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Sir: May I add to the teenage reading con- troversy by commenting on Caroline How- ell's letter in your 10 April issue? Miss Howell informs us that the only reason why anyone reads great literature is to 'find out about sex, violence . . . and general misbe- haviour'.
Such a statement is plainly false. There are many other reasons why a teenager may read a good book: the book may be funny, exciting, frightening, shocking, or any of the other numerous qualities that give a book appeal. Fiction is, after all, read primarily for entertainment. Any information that one may pick up on the way is secondary.
The truth is that some teenagers regular- ly read books whilst others never do and will never enjoy them. Miss Howell plainly belongs to the second group, since if she once tried to read a work of great literature she would instantly find that there is far more reason to read it than merely to find out about sex and violence.
Gabriel Rozenberg (aged 12) 11 Palgrave Road, Stamford Brook, London W12
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