The professor of French literature, Pierre Bayard, makes the case for being able to discuss books you haven't read, or that you've heard discussed, or that you read and forgot. If you know what a book is about, you can still talk the talk amongst your vest-wearing, pipe-smoking, unkempt-haired literary lounge pals. He gives the example of knowing what Ulysses is about (an Odyssey tale taking place in a single day in Dublin), and being able to make frequent references to Joyce despite never reading Ulysses.
His book is Comment Parler Des Livres Que L'on n'a pas lus? and someday when I am fluent in French, I will read it. Or at least pretend to have read it.
(Thanks JK!)
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