The famous book by Pierre Bayard, funny and provocative, with many funny and unexpected examples. Having conquered France and many other countries, it appeals to many, many non-readers - “with this book they can overcome their guilt without the help of a psychoanalyst,” Bayard said in an interview, “and it’s much cheaper.” Pierre Bayard (b. 1954) is the author of almost two dozen books, a specialist in literary shocking and an expert in psychoanalysis, a teacher at the University of Paris VIII. His “The Art of Talking About Books You Haven’t Read” is a rather surprising reflection on reading. Instead of the standard pair “read – not read”, he identifies several types of communication between a person and a book: you can leaf through it, learn the contents from others, and sometimes, on the contrary, a well-read book can be completely forgotten. Pierre Bayard examines situations in which we have to talk about unread books. How to get out of the situation with honor? He convincingly proves that, contrary to popular belief, it is quite possible to have an interesting conversation about a book you haven't read, including with someone who hasn't read it either.