places.

I dearly hope that the young folk who gripe about "how boring" reading is will come back to it at a later date and come to appreciate it again. Or else the printed word may become an endangered species.

I would highly recommend this book, especially to new parents who want to "raise a reader". The main message in that area is, get your posterior off the couch in the TV room and read to your child. And let your child see you read. Make books a treat. Even (heaven forbid) make reading an "illicit" activity.....

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read about how wonderful reading is., April 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Better than Life (Paperback)

Thank goodness this book has been reprinted. My copy of the original, then entitled 'Reads Like a Novel', has been through so many pairs of hands that it's falling apart. But I suppose that would be a suitable state for a book that's all about the gift of reading. And re-reading. Which is fortunate, because this is very much a book to return to with relish.

I'm usually jaded enough not to use the word 'inspiring', but this book is inspiring in the most benign and down-to-earth way. Amazon should show its legendary business sense and give a copy of this book away with every order. 'Better Than Life' so ignites, or re-ignites, the thirst for the printed word that every copy read would account for ten more novels bought.

Not least of the book's strengths is its ability to speak to all audiences, to the experienced or to the child, and hold them spellbound with stories from the past, stories about stories, and stories about how we use and absorb stories. But it's a remarkably tolerant book, more about curiosoty than commentary, written with flair, simplicity and a contagious good spirit.

The original title was far more suitable because, aside from everything else, the book also does 'read like a novel'. It's funny too. I haven't gone into the specifics of the book because I wouldn't want to spoil the effects of its charm, but I can't recommended it enough; I've foisted this book on friends and now I'm trying to do the same to strangers.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect!, November 27, 2002

By 

"dgoldste18" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Better than Life (Paperback)

There is certainly no shortage of books about reading. Perhaps it's inevitable in this self-referential era, that we end up reading about reading. Most of these works, however, fail to express the joy that their authors feel on reading great works.

Pennac's book succeeds where many fail because it is entirely devoid of sanctimony. His thoughts on reading are presented as an answer to the question "How do we get a child to love reading." His thoughts are clear, well-reasoned, and passionately held, in a way that makes the reader think, "Me, too!"

If you love reading and want to pass on the feeling, this is a great book for a starter.