What makes someone well read?

Ohh... The understanding that the more you know, the more there is to know. Questions lead to answers, leading to more questions, then more answers and on it goes. It's cyclical and inexhaustible. I think that's one of the real joys of it.

What makes someone well read?

When they've read more than me!

If they have no Dan Brown books in their collection they are well read.

Someone who reads a lot in of books (could be fiction, non-fiction, one genre, many different genres, etc) and is able to have meaningful discussion about what they read. I don’t think being well read applies to just reading classic literature, for example you can be well read if all you read is sci-fi, horror, and fantasy (like I do) or predominantly read travel and foodie memoirs (like my mom does). The ability to think/interpret and discuss what you have read plays an equal part in being well read as much in the actual subject of the books you are reading. You can get just as much out of reading the works of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett as you can from William Shakespeare after all😉

Being described as 'well read' is not dissimilar to being 'well travelled'. It ascribes the qualities of breadth and depth to the person.
In travel, the person will not only have visited places covering a wide geographic area, but acquired a good deal of experience in their travels.
In reading, one would expect a significant breadth of material to have been covered, not being confined to a particular genre or subject, and thus being assumed to have successfully attained a degree of knowledge and learning. An autodidact, for example would be someone who is assumed to be well read.
To be well read is to have undertaken a journey of self improvement, whereas the ignorant traveller has been to many places, yet learnt nothing.

Yeah, I think audiobooks are just as legitimate. And for things like Homer, which come from oral tradition anyway, that's arguably a more authentic experience. I had that revelation upon finally seeing Shakespeare performed (at the Globe, no less), after having only read the plays in book form.

Anyway, to me, being well-read is, to an extent, like that famous definition of pornography - I know it when I see it. But I had a brain storm and came up with a number of criteria to try and put that in more concrete terms.

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1. As many have said already, a genuine love of reading. We have all read classic books in school because we were forced to, and if that was a hellish experience, I don't think it counts. We love stories, right?

2. Reading widely. I have no prejudice toward reading 25,000 Nora Roberts books by any means, but if that's all you read, I think you're doing yourself a disservice. Broadening one's palate is a critical point in my opinion. I believe we should be trying to learn and experience all sorts of things during our time on this rock, and books are a wonderful way to facilitate that intake of ideas. In fact, literature is one of the most "pure" forms of that. From the author's mind to yours, ideally with minimal interference.

3. Regardless of reading material, I think what distinguishes a well-read person from a more passive reader is an understanding and appreciation of storytelling technique and craft. I realize that sounds pretentious, but it's something that is more instinctive than many people think. There's this vision of dreary English majors poring over the hidden meanings of every line in spectacularly boring fashion, but in reality it doesn't have to be like that.

4. Understanding and interest in context. I often read classic books not just they're good stories that endured the test of time (which they often are), but because I have an interest in tracing the lineage of storytelling. I think being able to understand a book's place in history and its lasting influence can enrich your understanding of not only that book, but others that you read later.

The question of context also goes for the utter yahoos who have, over the years, tried to get books removed from school libraries and such. I will plant my flag in the ground and say that anyone who wants to get rid of Huck Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird based on the use of slurs, devoid of context, demonstrates that they are not well read.

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Long story short, I think Point 1 is the most important. That passion is what separates the enthusiast from the general audience. Even in the context of Doctor Who, there's a reason some viewers are on forums like this, and others who simply watch it as just another TV show. There's nothing wrong with either one. My point is, you can tell somebody who is passionate on a topic from someone is not.