Bernard Chasan replied to Edgar Beach:

>Yet just how big is the reading public for good books, those which
>might attain classic staus? I remember that about ten years ago the
>novelist Phillip Roth estimated that there were about 60,000 readers in
>this country who regularly read serious fiction.  I don't know how he got
>that estimate, but there it is.If true, it means that about 1 in 300 adults
>is so involved.  The publishing of serious novels is not is not profitable
>and it is becoming harder for promising young writers to get published.
>I have little doubt that the poetry audience is even smaller.  So yes-
>reading serious literature requires attention and commitment,and for that
>reason, is very much a minority pastime.

I admit that my standards for books are a lot lower than for music.
However I believe that popular reading is of higher quality than popular
music.  One of the reasons for this is that music can be piped out of every
channel of the media, whereas books can't.  I often find myself recoiling
from unwanted exposure to bad music, e.g.  a car driving by playing rap
music (drive-by bad music), or surfing through TV channels, or working out
at a health club.  Books don't get in my face the same way music does.

Btw, I've read the first Harry Potter book, and liked it.  I can't think of
any music that is as popular and also as good.

Mike