I’ve mostly missed out on the internet debates but I’m familiar with reading snobbery from academia. Capitalism turns everything, including pleasure and education, into a competition and status symbol. Depressing. On the up side, the wonderful 8-part series of Ripley on Netflix reminds me that great novels and smart stylish tv are not incompatible. Thanks for your reflections!
Such a great piece. I have to confess I scroll past these kinds of perennial arguments on social media now. As you say, there's just so much judgement. My own reading can be between 1-10 books a month - it just depends what else I'm doing. It's the same as when people ask how I find time to get "all that knitting" done - you make time for what you want to do.
You make some really good points here. I definitely has too much snobbery around reading, but they did also make me smile as somebody who reads a heck of a lot of books. I enjoy it, I’m a fast reader and I prefer to do it. I have other things. That said, the months when I read the most are definitely my worst mental health months.
Such a thoughtful, honest, and with such pointedly perfect media pairings, and yet not aggressive or mean. What a perfect balance and tribute to the pure pleasure of reading.
Great post! Personally, I believe these reading-related judgements reveal more about the people who make them than they may be aware - about their own insecurities and assumptions, I mean. The person who thinks difficult books are “better” probably worked hard to understand a difficult book and wants recognition for it (undergrad me raises her hand, lol). When you let go of your own baggage and assumptions about books, you can just read and let read. Doing that is also work but it’s worth it!
I’ve mostly missed out on the internet debates but I’m familiar with reading snobbery from academia. Capitalism turns everything, including pleasure and education, into a competition and status symbol. Depressing. On the up side, the wonderful 8-part series of Ripley on Netflix reminds me that great novels and smart stylish tv are not incompatible. Thanks for your reflections!
True. What can be more capitalist than finding different ways to rank each other?
Such a great piece. I have to confess I scroll past these kinds of perennial arguments on social media now. As you say, there's just so much judgement. My own reading can be between 1-10 books a month - it just depends what else I'm doing. It's the same as when people ask how I find time to get "all that knitting" done - you make time for what you want to do.
You make some really good points here. I definitely has too much snobbery around reading, but they did also make me smile as somebody who reads a heck of a lot of books. I enjoy it, I’m a fast reader and I prefer to do it. I have other things. That said, the months when I read the most are definitely my worst mental health months.
Last August, I read 14 books and I wasn't on vacation. I guess that would blow that person's mind lol
Such a thoughtful, honest, and with such pointedly perfect media pairings, and yet not aggressive or mean. What a perfect balance and tribute to the pure pleasure of reading.
Great post! Personally, I believe these reading-related judgements reveal more about the people who make them than they may be aware - about their own insecurities and assumptions, I mean. The person who thinks difficult books are “better” probably worked hard to understand a difficult book and wants recognition for it (undergrad me raises her hand, lol). When you let go of your own baggage and assumptions about books, you can just read and let read. Doing that is also work but it’s worth it!
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