Unpopular Book Opinions

 

Have you noticed that there are some people who get really angry when you don’t like one of their favorite books? There are also those people who will accuse someone else of being “stupid” for not “getting” a major work of fiction. Or, the people who get mad because you are reading and/or enjoying a book they hate because they were personally offended by said book? This hasn’t personally happened to me, but I know people who have experienced this and have seen some pretty vicious comments on videos and posts. 

Here is my question, “Who cares!?” Why should someone care if someone else doesn’t like something they like, or God forbid, read/like a book that was recently “cancelled”. How dare a person engage with content that personally offended someone else, because how dare they not have a premonition that someone could potentially be offended?! Newsflash: not everyone is offended by the same things, not everyone reads for entertainment; some are reading a text to study key components in it, or perhaps you’re like me and have a very high tolerance for challenging content. I can push through really gruesome things, while enjoying my meal and remain relatively unbothered. I read most of Lolita over my dinners and a snack, barely flinching (there was some flinching but not enough for me to abandon a delicious meal…). 

This is absolute madness and needs to stop. Reading is such a personal experience and no two people ever read the same book. Our personal life experiences, the way we process information, what we expect to glean from a text, why we read, etc. are not the same from person to person. Jane Eyre is my favorite book of all time and I know people who really don’t like it. I understand that some people really find Mr. Rochester unpalatable. What does that have to do with me? I respect their opinion because I respect and advocate for diversity of thought. 

I absolutely cannot stand The Catcher in the Rye; it annoys me to no end. However, there are people who rate this book highly and it’s even inspired some people to become teachers. Whatever works for you - don’t let my negative opinion kill your joy. Own it! 

Gasp! There are people who think Jane Austen’s novels are boring. While I think she’s brilliant, they are like, “This just isn’t for me.” And no, these people are not “stupid” or “uneducated” - these are people who attended or are currently attending top universities and already have multiple degrees. They just don’t like it and GASP, did you know that someone else’s opinion is technically independent from yours and does not impact your reality in any way, unless you allow it?! If someone’s opinion is really messing you up in the head, then you just gave the person too much power. They are living in your head, rent free. You’ve allowed them to win. Don’t do that - that’s not way to live a peaceful life. 

Let’s venture to Dickens… while Great Expectations is not my personal favorite of his, I adore his writing. Chuck can string together a sentence like no other, but there are people who loathe Dickens for the fact that he has so many characters and sub-plots and goes on for 1000 pages. If it’s not your cup of tea, don’t read it - don’t give that content your social currency. Someone else’s thoughts and opinions are not fact and don’t have to define your reality. 

I could go on - I didn’t care for Wide Sargasso Sea (the writing is stunning but the plot fell flat for me), but I know people who adore it. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my favorite books, but I’ve read reviews from people who think it was 500 pages of nothing. Why should that have any bearing on how I connect with a text? I respect other people’s opinions, regardless of if I agree or not - I respect a person’s opportunity to voice their opinion on a platform and not get attacked for it because their opinion isn’t “correct.” First of all, how can an opinion be correct? It’s an opinion! It’s actually rather self-righteous, arrogant and obnoxious to assume that one’s point of view should be the only train of thought. No ma’am. No sir. Go on and carry that outta here and come back when one can have a conversation like a civilized adult. 

Rant over. I’m just sick and tired of seeing people doxing, cancelling and virtual signaling because other people don’t think like them or read what they want them to read. Friends, even though we are pretty passionate about books over here, at the end of the day, it’s just books or [insert relevant topic here]! Take it down a thousand and just move on. Also, friends, if you have been personally attacked or even threatened to be “cancelled” for your opinion, don’t back down. You can’t be cancelled unless you allow yourself to be cancelled.  Defend your right to free speech and thought. Defend your right to read what you want to read, when you want to read it. And in a lot of cases the best thing to do is to actually ignore the instigator - some people like to bait others for the sake of a reaction. Don’t give them the satisfaction of a reaction. Remain unbothered. Stay curious my friends and continue to seek knowledge. 

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