02-21-2013, 09:42 AM | #1 |
Grand Sorcerer
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The Ugly Truth - Reading Snobs
Have you ever been the subject of reading snobbery simply because you like to read about zombies trailing intestinal debris behind them?
Or you find enjoyment in reading Romance novels? Ever been made fun of because you can't get enough Michener or some other thick historical novel that weighs a ton? Have scornful looks been cast your way because you enjoy reading Space Opera - the old school? And no one ever has sex in these creaky old (but enjoyable!) monstrosities. Would you be caught dead in public reading Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lin Carter, Otis Adelbert Kline? (How old did you say you are?) I have wide-ranging reading habits and read everything from Westerns (occasionally) to Horror, to Sci-Fi, to Fantasy, to Historical Fiction, to Mystery Do you admit to reading Thomas Pynchon or William Gaddis? (Yes! I do!) I even read a Harlequin Romance once, because I was seeing the author. I'm glad I read it, because now I know it's something I don't care to read in the future. So: Are you misunderstood, made fun of, kicked aside like last year's old ebook Reader (the one without a font-light) simply because of what you like to read? Do you have a story to tell? Or are you too embarrassed? Don (I even read Indie novels and stories) |
02-21-2013, 09:57 AM | #2 |
Grand Sorcerer
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People make fun of me wondering where I find my books. My reading is so off the chart and this year has been especially wacky. This year they've made fun of me because a lot of the books are coming from the Last Chance Fiction (LCF)section in the library. They aren't even on the shelf yet and I think they are waiting to be put on the table at the library's sales.
I am thinking I'm going to ask the librarians what the LCF desigination really means and if it's possible to get lending history on books. I don't want to know who, I just want to know how many times and when the last time was. |
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02-21-2013, 10:04 AM | #3 |
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I don't know a lot of people who even read a lot, and those that do read, read for the same reason I do: enjoyment. While they might not read what I read, they do realize I like what I am reading and are fine with that.
And in public... I've been reading electronically for so long, I can't even remember what the last pbook was I read in public... (and you cannot see what somebody is reading on an electronic device!) So, I don't have any experience with those reading snobs, but I do wonder why people would actually look down on people based on their reading choices. Do reading snobs read those books because they like them or because they can say they've read them and think they'll be known as "well-read"? edit: a reading snob in this case is somebody who looks down on everybody who doesn't read those "high literature" books... |
02-21-2013, 10:14 AM | #4 | |
A Hairy Wizard
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Quote:
That was just too much....and too easy. I asked the person which "50 Shades" book they were reading....after a startled look and a sheepish grin, "the second" was their reply! |
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02-21-2013, 10:15 AM | #5 |
MR Drone
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42............
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02-21-2013, 10:22 AM | #6 |
Wizard
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Some people thought I was totally weird because I happen to mostly read what gets labeled as "literary fiction" or by writers they had never heard of rather than rushing out to buy the latest best-selling must read... So, erm apparently that makes me not normal - fine by me
What matters is that everybody enjoys whatever it is they are reading, who cares about the genre? I would never judge or criticise anyone because of their reading choices. Last edited by Yolina; 02-21-2013 at 10:26 AM. |
02-21-2013, 10:28 AM | #7 |
Readaholic
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My reading habits are similar to Dr. Drib, except the Romance Reading part.
I have always carried a book with me wherever I go. I developed a thick skin concerning my reading habits and others a long time ago. Now with ereaders I can let my skin shrink back to original thickness. Apache |
02-21-2013, 10:45 AM | #8 |
monkey on the fringe
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02-21-2013, 11:09 AM | #9 |
Home Guard
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02-21-2013, 11:43 AM | #10 |
Grand Sorcerer
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(shrug)
People have *always* thought I'm weird, for my reading habits. Particularly the fact that I *read*. And read pretty much anything. Nobody harrasses me for it, though. They know better. They're painfully aware that sooner or later they'll have a question and need my help. I had to start charging a year's service to weed out the ones that aren't serious. It works as well as Humphrey said it would. |
02-21-2013, 11:49 AM | #11 |
Wizard
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Talk about a book snob!
Many romances are subversive about women's roles. Some on social issues like dealing with disabilities or, in some cases deformties. Some take on issues of PTSD. Yeah, Sturgeons Law relates to romance, just as it relates to any genre. But there can be good reading in the romance category as well. |
02-21-2013, 11:54 AM | #12 |
monkey on the fringe
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02-21-2013, 11:55 AM | #13 |
Wizard
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I walked into that one, didn't I Tubemonkey?
but I do get so tired of hearing romance dissed. |
02-21-2013, 11:57 AM | #14 |
monkey on the fringe
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02-21-2013, 11:58 AM | #15 |
Are you gonna eat that?
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Considering that any folks who would poopoo my reading of pulp SF probably trip over themselves to get home to watch America Idol, I really don't think too many people come from some entertainment moral high ground where they're fit to judge what anyone enjoys.
My wife and I have embraced our nerd-dom and surround ourselves with likeminded people. Last edited by xg4bx; 02-21-2013 at 12:00 PM. |
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