We really can't win! You read trash in public, you're shallow and should read something better. You read "literary classics" in public, and you're being performative! Love how you pointed out this Catch 22. And it really is all the better reason to just say eff it and read whatever you want, because people are going to be mad no matter what you do!
it's true! but I'm terrified that people seeing a person for the first (and probably the last) time in their lives can tell if that person is really reading it and if they'll understand anything from it.
Got this notification while (re)reading The Bell Jar in my room!
I’ve felt self conscious pulling out the book in public because my reading of it is coinciding with its trendiness, and I don’t want to be mistakenly perceived as reading it just for the aesthetic rather than to enjoy it again because I enjoyed it before. I think that we create a hierarchy of readers or reader-intentions because it’s in our nature to seek ways of feeling superior or at least good, and I don’t think that will ever stop. It sure does suck, though, since reading (not just photographing a book) for any purpose is a fulfilling pursuit that everyone should be encouraged to participate in :/
Unfortunately, that's the way it is, people are afraid to pull out books that are supposed to be easy entertainment and books that are considered some kind of classic, because every kind of literature has already been ironically summed up on the Internet. Read and take as much as you can from it for yourself. Even if you read it because it appears everywhere - it's human curiosity, there's nothing wrong with it.
Reading is a hobby, something recreational, unless it’s your job as a book critic or something. As much as I am annoyed of performative reading and the loss personal taste in books, I think that snotty people are just as annoying as the people who pretend to read. On the other hand, I think that we should let people enjoy things as long as no harm is done. As nuanced as this sounds, the world is too dreadful and people often use performative reading as an escape, whether to be perceived as an intellectual or someone with a higher social standing.
I have seen a lot of comments over the years that only classical literature can develop intellectually. So I am not surprised that people would like to be perceived in this way and are taking up books that can bring them closer to such an image. I think that for many people this may be the beginning of an opening up to a new genre and they will dig deeper. We all have to start somewhere, it's easy to start where people indicate that the beginning will be promising.
Wow, this is crazy! I recently finished reading 'The Bell Jar' which is why this caught my attention, and I had no idea this was happening. I prefer reading classics or something with a similar theme because I love the writing, the thought, the perspectives and their influence, but I also love my romances even though I don't read them as often. You truly can't have anything to yourself without people making assumptions about you, as if they know your intentions, your life, your future. Thanks for writing this!
I am glad that more and more people are trying to discover literature, because I know that many of them have not read AT ALL before, so it is great that they have started. However, people speak as if they know the intentions and thoughts of every person who has a book with them.
right?! I wish I had a personal friend who loved classics as much as me :( but I hate how people assume others so quickly based on a book without any idea of the person, hope people can just like hug and read whatever they want with some experimentation here and there haha xx
There is no winning. either you are an anti-intellectual who reads the equivalent of summer blockbusters, or you are a pretentious pick-me who feigns superiority from their book choices.
I have both the bell jar and bride by Ali Hazlewood on my bookshelf and that is ok. In the same month I read A smutty romance and inferno. You are allowed to like all types of books 📚
Literally, I understand literary criticism towards books that contain harmful content, but if you read classics, it doesn't mean you can't read something from young adult, if you only read classics, it doesn't mean you do it performatively (and I don't know who came up with judging others' reading), let's just read, that's all.
THANK YOU for writing this! I’ve shared the books I read on my instagram story since 2020 with a couple of lines of review, and I sometimes wonder if I should stop in case it’s viewed as just that - performative intellectualism. But people with whom I haven’t had a proper interaction in years respond. If I loved a book they might say they didn’t, they might recommend, or I might agree to borrow. That keeps me going! It’s more important than ever to share things that have meaning. It is an act which is always going to look performative in an anti-intellectual society.
P.S I too read the unbearable lightness of being when I was a teenager because I liked the cover and was completely confused, maybe I’ll give it another go now!
Definitely don't stop! You have the right to share the books you like, because they are a part of you, a part of your everyday life. This is just your place on the internet, if someone thinks it is forced intellectualism, they should stop watching it. And as for The Unbearable Lightness of Being - I was as confused as you were then. It's a book that needs to be read at the right time.
Whoever you are, the internet has probably grouped you into some micro-clique that’s judged. So read whatever the heck you want and forget labels that don’t matter in the long run
The two absurd observations you've raised are on point! I think some of them, if not all, do so because they are possessive of something that they believe to be a part of their personality (or their carefully crafted yet vulnerable persona). And so, if they view that an individual is 'performatively' reading such material, they feel disrespected.
This is a very eye-opening post and raises many valid points that challenge the beliefs of individuals. Keep it up!
For me it is very unfair to judge who will definitely understand the classics and who will not, who can read it and who doesn't deserve it, who does it because it is trendy and who does it for themselves. When you see a person who has a book in a cafe you don't know with what intention they brought it with them. Let's just let people read.
You know, I think I've noticed that nowadays anyone can be criticized for anything, all you have to do is say that you like apples more than pears and someone will immediately say "who cares". I think it really limits people's ability to express themselves, people can be really interesting and have a lot to say but they keep it to themselves because they know that everything will be met with rude comments. I don't want to be a part of that. As for trends, I think it's a way of discovering yourself. Everyone does it in a different way and even if they only choose popular things, they are clearly trying to understand what interests them, what they like and what they don't like. Thanks to that they will form their own preferences and opinions. And it's very important to know who you are.
The online reading community has too much of a superiority complex. I believe that the people who critique others for reading books like The bell jar or The Stranger didn't enjoy the books themselves and only read them to be perceived better than other readers and therefore believe that everyone else who reads them has too feel the same about them.
Yes! I feel the same way. If you know that reading a certain genre of book doesn't make you better than others, then you don't see people who read it that way. If you do, who really sees reading as a performative activity?
its so infuriating and for what??? In a time where we everyone is frying their dopamine receptors with short form content for a quick dopamine hit picking up a book and immersing yourself in it is already a success. Why try to deter anyone from doing the same?
I completely agree with this entire post!!! I feel like I read a lot of popular books only because they're talked about so much online and social media... when reading a classic book that may challenge me I feel like I'm not smart enough to even hold it. I loved your analogy of music too when we pick an artist that's extremely popular and or up and coming we tend to gravitate to what we hear on the radio or see and may never discover their other hidden songs or another artist with a similar style that might be unknown.
Even if you don't understand a book, it's nothing bad or shameful. We read to understand more and more, and classical literature is more demanding to read. It doesn't take anything away from your value, everything needs time to get to know it better.
I couldn't wait to write about this since I saw people on tiktok recording other strangers reading Orwell or Camus and adding ironic comments to it, they get thousands of likes and the audience claps for them, sick.
while i agree with the point that we shouldn't gatekeep literature and celebrate the fact that people are reading physical media again, i'd argue the criticism of "performative reading" is still valid post-2020. how many people brought books like "hood feminism," "the message," or "all about love" and actually took the time to understand the perspective of people of color?
Everyone's outfits and how they coordinate them is a performance. Reading a book i like on the train when I have downtime is just a good use of time, what else should we do? Stare blankly at the other passengers?
We really can't win! You read trash in public, you're shallow and should read something better. You read "literary classics" in public, and you're being performative! Love how you pointed out this Catch 22. And it really is all the better reason to just say eff it and read whatever you want, because people are going to be mad no matter what you do!
it's true! but I'm terrified that people seeing a person for the first (and probably the last) time in their lives can tell if that person is really reading it and if they'll understand anything from it.
Got this notification while (re)reading The Bell Jar in my room!
I’ve felt self conscious pulling out the book in public because my reading of it is coinciding with its trendiness, and I don’t want to be mistakenly perceived as reading it just for the aesthetic rather than to enjoy it again because I enjoyed it before. I think that we create a hierarchy of readers or reader-intentions because it’s in our nature to seek ways of feeling superior or at least good, and I don’t think that will ever stop. It sure does suck, though, since reading (not just photographing a book) for any purpose is a fulfilling pursuit that everyone should be encouraged to participate in :/
Unfortunately, that's the way it is, people are afraid to pull out books that are supposed to be easy entertainment and books that are considered some kind of classic, because every kind of literature has already been ironically summed up on the Internet. Read and take as much as you can from it for yourself. Even if you read it because it appears everywhere - it's human curiosity, there's nothing wrong with it.
Exactly!
Reading is a hobby, something recreational, unless it’s your job as a book critic or something. As much as I am annoyed of performative reading and the loss personal taste in books, I think that snotty people are just as annoying as the people who pretend to read. On the other hand, I think that we should let people enjoy things as long as no harm is done. As nuanced as this sounds, the world is too dreadful and people often use performative reading as an escape, whether to be perceived as an intellectual or someone with a higher social standing.
I have seen a lot of comments over the years that only classical literature can develop intellectually. So I am not surprised that people would like to be perceived in this way and are taking up books that can bring them closer to such an image. I think that for many people this may be the beginning of an opening up to a new genre and they will dig deeper. We all have to start somewhere, it's easy to start where people indicate that the beginning will be promising.
Wow, this is crazy! I recently finished reading 'The Bell Jar' which is why this caught my attention, and I had no idea this was happening. I prefer reading classics or something with a similar theme because I love the writing, the thought, the perspectives and their influence, but I also love my romances even though I don't read them as often. You truly can't have anything to yourself without people making assumptions about you, as if they know your intentions, your life, your future. Thanks for writing this!
I am glad that more and more people are trying to discover literature, because I know that many of them have not read AT ALL before, so it is great that they have started. However, people speak as if they know the intentions and thoughts of every person who has a book with them.
right?! I wish I had a personal friend who loved classics as much as me :( but I hate how people assume others so quickly based on a book without any idea of the person, hope people can just like hug and read whatever they want with some experimentation here and there haha xx
There is no winning. either you are an anti-intellectual who reads the equivalent of summer blockbusters, or you are a pretentious pick-me who feigns superiority from their book choices.
I have both the bell jar and bride by Ali Hazlewood on my bookshelf and that is ok. In the same month I read A smutty romance and inferno. You are allowed to like all types of books 📚
Literally, I understand literary criticism towards books that contain harmful content, but if you read classics, it doesn't mean you can't read something from young adult, if you only read classics, it doesn't mean you do it performatively (and I don't know who came up with judging others' reading), let's just read, that's all.
THANK YOU for writing this! I’ve shared the books I read on my instagram story since 2020 with a couple of lines of review, and I sometimes wonder if I should stop in case it’s viewed as just that - performative intellectualism. But people with whom I haven’t had a proper interaction in years respond. If I loved a book they might say they didn’t, they might recommend, or I might agree to borrow. That keeps me going! It’s more important than ever to share things that have meaning. It is an act which is always going to look performative in an anti-intellectual society.
P.S I too read the unbearable lightness of being when I was a teenager because I liked the cover and was completely confused, maybe I’ll give it another go now!
Definitely don't stop! You have the right to share the books you like, because they are a part of you, a part of your everyday life. This is just your place on the internet, if someone thinks it is forced intellectualism, they should stop watching it. And as for The Unbearable Lightness of Being - I was as confused as you were then. It's a book that needs to be read at the right time.
Whoever you are, the internet has probably grouped you into some micro-clique that’s judged. So read whatever the heck you want and forget labels that don’t matter in the long run
The two absurd observations you've raised are on point! I think some of them, if not all, do so because they are possessive of something that they believe to be a part of their personality (or their carefully crafted yet vulnerable persona). And so, if they view that an individual is 'performatively' reading such material, they feel disrespected.
This is a very eye-opening post and raises many valid points that challenge the beliefs of individuals. Keep it up!
Thank you very much for this comment.
For me it is very unfair to judge who will definitely understand the classics and who will not, who can read it and who doesn't deserve it, who does it because it is trendy and who does it for themselves. When you see a person who has a book in a cafe you don't know with what intention they brought it with them. Let's just let people read.
Looking back on this comment, I am very much inclined to agree.
If it's not too personal, can I ask how you're able to be consistently free of judgement? Was it self-taught and has now become almost second nature?
You know, I think I've noticed that nowadays anyone can be criticized for anything, all you have to do is say that you like apples more than pears and someone will immediately say "who cares". I think it really limits people's ability to express themselves, people can be really interesting and have a lot to say but they keep it to themselves because they know that everything will be met with rude comments. I don't want to be a part of that. As for trends, I think it's a way of discovering yourself. Everyone does it in a different way and even if they only choose popular things, they are clearly trying to understand what interests them, what they like and what they don't like. Thanks to that they will form their own preferences and opinions. And it's very important to know who you are.
Thank you for answering!
The online reading community has too much of a superiority complex. I believe that the people who critique others for reading books like The bell jar or The Stranger didn't enjoy the books themselves and only read them to be perceived better than other readers and therefore believe that everyone else who reads them has too feel the same about them.
Yes! I feel the same way. If you know that reading a certain genre of book doesn't make you better than others, then you don't see people who read it that way. If you do, who really sees reading as a performative activity?
its so infuriating and for what??? In a time where we everyone is frying their dopamine receptors with short form content for a quick dopamine hit picking up a book and immersing yourself in it is already a success. Why try to deter anyone from doing the same?
I completely agree with this entire post!!! I feel like I read a lot of popular books only because they're talked about so much online and social media... when reading a classic book that may challenge me I feel like I'm not smart enough to even hold it. I loved your analogy of music too when we pick an artist that's extremely popular and or up and coming we tend to gravitate to what we hear on the radio or see and may never discover their other hidden songs or another artist with a similar style that might be unknown.
Even if you don't understand a book, it's nothing bad or shameful. We read to understand more and more, and classical literature is more demanding to read. It doesn't take anything away from your value, everything needs time to get to know it better.
Saw a post where someone posted a nice food pic and a book she was reading. She got thrashed online for the book zero comments on the food.
it's sad, it's enough to show a book to be criticized, and then people say that we don't read enough.
I absolutely love this take and I‘m so happy someone finally talks about it
Thank you, I've been wanting to write about this for a while now because I see more and more of it, people just can't enjoy reading anymore.
I LOVE THIS POST ! I’ve waited for someone to actually talk about this and « denounce » this tendency.
I couldn't wait to write about this since I saw people on tiktok recording other strangers reading Orwell or Camus and adding ironic comments to it, they get thousands of likes and the audience claps for them, sick.
while i agree with the point that we shouldn't gatekeep literature and celebrate the fact that people are reading physical media again, i'd argue the criticism of "performative reading" is still valid post-2020. how many people brought books like "hood feminism," "the message," or "all about love" and actually took the time to understand the perspective of people of color?
Everyone's outfits and how they coordinate them is a performance. Reading a book i like on the train when I have downtime is just a good use of time, what else should we do? Stare blankly at the other passengers?
They literally complained that no one reads anymore and everyone looks out the window or at their phone.