A recent conversation with somebody has urged me to write on this topic. I have always wanted to write about it and now this conversation has acted as a catalyst. Let me elaborate the problem - somebody recently accused me of not being a ‘real reader’ because apparently, I do not read enough of the books in the so-called ‘elite genre’ which is ‘serious literature’ which I am assuming consist of classics and renowned writers from the past.
Before I get into that, I would like to talk about my reading choices. Right from childhood, I have been reading books and this was something organic and never out of compulsion. During my childhood, I have read books in my mother tongue (Malayalam) and English. In English, I used to read Enid Blyton books including the stories for kids, Famous Five, Secret Seven, The Twins at St. Clare's, Malory Towers, etc. During my teenage years, I have read Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Cecelia Ahern, Agatha Christie, Dan Brown, etc., among others. Right now, I cannot say that I read books of only a particular genre or by a particular author. In the past few years, I have explored various authors; fiction, nonfiction, translations, etc., and I can say that now my reading list is a potpourri of books.
In fact, this year has been an amazing year in terms of reading - not only have I read a lot more books than I had expected, but I have also picked up genres that I was previously unaware of or was interested in. One example is self-help - I had never read any book from this genre before. This year I picked up a few and now I think that the experience is not as bad as I had expected it to be. This is just one of the many examples.
Coming back to the topic, there are certain readers who act as evangelists of elitism. According to them, certain books or genres are better than others and only those who read those particular books are eligible to be ‘real’, ‘serious’ readers. This is a ludicrous concept and a danger to the reading community because it defeats the purpose of reading itself. These so-called ‘elite genres’ usually include classics or nonfiction and those who read them consider themselves superior to others (usually those who read YA, chic-lit, thrillers, etc). The same is the case with music, movies and many other fields where certain people look down upon others for their taste in music, movies, etc.
Let us take a look at the purpose of reading for a better understanding of this situation. Different people read for different reasons just like different people listen to music or watch movies for various reasons. Some may read books for purely academic purposes, others may read to improve their language skills, few may read to get a greater understanding on a particular subject, some may read for entertainment purposes, etc. This list is not exhaustive, but what we should realise is that each person’s motive for reading is different. That being said, a trait that unites readers is their love for reading and the happiness that they derive from it. All of us learn from the books that we read. Now some may ask – “What do we learn from fiction?” This in itself is an example that shows that they are unable to see outside of their tunnel vision. They cannot acknowledge the fact that opinions are subjective and that everyone is entitled to their opinion just like they are. Fiction is a representation of the society; what happens around us manifests into stories. The authors take inspiration from those around them. How can one say that we should not understand about the society we live in through fiction? Not everyone likes to read nonfiction, so these ideas can reach a greater number of audiences through works of fiction. Reading is an exercise which widens the horizons of your mind. Readers learn to become open to new ideas and thus become more inclusive in their behaviour. An example is the increasing number of books with characters from the LGBTQ+ community, women of colour and other marginalized minorities who would have otherwise lost the platform to voice their concerns. This brings about a greater sense of awareness about these communities which leads to greater inclusivity and harmony in the society. The elite readers with their false sense of superiority do not seem to understand the basic principle of inclusivity.
Encouraging somebody to read something that you have enjoyed is different from imposing your choices on them. It is important to provide quality content to readers and this remains the primary responsibility of writers and publishers. However, condemning the choices of the majority in the name of elitism is unacceptable. Putting certain books or authors on certain pedestals and looking down upon others can only be seen as an action arising out of insecurity and it should never be encouraged. Don't let somebody judge you based on the books that you read. Do not be bullied into reading something because certain people have deemed greater value to these. Read for yourself and not to impress others. Enjoying the process is what matters the most and never let these snobbish attitudes create a negative impact on you or your reading. Let us all learn to be more tolerant, open-minded and inclusive.
Before I get into that, I would like to talk about my reading choices. Right from childhood, I have been reading books and this was something organic and never out of compulsion. During my childhood, I have read books in my mother tongue (Malayalam) and English. In English, I used to read Enid Blyton books including the stories for kids, Famous Five, Secret Seven, The Twins at St. Clare's, Malory Towers, etc. During my teenage years, I have read Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Cecelia Ahern, Agatha Christie, Dan Brown, etc., among others. Right now, I cannot say that I read books of only a particular genre or by a particular author. In the past few years, I have explored various authors; fiction, nonfiction, translations, etc., and I can say that now my reading list is a potpourri of books.
In fact, this year has been an amazing year in terms of reading - not only have I read a lot more books than I had expected, but I have also picked up genres that I was previously unaware of or was interested in. One example is self-help - I had never read any book from this genre before. This year I picked up a few and now I think that the experience is not as bad as I had expected it to be. This is just one of the many examples.
Coming back to the topic, there are certain readers who act as evangelists of elitism. According to them, certain books or genres are better than others and only those who read those particular books are eligible to be ‘real’, ‘serious’ readers. This is a ludicrous concept and a danger to the reading community because it defeats the purpose of reading itself. These so-called ‘elite genres’ usually include classics or nonfiction and those who read them consider themselves superior to others (usually those who read YA, chic-lit, thrillers, etc). The same is the case with music, movies and many other fields where certain people look down upon others for their taste in music, movies, etc.
Let us take a look at the purpose of reading for a better understanding of this situation. Different people read for different reasons just like different people listen to music or watch movies for various reasons. Some may read books for purely academic purposes, others may read to improve their language skills, few may read to get a greater understanding on a particular subject, some may read for entertainment purposes, etc. This list is not exhaustive, but what we should realise is that each person’s motive for reading is different. That being said, a trait that unites readers is their love for reading and the happiness that they derive from it. All of us learn from the books that we read. Now some may ask – “What do we learn from fiction?” This in itself is an example that shows that they are unable to see outside of their tunnel vision. They cannot acknowledge the fact that opinions are subjective and that everyone is entitled to their opinion just like they are. Fiction is a representation of the society; what happens around us manifests into stories. The authors take inspiration from those around them. How can one say that we should not understand about the society we live in through fiction? Not everyone likes to read nonfiction, so these ideas can reach a greater number of audiences through works of fiction. Reading is an exercise which widens the horizons of your mind. Readers learn to become open to new ideas and thus become more inclusive in their behaviour. An example is the increasing number of books with characters from the LGBTQ+ community, women of colour and other marginalized minorities who would have otherwise lost the platform to voice their concerns. This brings about a greater sense of awareness about these communities which leads to greater inclusivity and harmony in the society. The elite readers with their false sense of superiority do not seem to understand the basic principle of inclusivity.
Encouraging somebody to read something that you have enjoyed is different from imposing your choices on them. It is important to provide quality content to readers and this remains the primary responsibility of writers and publishers. However, condemning the choices of the majority in the name of elitism is unacceptable. Putting certain books or authors on certain pedestals and looking down upon others can only be seen as an action arising out of insecurity and it should never be encouraged. Don't let somebody judge you based on the books that you read. Do not be bullied into reading something because certain people have deemed greater value to these. Read for yourself and not to impress others. Enjoying the process is what matters the most and never let these snobbish attitudes create a negative impact on you or your reading. Let us all learn to be more tolerant, open-minded and inclusive.