Reading group, or literary groupie?
Today, I was invited to answer questions at an online reading group. I won’t post a link to it here, but there are many like it. This group was discussing a recent piece of award-winning literary fiction, and reactions to it were pretty mixed, and often quite outspoken.
So far, so good. Literature should encourage debate. One of its roles is to make people think. Sometimes, it can be challenging, but one of the things I’ve always loved about the reading group model is how it sometimes forces the reader out of their personal comfort zone, encouraging them to discuss books that they would not otherwise have tried.
This particular group, however, had a different agenda. From what I could tell, it was mostly run by a couple of dominant voices, who, when fellow-readers expressed opinions contrary to their own, were quick to sneer and disparage - on one occasion telling one reader who hadn’t enjoyed the latest Kate Atkinson that she was “too stupid to understand”, and “should probably go back to TWILIGHT.”
Okay. So this isn’t unusual. Read the comments under any Amazon or Goodreads review, and you’ll probably find something similar - someone attacking a reader for expressing an opinion; or pouring scorn on a fandom; or looking down on the “lowbrow” tastes of a fellow-reader. I’m often amused at the way in which certain literary people express their surprise at my own eclectic reading tastes - as if admitting to liking Stephen King, Lee Child or Georgette Heyer were somehow incompatible with my literary and academic credentials.
However, I’m getting increasingly concerned by the number of people who think it’s okay to sneer at people for what they read. It’s not okay to do that any more than it’s okay to exclude other people for what they wear, or what they eat, or what kind of accent they happen to have. Books are universal. They are here for everyone. To pretend superiority over someone because (for instance) you like Kate Atkinson and they like TWILIGHT is to be the worst kind of snob, a literary groupie who wants the world of books to be their own, exclusive yacht club. These people do nothing for the world of books. Instead, they create an atmosphere in which people are afraid to talk about the books they enjoy (or not); in which readers of “serious” books are allowed to look down upon those who read purely for pleasure; in which kids are prevented from reading the books they like in favour of those their parents perceive as “worthy”.
It’s snobbery, pure and simple. A particularly toxic kind of intellectual snobbery, which is, as any fule kno, just a sign of intellectual insecurity. No-one who has nothing to prove feels the need to score cheap shots over other people, and no intelligent person feels the need to show their intelligence by making others feel stupid.
And so, readers’ groups, here are some ideas to consider when you are discussing books. They’re only my suggestions, but if you’d rather not come across as literary sycophants, but instead as independent readers, with complex, individual tastes, you could do worse than bear these in mind.
1. Reading is not a competitive sport. No-one is keeping score of what you liked, or didn’t like.
2. Reading a book is not an indicator of whether or not you approve of the content. You can read Mein Kampf without being a Nazi, or Twilight without being a vampire.
3. Books are like clothes - one size definitely doesn’t fit all, and what suits one person may not suit another.
4. Your not having liked a book doesn’t make it “stupid”; nor does it make the people who did enjoy it stupid.
5. Try not to make the distinction between “serious” books and “non-serious” books. It’s serious if you take it seriously.
6. Everyone has an opinion. That includes you. Express it. The fact that some critic or reviewer thinks a book is high art should not affect what you think of it.
7. It’s okay to enjoy something just because you enjoy it. No-one has the right to make you feel guilty or stupid or inferior for liking something mainstream, or indifferently-written, or mass-market, or popular.
8. Knowing that a book has won prizes, or that the author received a high advance, should have nothing to do with whether you enjoy it or not. Don’t let irrelevant factors dictate your thinking.
9. You can disagree with someone’s opinion on a book without being offensive. They’re not here to be judged by you.
10. Books are food for the mind. Like food, the best diet is a varied one. Some days you’ll feel like steak and chips; at other times you’ll crave Haribo. It’s fine to want both, at different times.
Enjoy.
So far, so good. Literature should encourage debate. One of its roles is to make people think. Sometimes, it can be challenging, but one of the things I’ve always loved about the reading group model is how it sometimes forces the reader out of their personal comfort zone, encouraging them to discuss books that they would not otherwise have tried.
This particular group, however, had a different agenda. From what I could tell, it was mostly run by a couple of dominant voices, who, when fellow-readers expressed opinions contrary to their own, were quick to sneer and disparage - on one occasion telling one reader who hadn’t enjoyed the latest Kate Atkinson that she was “too stupid to understand”, and “should probably go back to TWILIGHT.”
Okay. So this isn’t unusual. Read the comments under any Amazon or Goodreads review, and you’ll probably find something similar - someone attacking a reader for expressing an opinion; or pouring scorn on a fandom; or looking down on the “lowbrow” tastes of a fellow-reader. I’m often amused at the way in which certain literary people express their surprise at my own eclectic reading tastes - as if admitting to liking Stephen King, Lee Child or Georgette Heyer were somehow incompatible with my literary and academic credentials.
However, I’m getting increasingly concerned by the number of people who think it’s okay to sneer at people for what they read. It’s not okay to do that any more than it’s okay to exclude other people for what they wear, or what they eat, or what kind of accent they happen to have. Books are universal. They are here for everyone. To pretend superiority over someone because (for instance) you like Kate Atkinson and they like TWILIGHT is to be the worst kind of snob, a literary groupie who wants the world of books to be their own, exclusive yacht club. These people do nothing for the world of books. Instead, they create an atmosphere in which people are afraid to talk about the books they enjoy (or not); in which readers of “serious” books are allowed to look down upon those who read purely for pleasure; in which kids are prevented from reading the books they like in favour of those their parents perceive as “worthy”.
It’s snobbery, pure and simple. A particularly toxic kind of intellectual snobbery, which is, as any fule kno, just a sign of intellectual insecurity. No-one who has nothing to prove feels the need to score cheap shots over other people, and no intelligent person feels the need to show their intelligence by making others feel stupid.
And so, readers’ groups, here are some ideas to consider when you are discussing books. They’re only my suggestions, but if you’d rather not come across as literary sycophants, but instead as independent readers, with complex, individual tastes, you could do worse than bear these in mind.
1. Reading is not a competitive sport. No-one is keeping score of what you liked, or didn’t like.
2. Reading a book is not an indicator of whether or not you approve of the content. You can read Mein Kampf without being a Nazi, or Twilight without being a vampire.
3. Books are like clothes - one size definitely doesn’t fit all, and what suits one person may not suit another.
4. Your not having liked a book doesn’t make it “stupid”; nor does it make the people who did enjoy it stupid.
5. Try not to make the distinction between “serious” books and “non-serious” books. It’s serious if you take it seriously.
6. Everyone has an opinion. That includes you. Express it. The fact that some critic or reviewer thinks a book is high art should not affect what you think of it.
7. It’s okay to enjoy something just because you enjoy it. No-one has the right to make you feel guilty or stupid or inferior for liking something mainstream, or indifferently-written, or mass-market, or popular.
8. Knowing that a book has won prizes, or that the author received a high advance, should have nothing to do with whether you enjoy it or not. Don’t let irrelevant factors dictate your thinking.
9. You can disagree with someone’s opinion on a book without being offensive. They’re not here to be judged by you.
10. Books are food for the mind. Like food, the best diet is a varied one. Some days you’ll feel like steak and chips; at other times you’ll crave Haribo. It’s fine to want both, at different times.
Enjoy.
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