@Eva,
Quote:An actual quote from a former friend...
(pointing at large coffee table book on display in her living room)
"I've never read it. I just keep it there because Daddy's quoted in it."
See, I think the pretentiousness would come in if the book was about something like particle physics (I'm thinking of something I wouldn't read or even begin to try to pretend I could understand) and she said, 'Oh yeah - very interesting book- and you know my father helped write it,' when in fact she HADN'T ever read it and her father only had one quote in it.
The way she came right out and said, 'I've never read it and I just keep it there because my dad has one line in it,' is in my opinion sort of unpretentious and refreshingly honest.
It goes back to the whole issue of pride and pretentiousness. I don't think there's anything wrong with being proud of someone or something - in this case the girl is proud of her Dad.
It's false pride or pride that's not based in reality that smacks of pretentiousness - in other words, 'I am going to pretend that I understand and am interested in things that I have no understanding or interest in just so I can drop a name or two or build my dad up, and by association myself.'
But you say she's a former friend, so maybe there are other instances where her pretentiousness is more pronounced.