Learn English – “Have you ever read” versus “have you never read”

grammaticality

"Have you ever read Jane Jacobs's The Death and Life of Great American Cities?" he asked. (The New York Times)

I don't know why, but if I wrote that question I would have used never, not ever, but, alas, I would have made a mistake. In fact, looking for "have you never read" on reliable Internet sites, I found a few occurences of this expression, mostly in the Bible.

However I believe of having understood that "You have never read" is correct; what it is unclear is as to whether that "never" has to be replaced with "ever" when that sentence is posed in question form. Is it?

Please, in reference to the "ever" and the "never" usage explain how are different the following two questions, maybe comparing the affirmative forms:

  • Have you never read […]?

  • Have you ever read […]?

Best Answer

Have you ever read ... ? is a simple question, asking if you are familiar with the work.

Have you never read ... ? is an incredulous response to your betraying unfamiliarity with the work:

"Have you never read such-and-such? I am amazed that a man of your evident scholarly attainments should be so ignorant."

It is more colloquially expressed as Haven't you ever read ... ?