It has the world's largest print run: a staggering 220 million copies. And yet no literary critics have deemed it worthy of their commentary.
Until now.
German literary critic Hellmuth Karasek lowers himself to reading an Ikea catalog in a clip hosted by the mega-retailer's Swiss channel on YouTube.
Admittedly, it's a bit of a slog getting through the first three minutes, but once you settle into the right headspace, there's actually quite a bit to enjoy here. He references Freud and Goethe, and if he's being ironic, he's playing it so subtly you might be forgiven for taking it as an earnest review.
Why slog through Goethe and Proust when you can just read the IKEA catalog? Literature 101 students take note. ;-)