TikTok's Worst Book Reviewers Are INFURIATING

[@RachelOates]

To clarify what I thought was obvious but isn’t: there’s nothing wrong with needing bigger font sizes / layouts / anything if you need that, that’s fine. This woman wasn’t complaining about needing better accessibility to read, she was complaining that a basic book was too long and too difficult because it wasn’t Colleen Hoover levels of writing quality - critiquing that isn’t ableist because it has nothing to do with any kind of ability / disability / different needs and everything to do with her being lazy. Don’t try and compare her laziness to people who actually have things like dyslexia / adhd and are actually making and effort, that’s just insulting to those people.

[@megan2207]

I appreciate and understand you clarifying and think it speaks well to your character; but really, I think anybody watching the video in good faith would understand very well what you mean! I never thought you were saying anything bad about having accessibility needs. Again though, I get why you’d clarify. Loved the vid as always ❤️

[@Ian_Jules]

@@megan2207Agreed. Not to mention, on an e-reader you can usually adjust the type size, page layout, etc. for accessibility. Some of these issues are solvable by the reader.

[@shieldmaidensnusnu]

Most people without dificulties don't want to read because they only want to consume and then be seen as some sort of "intelectuals"??. As someone who likes well written stories/characters, this development sounds highly frustrating and concerning

[@drtaverner]

I agree that bad paragraphs are a problem. A paragraph shouldn't be several pages. Breaking up the space is actually important to the way the brain interacts with the text. Large text-blocks make it hard to keep the eyes on the correct line, confuse the pattern-recognition way we read, and as such are poor design. A good editor should tell you when a paragraph needs to be broken up, but good editors are expensive and self-publishing is now cheap and easy.

[@Lee-nq6mh]

@@drtavernerI have this problem all of them time with self published work, especially fan made fiction. I refuse to read if there aren’t paragraph breaks. Maybe it is my ADHD, but I genuinely cannot read or comprehend it without actual paragraphs

[@kiingsomniia]

Why are we fast fashion-ing literature lmao

[@autumnrose_noseinabook]

You summed it up perfectly! Boktok is probably to blame.

[@ieeee_.]

cause it's popular

[@wiltedpetals]

late stage capitalism

[@snowfire321]

no cause watching this video while reading fahrenheit 451 in school is actually terrifying

[@ieeee_.]

@ wats terrifying about it

[@LPSAnnabelleTV]

"why is the page filled with words?" bro its a book what do you mean

[@julie-zmb]

Maybe they need a picture book….

[@Louves192]

It sounded like some kind of comedy skit tbh, but apparently they are serious. Like how can this be real?

[@meeshmallows]

I want to try to be understanding and think maybe she's used to reading smaller paperbacks with a larger font or wider margins but...that's why you get ebooks lmao so you can customize them and make it easier to read in that manner if necessary

[@themoonlit-wolf3773]

Genuinely baffled at wtf else she expected to see there

[@themoonlit-wolf3773]

@@julie-zmbor a comic

[@daughterofyith5393]

I'm convinced these "reviewers" don't actually like reading, but they've created their personality around it because literature is traditionally associated with intelligence.

[@oregano-gremlin]

Yeah, it seems like they're more excited about the aesthetic of reading than actually reading books.

[@Amira_Phoenix]

And they bravely break the tradition 💪

[@krrr.4902]

I believe it's a fetish thing and I believe I'm right. It kinda makes me sad...

[@Everyyoueverymiau]

Or because you can make money or get fame by doing bookTok

[@manhattanbaby-of6lq]

@@oregano-gremlin "The aesthetic of reading" was exactly the phrase that occurred to me while I was watching this.

[@rileydefeo532]

what sucks is that I think some of these people would genuinely love comic books, but they're not seen as "sophisticated enough" to be a viable hobby

[@Shephardsatan]

THEY SHOULD BE!!! So much skill required. Seriously, I think abt often how writers make comics flow so nice and my brain does a fry. I don’t read many comics, only more or less pirated manga LOL. It’s awesome though. The art is so sick. Like Berserk and Viland saga? My God. They draw that stuff so fast, too.

[@LADYSILVERWOLF028]

Webtoons are good too.

[@ruliak]

Yes or just graphic novels. It is such an expansive genre that can include comic books, manga/manhwa, biographies, anthologies, and so much more.

[@clairesycamore-ie9jf]

Or poetry. Novels written in verse are nice and quick to read (my favourites are Sarah Crossan or recently read Aednan, that is incredible)

[@myaccount0000]

no, they just need to open literotica site

[@Vanbedda]

The cognitive dissonance between "I don't understand anything that ia going on." and "I refuse to do anything but skim this book." is baffeling to me.

[@bekichan91]

Gives the same vibes as "I skipped all the cut scenes in this video game and now I have no idea what's going on".... Yeah, you skipped the story, the bit where you find out what's happening...

[@HarryDirtay]

Why assume they were trying to make sense? It seems like ragebait to me. Misogynists watch for the skin and "girl=dumb" content, honest book lovers get their feels hurt and everyone fights with each other in the comments which generates algorithmic momentum. If you go on thinking everyone is being honest 100% of the time even when it makes no sense, you're going to have a bad time

[@gwennorthcutt421]

@@bekichan91 streamers when they skip the tutorial/never talk to the npcs and then go "how was i supposed to know that?? idk by playing the game and Reading, dingus. the male-dominated version of Doesnt Fucking Read

[@lexi3077]

I have the feeling after just 43 seconds, those people should read comics/webcomics. There are mostly dialouges (how do you write that word??) and the descriptions are pictures so no reading :) (I read mostly webcomics because I have aphantasia and otherwise long descriptions of people and surroundings are a waste on me - and I have a hard time to find good books and gave up)

[@Misora7303]

I feel like this people would be happier if they read comics, and I don't say this as an insult to comics (An amazing medium) but I think comic books ain't the aesthetic they are seeking

[@joshmyer3906]

have these people heard of graphic novels? like there is an entire medium with way less words and more pictures.

[@vvitch-mist20]

Novellas too, but graphic novels are for weirdos (/j)

[@arkkon2740]

Ive been asking this for SOOOO long. There's seemingly a bridge between novels and manga/comics/graphic novels and its so confusing to me. With one you can imagine the scenario in your head, another is directly shown to you so you don't miss out on the scene. The latter seems perfect for these "readers" but i guess its overlooked in book spaces

[@tylerschroeder315]

That may be because graphic novels and comics are looked down upon as childish.

[@vvitch-mist20]

@@tylerschroeder315 which is super weird bc superhero movies are so popular.

[@Beelzeboogie]

Nah, I assure you as a "comics guy" this is definitely starting to seep its way into sequential art as well. I watched a kid (alright 16 but a kid to me) "Read" 11 volumes of Chainsaw Man by spending no more than a second on each page, took him an afternoon. Those 11 volumes of Chainsaw Man took me a week. His complaint about American comics (besides "being woke" which pffft) is that there's too much dialogue, can't understand what's going on by just by mostly looking at the pictures. But like he also doesn’t take his time with the art. (I'm not saying Manga is lesser, it's not, it's fucking great and the popularity of certain titles is well deserved, but it is often less wordy)

[@Jesterisim]

Are they aware that porn without plot fanfiction exists? Like whats forcing them to read books just to get to the smut…? Lol

[@wendyheatherwood]

They're popular.

[@boxcutter4]

They only want the aesthetic of reading books and brag to everyone that they read.

[@valeriarossini543]

that's the thing I don't understand!!!!!!! why don't they just read pwp? some of it is written much much better than the books they buy tbh

[@Jesterisim]

@@valeriarossini543 so true. back when i was younger sometimes all i wanted was some good pwp and the fics on livejournal (i sound like a hag omg) and then later on ao3 were so well written and artistic. Idk what it is about published fiction smut that makes it so…..? idk like the good smut content these guys want is somewhere else lol

[@luizabianco]

They got scammed into paying for a crap fanfiction experience

[@keythealien]

People forget that illiteracy is more than just "not being able to read." All those book reviewers can absolutely read, but they are utterly illiterate.

[@Thewraith13]

Real. They just want to feel and look smart

[@emmas.9010]

I think my problem here is that a lot of their criticisms aren't inherently bad in the right context. "This book has too many words," is dumb. "This book is way over-written and repetitive," is valid. "The paragraphs have too many words," is dumb. "The formatting was weird. Some paragraphs jumped topics frequently, so it was hard to follow," makes sense. "I skim descriptions. I only want action," vs "The author got so caught up in describing things that they lost the narrative and momentum they were building. I found myself skimming through this scene when I realized it was identical to a scene that had already happened twice." It's like they're mimicking common criticisms but missing the intent behind the critique, so they just conclude that time + effort = bad.

[@tungstensmum1491]

You’ve stated this perfectly. Also “this book is only 200 pages but has tiny font and tight margins so it’s not as quick a read as you’d think” is a very different statement from “WHY ARE THERE SO MANY WORDS?!?!!”

[@marcycollins7957]

I really liked your take on this (so much so that I copied and pasted your comment to my writer buddy XD) But when you say "they conclude that Time + Effort = Bad" Are you saying the readers think the time and effort the author makes is bad, or that the time and effort the readers have to use to read makes it bad?

[@Heroshii15]

This reminds me of why I couldn't get into Journey to the West: They don't paragraph break when new characters are talking, leading to a lot of intimidating walls of text, and a lot of backtracking to figure out who said what.

[@emmas.9010]

@@marcycollins7957 I mean the latter. Any extra time and effort on their part to read or understand the text means that the book is bad. Granted, I've read books that were too hard to get through for one reason or another. But I'm not talking about powering through Dostoevsky or Les Mis. I mean having to intuit parts of the text without being told the answer, if there even is an answer at all.

[@cottonballbats]

Yes! This is exactly what i was thinking when i first saw those tiktoks, not wanting to assume the worse of the reviewers. Specially with the one about the paragraph having too many words, I thought that might either be the font size of their kindl or that maybe the book they were reading lacked some editing. I feel like these misunderstandings may be a fault of the format of their content and the platform they post on, since they're supposed to give a more casual review so they may avoid using more technical language(?. Of course they should try to learn to express their opinions more eloquently if they want to give a more understandable review, but I wouldn't straight up jump to discrediting them as readers or send them hate because they fumbled their words/expressions.

[@SamanDroid]

Why don’t they just read plays? Done in an hour. 98% dialogue I can already hear the TikTok about skipping all the monologues

[@warlordofbritannia]

“Omg how can’t the other characters hear Macbeth while he’s droning about imminent regicide??? This is so unrealistic!”

[@gavitalks]

Hamlet just keeps going on and on, I want the action! Either be or don’t be goddamit

[@scipioafricanus5871]

All those silly soliloquies!

[@valeriarossini543]

genuinely good suggestion!!

[@Jesterisim]

@@SamanDroid actually a good idea for them lol… there are so many published plays they can read.

[@sweetgreenlettuce]

It's giving consumerism; it's giving aesthetic-only; they literally sound like Gaston from Disney Beauty and the Beast 😅

[@MadelineBuckner]

“How can you read this?? There’s no pictures!”

[@rhea6122]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jacksonconnell]

I was literally like that when I was a kid! Now I love reading as much as Belle does 😂

[@Sharletwitch]

Excellent observation 😂

[@francesscaena6822]

I was gonna comment this too!

[@gina3315]

it's wild seeing people say that kind of stuff in front of their own huge bookshelves. like. if you hate reading that much why invest so much money. just get a library card wtf

[@fionaWhatever]

it does make total sense though - i think those who get a library card are usually the ones who actually love reading, instead of just wanting to show off to others that they are a reader. whereas booktok influencers like those in the video care about the aesthetic of being a reader - hence the huge bookshelves - but not about reading itself.

[@Shephardsatan]

I feel like a crappy planet killer for owning like 50 odd books. I do not know how these people just. Don’t think. At all. Like if you barely even read, just GET A LIBRARY CARD ARGH!!!

[@godofanarchye]

“I only read dialogue.” Honey you don’t need to read novels, plays and comic books exist. 😭

[@angienicolehernandez104]

Right?? They look so stupid forcing themselves to read what they think they should be reading. Just read whatever you ACTUALLY enjoy, even if society doesn't deem it intellectual or whatever, reading is supposed to be fun.

[@lunatykica5636]

and light novels!!

[@valvihk3649]

I mean, I started with comic books and then graduated with an English literature (as someone who hated to read normal books). Now, I am still very picky. I mostly read nonfiction.

[@mindmaster323]

@@lunatykica5636 That's not always the case. Some of them can be pretty dense and verbose. "The Saga of Tanya the Evil" for example, has a lot of long and often dry discussions of and descriptions of war tactics and weapons because the author is a huge military nerd.

[@isaacbenrubi9613]

Yo... How you gonna read a book and complain about the part that makes it a book? You know. The words. WTF

[@ellingtonfeint13]

Maybe they should read picture-books, comics or mangas.

[@Jesterisim]

Like….Are they aware that porn without plot fanfiction exists? Lmao they clearly hate books… or they could read hentai manga idk… like whats not clicking lmao

[@self_appointed_wisdom]

Lol 😂 yes, this!

[@Milo-it1tf]

@Jesterisim they won’t like hentai, those books have plots to

[@Jesterisim]

@@Milo-it1tfthen… doujinshi…? lmaoo they could also just read porn scripts or something 😭

[@Spencer-wc6ew]

They talk about these books as if they were given assignments to read them in school.

[@chatrandibujosfelices]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@sursvoice]

Their reading comprehension level seems pretty much the same as schoolchildren.

[@sunnyandthechlo]

I think they are forcing themselves to read what ‘everyone else is reading’. Because they want to be seen as trendy and popular. So they aren’t reading what they would be suited to. Like if you only like dialogue, read plays. If you don’t like a lot of words read manga or comics. If you have a hard time with the words on the page listen to an audiobook. I think they enjoy the status and aesthetic of being a ‘reader’ more than the actual books.

[@TimiSterr]

Yeah, I remember myself in school, when I had to finish reading a book for class, I'd often skim the page if it had no dialogue to see if there was anything important, or read the beginning and end of a long paragraph. I remember dreading the long pages that weren't broken up into smaller paragraphs. But I was 14 and had to read an assignment, not an adult booktoker who chooses to be an influencer

[@8114梦见]

Most of the books I got assigned in school were such a delight. I always loved getting the excuse to spend homework time reading. Anybody else feel the same?

[@tapping-asmritalia6658]

0:15 it's something called "the story of the Character and Know the character" and it's literally the MOST IMPORTANT thing in the book. I'm sorry, did this girl ever really read a book in her life? Because this is not what it looks like.

[@LaurennM360]

Depends on what she meant by it. “I don’t care what you look like,” to me could be interpreted as she doesn’t enjoy really unengaging descriptions. A pet peeve of mine is when, especially in fan fiction, a writer takes paragraphs to describe every single item of clothing a person is wearing. Hahah. It doesn’t matter unless it has something to do with the story! So for that I understand. But if you’re saying something like, “I don’t care about your entire backstory!” then yeah maybe you just don’t enjoy reading about characters lol.

[@picachurocket]

@@LaurennM360 lmaoooo I'm so guilty of doing this when I wrote fanfiction - I took paragraphs to describe that outfit 🤣

[@legendaryfrog4880]

"This book has too many words. As a reader, this upsets me". Oh boy.

[@aWildJellieAppeared]

Feel like their heads might explode if they tried to read Lord of the Rings, lol

[@Words775]

Read a short story or something. Those are valuable too!

[@ratatatuff]

@@aWildJellieAppeared And that's even a pretty easy book to read.

[@kittymagica6408]

But were they complaining about the book being long or the print being small and words being crammed in? Because the latter I wouldn't really disagree with. Sometimes I just wonder if people think eye strain is a right of passage for readers.

[@vvitch-mist20]

I get what this person means, but they probably only wanna read popular books instead of novellas.

[@h2o2630]

Booktok girlies always give me the “peaked in high school” vibes, they 100% bullied other girls for being “nerdy” but now that it’s “popular” to read they fashioned themselves as a reader, fake aesthetic, fake readers, and all around fake people. It’s also the reason they love reading 🌽, they never had a wattpad phase and truuuust me it fricken shows! 😂

[@atheistangel7253]

THIS!!!.You put my thoughts into words 😭 they give off the same vibes as someone who used to think thrifting was "gross" but now tries to find a designer bag in goodwill to mark it up and sell online.

[@lemsip207]

@h2o2630 I call them fad chasers. They were into salsa dancing in the 00s and then they got into yoga and after that choirs. They never really get into the things they do as it's all about show and being popular by being among as many people as popular, but it doesn't make you popular because genuine people notice the fakeness. I remember when the fad chasers turned up to the yoga class I was in. There were only a few people in it and then it suddenly got very popular. They looked rather uncomfortable as it was just another fad to them to tick off a list. I left that yoga class after that. Everything is naff and uncool to them until the peak of popularity when it ceases to be, and once it starts to decline in popularity, it becomes naff and uncool again to them. Fad chasers ruin everything.

[@painandsuffering7130]

This! During the whole video I was thinking: why won’t they just read fanfiction? But then it hit me that they are probably the type of people who would bully people who do 🙄

[@jaxj968]

HEAVY on the they love to read 🌽. Every book they’re obsessed with is just bad smut. they recommended Ana Huang to me, so I bought Twisted Lies and King of Wrath. I haven’t touched those books in over a year because I couldn’t stand the writing style.

[@ashleygoetz7847]

you are literally so right

[@ik7968]

This is exactly why "being literate" doesn't only mean you are able to read and write but you are able to interpret, read complex texts and you can create texts or other art based on that. These people are the definition of not being literate on even a medium level and I am horrified they make a living doing "book reviews".

[@claudiaarjangi4914]

This totally. It seems to be a skill that we have,picked up naturally, ( which I always thought that everyone that knows the language & knows how to read, had ) but weirdly some people ( who technically can read , buuut... ) just.. um...don't have 😶.

[@streakyanchovy]

Not so fun fact: About 50% of Americans cannot read above a grade 8th level. I fear that these people who complain about long paragraphs and too many words on the pages are part of that 50%. ((For the record, this is not 100% an ADHD thing. I also strongly suspect that I myself have ADHD. I read through non-fiction books (a lot of them talking about philosophical theory and Ancient Greek history/literature) just fine. Sure, it takes me more time to understand some of these pages, but I like the challenge. These people are just lazy anti-intellectuals with a smut addiction.))

[@madisoncant3006]

Absolutely! Reading stamina also has a big part to play in literacy, since its not just about how long you can read in a single session, but also whether you can read and retain information from larger chunks of text. If these people can only enjoy a book when the paragraphs and/or sentences are short, they are not all that literate.

[@AceCarmichael]

​@@streakyanchovywhen I was in college we were taught it was a 5th grade level...

[@CoolScratcher]

Asking "why is the book filled with words" is like asking why a comic is filled with pictures

[@HelenaIsis616]

If “action, action, action!” is what they want, just read battle shounen manga. But they won’t, because graphic novels aren’t considered “real literature” by some and they just want the aesthetic of being an intellectual.

[@catsinburg8626]

They'd be so much happier lmao

[@Starburst514]

Or they do and can't understand why different reading mediums are different 😭😂

[@Catglittercrafts]

They want porn not shounen

[@krnatsu]

I would take it a step further and say that when she says "action, action, action" it means she's entirely there for the spectacul, not the characters or story. She couldn't fathom or enjoy things like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man or Bleach, because she'd be like "why are they explaining everything, just fight already". I hate mindless media consumption so much, particularly by people who claim to enjoy said medium

[@whiteraven562]

@@Catglittercrafts then they should look for hentai doujin. Manga's got everything; you just gotta find your niche

[@rahabintemotiul]

You have pinpointed my biggest issue with booktok culture, which is the fact that these creators treat reading books like doing homework, not enjoying the process of doing it but the satisfaction that comes after finishing.

[@airypersiflage]

Yep. It's all statistics of books read or pages read. Empty data of a single type.

[@embeauty9429]

I get so excited about finishing a book because it’s so satisfying and I’m ready to start reading more and more and crossing stuff off my TBR

[@rahabintemotiul]

@@embeauty9429 interesting perspective, for me it's the opposite lol, usually when I love a book I feel really sad after finishing it! I get nervous thinking about how I would have to go through a lot of average books before coming across another one just as good as the one I've just read. It doesn't help that only 7 of the 31 books I've read so far this year have been 4/5 star reads.

[@gabisarchive1694]

i see it more like a competition, they brag about reading 100+ books a year but its mainly smut, very poorly written books and them reading super fast only to finish it

[@vechnoezabvenie]

A homework no one gave them to do, so what for?

[@polymphus]

My stance is like: if you want to skip paragraphs/dialogue etc whatever, I find it deeply weird but you do you. If it's just for fun and it doesn't affect anybody, then it's not a big deal. If you're a CRITIC however, you have an obligation to read the entire work. You influence public opinion on the book, you influence sales, you influence authors' careers, the very least you can do is give the book care and attention.

[@SiliconeDrones]

Skipping anything while reading is a very wierd concept to me lol

[@thousandreasonswhynot]

​@@SiliconeDrones Exactly you have no idea what you missed! Am I the only one who finds that unsettling 😅

[@SiliconeDrones]

@@thousandreasonswhynot I could never do it I woild feel incomplete haha

[@thousandreasonswhynot]

@@SiliconeDrones the anxiety would force me to go back and read it lol

[@felineforte4167]

When I start skipping paragraphs, that's how I know I'm not enjoying the book and it will be a DNF. There are countless books out there. If you truly aren't enjoying the one you're currently reading, go ahead and stop reading it. There is no shame even as a critic to accept that not every single book will fit your tastes. And that's okay. That's brilliant, actually. If we all enjoyed the same books for the same reasons, literature would be very boring and repetitive.

[@reohina3539]

And then these same people say they read 200 books in a year or more

[@DerpinaTheBrave]

"Why are these pages so full of words" feels like an edgy misogynist sketch from the 2000s. I cannot believe she is being serious right now 🙁

[@spOOkytimes]

I want to believe its rage bait but teachers have been screaming from the mountain tops for quite some time that kids can't read at their respective grade level. 😅

[@potatogirl365]

Know im completely missing the point, but there are some books that are hard to read because pages are crammed with tiny words on tiny margins, it starts to feel “overcrowded” and hard to follow lines. That’s why I like my e reader so I can fine tune font, size and spacing for most comfortable reading.

[@harleaarmstrong7659]

​I know what you mean. After I got into chapter books and average print size in books, I wanted to read a book my step mom had, which had a unicorn on the front. I remeber being absolutely shocked at how teeny tiny the letter were and the pages were the size of printer paper [the book was very broad, and thiccc- like an Omnibook, but bigger]. I wanted to read it so bad, but it was a big struggle to even read a few lines. It felt like so much that it seemed I'd never finish even the first chapter. I still havent been able tor ead that book 😅 no idea why there was even a unicorn on it. I feel like I'd struggle with it to this day - I still havent found a book, other than a bible or phonebook, to rival the font size in that book 😅

[@pandaseal1611]

I believe that girl doesn’t have English as her first language and when got different font books it got a lot better

[@Janus10001]

A lot of writing coaches also caution against writing walls of text. They make the very sensible point that white space on a page makes the writing look easy to read. It's a question of first impressions. Writers should keep that in mind.

[@Jess.Anderson]

I skip paragraphs if a sex scene goes on too long 😂

[@Kitschstitchandchaos]

You got me there hahaha I was watching this like “I would never skip” but you’ve reminded me in that situation I definitely do lol

[@oxeyemoth]

That’s fair but definitely different from this lol

[@trickstermac]

Can we just name that habit “Iron Flame-ing” ?

[@abbywonder3825]

I always skip sex scenes

[@giveandtake8428]

Right. I just skip over them in general to be honest.

[@Theunfathomable0]

I don’t think it’s gate keeping to require someone to actually like…read the book. Like I don’t care what someone reads. It can be comic books, it’s can be romance only it can be middle grade books, audiobooks, etc, I don’t care, but you gotta be reading it. You have to be able to comprehend it and tell me what it’s about. If you’re not actually reading it then no you aren’t a reader.

[@Amira_Phoenix]

I didn't even skip Blame! pages !!!!

[@averysspookshowspectacular6205]

Seriously though, Young Reader books (late elementary through middle school level) can be some of the best written and deep stories out there.

[@Theunfathomable0]

@@Amira_Phoenix I hear that! Some manga authors put so much detail in their art, like Akira, or Berserk, you have to take some time to appreciate it.

[@Theunfathomable0]

@@averysspookshowspectacular6205completely agree, I even still own a couple middle grade novels I’ve read and really liked I even rebought one as an adult I remember making quite an impression on me.

[@tweeandcute283]

@@Theunfathomable0 Which one? Stuff like the Percy Jackson series and the d'aulaires illustrated Greek Myths got me into Greek mythology which eventually led to me reading the Odyssey, Oedipus Rex, the Aeneid, etc and even now, I think they unironically hold up.

[@divyak9980]

This is exactly what I want people to remember anytime they see videos of people reading 150+ books in a year. A lot of people who do that are either skimming, skipping or zipping through an audiobook and read mostly shorter, easy books. So never compare your reading pace to anyone. Reading isn't a competition.

[@izzyy1680]

So true! I followed a bookstagram from my local community and I envied her for being able to buy books every month and read like 100+ books in a few months. When I realised the type of books she read (spicy books only) and her family status, I stopped comparing myself and stopped trying to chase her reading achievements. Now, I focus on analysing books I've read and annotating my books which I enjoy so much.

[@dieentebeobachtetdich2618]

"feels like someone who would have bullied me at university" luckily she wouldn't have been there for long if she has a problem with books that contain too many words

[@TheMissileHappy]

That's what went through my head immediately. I kept wondering if they even finished school, they certainly can't have gone to uni. I had to read so many long texts, that often didn't interest me, but I still did it.

[@weronikazalewska2098]

Ohhhh you'd be suprised

[@lemsip207]

They are like the people you hated while you were at school as one other KZbinr put it.

[@Ashestoashesjc]

even students at elite universities are complaining about being unable to read complete books. our education system is really screwing over a lot of kids

[@fionamclary7631]

I chuckled

[@minbyc]

I cannot IMAGINE not caring about character. That’s my favourite part of any media. I don’t care about plot if the characters aren’t amazing. That’s so wild to just,,, not care about it

[@minbyc]

Also I have a massive problem w reviewers like this specifically because publishers are listening to them. A few years ago, I could go and find a book to read easily. It might not be my favourite, but it would be passable most of the time. But now? Almost every book I come across in my GR or StoryGraph recs is a shitty romantasy that has barely even been proofread. I read over 100 books a year, I’m also somewhat of a data science expert and I know how to try to use the prediction algorithms to suggest better things, but there’s just SO much shit out there it drowns out all of the legitimately good books.

[@aWildJellieAppeared]

SAME I’ve literally given up on books that have been highly recommended if I don’t care about the characters. I adore character development, and particularly characters that feel real.

[@ErimlRGG]

That's you. It's fine if you don't care about characters and just want plot but don't go and complain about it or just go read something else. Or go watch explanations about the story hahah Sometimes I do not care at all about the characters but I like the story so I sort of get it, but that's rare and it's a complain about that book in particular, not books in general like these content creators

[@lenastorm6280]

Completely agree. In 99% of the cases I do not care about the actual plot, I care about the characters. The characters are what makes or breaks a book for me. Seriously: If I like a character you can put them in ANY scenario & I will read it. Like: I will read a fanfiction about my favorite characters where nothing happens except they brush their teeth or go to Ikea or something.

[@krnatsu]

Couldn't agree more. Characters and their writing are what made me want to take Creative Writing at University (among other reasons), but additionally characters can be the thing that makes or breaks a story. I'm not a very sporty guy, never enjoyed PE much at secondary school or got hyped at things like the World Cup. However I LOVE the manga and anime Blue Lock, because of its amazing character writing, every one of them feels alive and distinct, both in design and personality. It's the same with my love for the Bat Family. I love them for their characters, not just the idea or world building behind them. And the Fellowship from LOTR is another big one, I could go on but I think my point is clear. The purpose of characters within a story is to provide a human element to the audience. It gives them a reason to care about the fictional world they get lost in, and as a result makes them more engaged emotionally and cognitively in the story. But most importantly, your characters are the best tools you have to explore the themes and idea of your story, whilst making them feel as if they are real

[@jasper-stone-jay]

As a dyslexic person who struggles to read complex language, large blocks of texts I and especially small fonts, and reading is a big time commitment even for easy books, I feel like someone should tell these people about audiobooks.

[@jasper-stone-jay]

If you’re looking for all the fun of experiencing a well crafted, beautifully written story, but don’t have the time or energy to read an entire five book series, BOY DO I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU

[@jasper-stone-jay]

People tend to have an aversion to audiobooks because for some reason our brains have convinced us that if we’re not holding the book in our hands, then the story’s impact won’t be as deep or something. But I was finally able to experience the books that all my friends had been hyping up and begging me to read for ages. And I still cried over them just as hard.

[@rVnsunshine]

Yes! I haven’t been much of a reader lately but then I’m like oh wait actually I listen to audiobooks almost every day….

[@NCC-1701_no_bloody_a_b_c_or_d]

@@jasper-stone-jay People don't do both? My ADHD pretty much requires both the audio and visual to pay attention to what I'm actually reading.

[@themoonlit-wolf3773]

Exactly

[@naveenasnook]

as an author, this is so discouraging because there is so much heart and soul put into the creation of the book, only for it to lowkey be disrespected by being ignored for hyperstimulating media… idk it’s a sign of an overarching issue about the dilution of thought provoking media, critical thinking skills, and the appreciation of art from an inquisitive perspective

[@Mamamoe13]

Don't be discouraged. These are people who weren't readers to begin with.And most book lovers won't take advice on what to read from someone who says there's too many words. These are just people looking for views. Us book lovers are still out here and there is a lot of us. So keep writing and feeding our minds.❤

[@saffink]

I feel like booktok has locked itself into an endless cycle because they refuse to take advice from people who actually read. They skim the book, because the writing is bad. The writing is bad because they only choose to read subpar erotica by bad writers. And so on...

[@lemsip207]

@@saffink Like Fifty Shades Of Grey.

[@cactus2260]

If they picked up a good book it'd be like introducing someone who only ever ate mcdonalds to fine french cousine, it'd blow their mind that it can be great and good for you.

[@emmao6578]

@@cactus2260 I don't know I think some of these booktokers would still just complain that the meal didn't come with ketchup

[@RebeccaJonesHowe]

It's because they aren't actually readers. They're just reading as an aesthetic. They might enjoy trashy read after trashy read, because entertainment is entertainment, but a bookworm is a person whose life is actually influenced by reading.

[@88kayleigh]

@@lemsip207I remember trying to read that, just out of curiosity. I wasn’t interested in it, and I figured it would be bad, but it was such a phenomenon I had to have first hand experience. I think I made it maybe 50 pages? Maybe?? It was SO badly written my jaw was hanging open half the time, and I just couldn’t throw any more of my life away on such an objectively shitty book. Was stunned it did so well.

[@_.xhoneybabyx._3946]

This is why people say you should participate in hobbies that you love. Reading is a hobby. It's not just about the aesthetics, or "you're so smart, because you read books" compliments. It's about the journey the story takes you on. Learning about the characters, watching a world be built slowly, then finally come together at the end. Literature is about words- the devices used, imagery, motifs and etc (even though we don't really seek them out like in English literature class). If you don't like seeing them, then this hobby isn't for you. Respectfully.

[@lemsip207]

@_.xhoneybabyx._3946 They are fad chasers who don't love anything except following fads as they think that what's makes them popular when it actually has the opposite effect. If you followed fads too, you would meet them wherever you went. Someone I met on Facebook said he was in a goth band in the 80s. The ones who laughed at his band later got into goth when it became very popular. The ones who were indifferent to it as it just wasn't their cup of tea but respected people for it didn't get into goth when it became popular. People who are unpopular think that being into the current thing will make them popular when it doesn't. Everyone makes that mistake once and if they aren't fad chasers they learn from it.

[@kristenyarbrough4287]

Their lives are...kinda sad aren't they? They don't even do something they like. They do it because other people like that people like it. I used to be like that too and it sucks. I read thick books I didn't even like because I thought it would make me smarter and more likeable. But reading books you actually like works wonders. I can now read ten books a month rather than trudging through one I don't even like. Sorry for going on a personal tangent, but it's truly sad that their hobbies are so based on perception.

[@MissCaraMint]

It’s not disrespectful to point out that they would probably have more fun doing something different with their time. It’s obvious that they don’t actually like this hobby. Not everyone has to. Perhaps a fantastic painter is never discovered because they spend all their time doing something they neither liked nor excelled at. It’s sad.

[@lemsip207]

@MissCaraMint I agree. Maybe they should stick to their makeup and clothes obsessions. They don't have much interest in anything else, so they wouldn't have made a good artist or dancer. I can't stand these people who are constantly reinventing themselves to jump into the latest bandwagon and then ruin it. They herded into salsa classes in the 00s and then into yoga classes just to be with their friends or around the most number of people. I used to invite people along to walk or cycle into the countryside, and because they reluctantly came along, they took it out on me afterwards or wanted to turn back as soon as we left the city. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it.

[@introusas]

As a writer who usually writes literary fiction and character studies I cannot imagine saying “I just want action, I don’t want to know what happened to you as a child” like oh okay you’re boring then? Do you not understand or want to understand human nature? They just want to be entertained and overstimulated in the biggest way at every possible moment. How droll 😂

[@ABrainlessThot]

I just watched another video discussing how no one takes anything serious anymore. Everything has no depth and when you do make something with depth it’s seen as cringy or “not that deep”. That’s exactly what this reminds me of. “It’s not that deep I don’t need your life story” cause they don’t care. It’s a scary level of apathy.

[@Wonderoddity]

This!!! It bothers me so much when people don’t think past the surface level. Like fantasy isn’t just elves and fairies. It’s not purely escapism. Fantasy makes real world issues more palatable though a whimsical lens. I just cannot fathom how someone could hear that and still think, “well I don’t want to see those issues in fantasy novels. It’s escapism.” It really goes in one ear and out the other with some people.

[@ClayScarlett]

D'Angelo Wallace?

[@skdhsjshsjsa2056]

@@ClayScarlettwe all have the same algorithm 😂

[@petrichorbones]

yep just watched D'Angelo's video today too and also Wurld posted one recently too mentioning Billie Eilish called Media Literacy is Dead. its so frustrating the way people act like nothing matters or no one should care

[@irradiated_woman8016]

Hello fans of D'Angelo and Rachel lol

[@nik.olek07]

Most of these 'booktokers' are just 'reading' to be seen as a reader, not for the value of the activity, which is why it's all so fast paced, because short-form content moves too fast to dwell on the same topic for more than a week. If they wanted to read, to know the story, they wouldn't be doing it on tiktok, because nothing lasts on that platform.

[@kbea121]

"why are these pages so filled with words??" That's what I paid for, bestie

[@charityshumba6189]

“Why are the pages so filled with words?” Was insane 😭😭😭 it’s like “why is there so much food??” In a grocery store 💀

[@Joey-td8rv]

genuinely it reminded me of those tiktoks of europeans going “omg why are the serving sizes all so big americans are insane” in COSTCO. walking into the bulk foods store and asking why all the food’s in bulk

[@wonderterror1541]

I sometimes have to reread long paragraphs 2-3 times because my eyes skip over words, and these people are doing it _on purpose?_ ...The words I want to say to express my feelings about this would not be approved of by KZbin

[@SteMegManzaroli]

Same, i don't want to lose a word when i'm reading!

[@elixtirr2611]

Sometimes I reread a long paragraph several times just to savor the style of prose, or the interesting themes in the text. That is part of the joy of reading: to gain insight into the author’s world and into the world of the characters in the narrative. It is an immersive, imaginative experience. A series of visual cues that play out in your head. Because of this, it takes me literally forever to get through books written in even the most simple prose. But part of that is because I want to take time to savor and enjoy the story, analyzing the meaning of each word in context, imagining each idea communicated by the author in a way that makes sense to me.

[@Mani-pi3ou]

Ya! If I notice I'm skim reading I take a break because I know I must be tired and won't pay enough attention

[@the_purple_plum]

Bro sometimes I sit there like aa movie director trying to understand the exact feeling the author wanted us to feel when writing the paragraph or trying to get the exact tone of voice when a character speaks, and if I'm not in the mood to be properly immersed I'll stop reading. What the hell do you mean you don't even READ the book?? What the fuck do you want from it then?!?!

[@gabrielagardeano2456]

sometimes i reread a whole paragraph because i felt like i didn't pay attention enough on it and ppl are just skipping everything

[@emilynolan3284]

"They want to be readers, but they don't want to read" - and that nails it perfectly, IMHO. These content creators want the reputation and the clout that comes with being a "Book-Tok" creator or "Book-stagram" but they don't want to actually read books beyond the simple, easy read. If those people are going to make content on Big Brain books, they should know to use their Big Book Brain. But no, instead they'd rather complain that it's not 14 point font and all simple dialogue.

[@reruni1inthecity]

I think the issue for me is that they have built identities and brands around being readers, but they don't actually read. They outright say they don't. They only skip to the parts that are interesting. I unclogged my bathtub the other day, but I'm not going to call myself a plumber, because that would be dishonest-- and I'm surely not going to start a plumbing business! And that's what they're doing. They're minimally engaging with a book and then making money off of reviewing and talking about it.

[@daniellasalamao3108]

It sounds a lot like people that call themselves artists but only use AI. They want the praise but none of the hard work.

[@seeleunit2000]

That's the irony of it. It's infuriating. These trend chasers make me sick.

[@AmyAberrant]

I don’t believe the girl who said she only reads dialogue, and she assumed everyone else was the same?? What you thought writers were writing descriptions that no one was reading?? Why would they write something no one reads??

[@spOOkytimes]

This girl has never even cracked a horror book. I guess Edgar Allan Poe was just some chump.

[@jonathanj8303]

In answer to your last question, "sheer bloody mindedness?". I mean, only reading dialogue is one heck of technique, just imagine if reader's digest had thought of that. Could have saved them pages. Nearest I get is skipping more or less straight from leaving Buckland to the road to Bree, because I've read Tom Bombadil once, and I'm not inclined to do it again.

[@Copernican]

If you're only reading dialogue I feel play scripts would be a better fit, context and setting is briefly described so it all still makes sense.

[@nityaprabhandam5239]

I do it for some books that are pretty dialogue heavy and offer very little information in their prose. Sometimes the descriptions are too repetitive. It just depends on the books you're reading? I get quite impatient if the plot is progressing fast but there's extended prose that doesn't add to the plot, and I end up skipping it. I guess it comes down to whether the prose is enjoyable or not. If it's not, and if I'm reading it for the story, I don't mind skipping sentences I'm not enjoying.

[@harveyhaslostit]

​@jonathanj8303 ohh I feel ya on that buddy

[@zevrxn]

if i'm not mistaken the blonde girl who hates words previously made in majority shorts doing her makeup, it sounds like she's trying to find herself a new niche audience but chose one she absolutely hates just for the hype.

[@lemsip207]

Her name is Yana Linnaa. She was the worst one of them.

[@KossolaxtheForesworn]

@@davepeters3317 the content farming and rage baiting to bolster the algorithm and engagement. every second there means they likely will be recommended their contant in the future, and it gets wider spread the more views and comments it collects. in the past people like this went on reality shows for their 5 minute of fame.

[@chrissyosozzy6465]

@@davepeters3317no a big prt of her online presence is book reviews, she is a reviewer and a has a booktube channel too

[@Jodecisweet]

@@lemsip207I think she is rage baiting on her TikTok because she has a KZbin and she doesn’t seem completely like this

[@societycrumbles]

I knew she looked familiar, I saw her on beautytok a lot.

[@IsabelS-g2z]

“They want to be readers but they don’t want to read” That’s literally it. It’s like everything has to be turned into an aesthetic, you can’t just do something because you enjoy it. The only reason these people are calling themselves “readers” is because they’ve turned it into a trend, something that gives them views and some sense of status in a community that they actually don’t really fit into. I’m not saying you have to be a specific kind of person to call yourself a “reader” or there’s some kind of exclusive membership to being a reader - I’m talking about the people who just do not appreciate the work and passion that goes into good writing, even if that writing isn’t your cup of tea.

[@bletheringfool]

The problem is, this kind of attitude is creeping into TV shows. Content getting dumbed down, characters incredibly similar to each other. There is a collection of people who want all the glory with zero effort. They probably get paid more via being an 'influencer' and crapping over pages of prose that took months to write, bashing them verbally in a few seconds. Creativity is sadly on a downward spiral.

[@cactus2260]

Can we bring back gatekeeping? Like just a liiiittle bit? Imagine if the art world had critics saying "THIS PAINTING HAS TOO MANY COLORS! IT HAS TOO MANY LINES!" and all they ever saw was like, rule 34 type stuff. Everyone would call them weird and not a real art appreciator, but if it's about smut then we respect it?

[@t_ylr]

It's really sad. I've seen a few stories recently about college students who can't get thru an entire book. Apparently some highschoolers aren't being asked to read whole books anymore. Which makes me feel like some ppl don't appreciate good writing or even know what it is. I remember realizing that Shakespeare was good lol. I was sitting in 10th grade English and we were reading Hamlet or some Shakespeare play and I thought "oh that was clever". I know that sound ridiculous, but i think these ppl need to have that moment. I feel like they think a novel is just like a movie script. They're just trying to get thru the story. They not actually enjoying the words themselves, the artfulness of the author's voice, the medium writing in itself.

[@zkme2734]

​@@cactus2260gatekeeping was always good

[@RoseBaggins]

@@t_ylr I think you're right, but in that case, they aren't proper movie viewers either, as it seems they're missing the beauty of subtlety and the complex story on screen.

[@MB-lz5eb]

Similar how? I've got some novels in the works, and I'm half tempted to play around with the stuff "modern audiences" apparently crave.

[@lamedumbjoker]

29:30 I recently learned that Lord of the Ring series(480,000 words) is actually shorter in word count than the twilight series(500,000 words) and it floored me. It really gave me a newfound perspective on the density of the story versus simple word count.

[@cadencek3576]

That’s interesting to know because I tried reading the hobbit and it really took a lot out of me, it was very descriptive and interesting but definitely tired me out.

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@cadencek3576 I find your issue intriguing. Tolkien intentionally wrote the Hobbit to sound like an oral tradition (ie Beowulf); I actually can recite the first pages verbatim, from “In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit” to about when Bilbo slams the door in Gandalf’s face. I’m wondering if this choice has anything to do with your feeling of fatigue. Lord of the Rings is a more traditional work, though it also takes a much slower pace.

[@marocat4749]

@@warlordofbritannia It probably helps taking the songs, as songs and not that important if you arent interested in the songs. And how some bits are just really prosey and what to focus on and how most overdescribing, is pretty but also not the story? But the characters. Yes the describing is important but you dont need everydetail. It probably is good to get that structure and what is more fluff like the songs and poems. That are good worldbuilding but. I dont think its hard if you can focus still and live with older english.

[@Punkrockpenguin2]

@@cadencek3576same I'm reading LOTR currently and there is SO much detail and I've been told there's somewhat of a hum you have to get over before it gets interesting so I'm still going lol

[@cadencek3576]

@@Punkrockpenguin2 I have definitely stopped reading the hobbit or anything LOTR currently but maybe I might try reading it again eventually, for me I wasn’t a natural “reader” so I just read whatever catches my attention story and character wise

[@gloriacox9926]

I have ADHD and sometimes I'll accidentally skip lines or paragraphs when reading, so I have to go back and re-read and it can be genuinely frustrating for me. Hearing that people skip parts on purpose is infuriating

[@greyno7030]

REAL I've got dyslexia and I'm visually impared and they way they describe reading on purpose is stuff I had to do therapy as a child to learn how to not do

[@gaymiens]

same!! sometimes i'll technically have "read" something but it just didn't register in my head so i re-read the same paragraph 3 times. happens in conversations too 🥲

[@Sarah-qt3vi]

I find myself skipping text if a book is too engrossing! and I have to force myself to slow down. Or know that I will read it a second time and pick up more.

[@anne_nunes]

I do that too 😅 so I started using audiobooks or TTS fanfics

[@Kyiecutie]

I had the same thought. When I get tired, I lose the ability to comprehend words on a page and I can no longer read 🥲 choosing to skip essentially 50-60% of the book and still claiming you read it is crazy work.

[@Thewraith13]

It’s so cringey! Like, no one is FORCING you to read, you’re turning it into an aesthetic. I hate people who only read for the aesthetic, because it’s just a prop for their hollow facade of a personality.

[@tessapal]

My initial reaction is that I guess it’s fine if you “read” like that, but I won’t be taking your recommendations, nor will I be deeply engaging in conversation with you about it (because ugh how frustrating to try to discuss a book with someone who hasn’t picked up on any of the nuance)

[@embodyingmysticalmac]

25:02 the girl complaining about Six of Crows doesn’t even realize it’s YA, meaning that it was set a lower reading level already (still great writing as Leigh is a great writer, but that’s beside the point) and she still can’t hang. Just be honest and let us know you don’t actually LIKE to read 😮‍💨😬

[@marocat4749]

I would respect her more if she said give me timo ok and not make it, i cant fastread it, complain?

[@lemsip207]

She looks like she has had a lobotomy.

[@lemsip207]

Her name is Yana. She has a nasty, abrupt way of speaking and uses the F word constantly. She lacks literacy. Under all that heavy makeup, she looks gormless.

[@cactus2260]

We told people that reading anything regardless of what it is was good for too long. Now we have a generation of grown adults who want to be praised for managing to read teens books.

[@egg62]

I'd be a bit embarrassed if as a grown ass adult I couldn't read young adult fiction. But in her mind it's the book's problem...

[@rahabintemotiul]

Not to mention a lot of the 'book girlies' probably bullied readers as a highschooler for being nerdy

[@matitabu]

the girl who complained about six of crows would have DEFINITELY bullied me and made my life impossible in school

[@broadnerdmike6450]

We’re at a point in time where people are picking up hobbies only because it’s a space where they might try being a content creator. Nothing makes sense.

[@theedexterspeckman6512]

these people don’t want to read books. they want to look like they read books so they can look like they’re smart. and they’re doing a terrible job at it.

[@sunnyandthechlo]

It’s giving ‘gamer girl’ vibes.

[@S0raly]

Honestly if you read romance, or fantasy I don’t think it makes you look smart in general

[@sunnyandthechlo]

@@S0raly A lot of classics and notoriously more difficult reads are romance or fantasy. Some high fantasy gets extremely technical.

[@baishalidas2318]

​@@S0raly this was a weird and bad take and shows how severely lacking, your voracity to read books, is. Cool.

[@fordan_gamsy3521]

Reading only dialogue? That just sounds confusing. How do you enjoy an out of context conversation?

[@Pendrake]

Right? Especially since they seem to mostly be reading smut? You're just reading mid-sex conversation? On its own? What are you getting out of that?

[@abidoran3439]

@@Pendrake I had that same thought. They only want to read dialogue, but are also in it for the smut? How do they get anything out of a sex scene without reading the non-dialogue paragraphs?

[@MorbidGuardian]

What worries me, especially as a writer, is how attitudes like this may impact the industry. If the industry feels like enough readers fall in line with this, editors are going to start demanding that books conform to these standards. Maybe that won't happen across the board - publishing is huge and there are many editors out there - but it will undeniably change how books are written and what gets published.

[@Janus10001]

Editors already demand this. Very few writers can write to commercial standards. I'd bet a big number disparage these standards automatically. Especially if they're coming out of MFA programs. I think that in another time, writers came up differently. There were multiple, big-circulation middle-of-the-road, mass-audience magazines that published fiction-McCall's, Saturday Evening Post, Collier's etc. Note: fiction, not "literature." That meant writers were working with editors, not writing professors. They were getting specific, actionable feedback that they could apply to precisely identified failure spots in their writing. They were being taught a trade, with proven rules of thumb, not theories of literature. I don't think editors or the industry have changed. They still demand work that can sell to a big, general audience. I think writers have changed. I think that by coming up in the bubble of academia, they've lost some practical trade know-how of their craft. Or at least some thought about the reader. I think they now think of themselves as exclusively in communion with "literature" and all the influences and precursors of literary history. As an editor, how do you even tell people who think that way that their inciting incidents aren't impactful enough, or that their protagonist's objects of desire aren't going to drive them to a strong enough turning point to achieve rising action? They're going to say, "David Foster Wallace didn't write that way," and you're going to have to hang up on them.

[@hazelsingh3887]

It’s already started unfortunately.

[@AW-uv3cb]

@@Janus10001 I agree in some points but disagree in others, mostly about how authors think of themselves these days. I mean, sure, there are writers who write because "it's always been their dream to write". But these are typically the ones who don't have that much to say, and their writing stinks for a mile of "creative writing course graduate" - you can just see how they're copying an attitude that's taught there, there's no originality, because they're taught to think too much of the "proper" structure and "proper" pacing, and "proper" language etc. These books all sound the same. Because this is what supposedly sells. Writing teachers and editors seem to be scared of anything that doesn't follow the mould - and it's because they don't know how to market it to the audiences and often don't trust the audience to be able to appreciate anything different. Too much emphasis on these technical things and the result begins to feel like a "write-by-numbers" book. Yes, of course, a writer should have a good mastery of the tools of their trade: vocabulary, pacing, structure, plot points (they should also be humble enough to accept it when someone says: 'I can see what you were going for, but it doesn't really work well here'). But ultimately these things are just that: tools. And a good writer knows when it's better to set them aside and go with the flow, depending on what their goals are. You need to be able to let your writing breathe. And studying previous authors is the best way to see the variety of writing styles available, exercise your literary imagination and find your own style. As a literary translator, I'd take a book written by someone with a background in academia over someone after a creative writing course any day. And my experience with editors* shows that sometimes you have to go with your gut feeling instead of sticking to "the rules" too closely. A good editor can understand your style and elevate it, they bring you closer to YOUR intended goal. A bad editor kills the spirit of the text by forcing it into a set mould, regardless of whether the text was intended to fit that mould in the first place. * Obviously, my experience is limited to the choice of a language style that I think will best capture the style of the original, not things like plot or pacing or structure, since in these aspects I have to follow what the author has already written down!

[@S_Black]

That's already a thing. Books are now written to be just filled with tropes popular in TikTok. Without nothing around them to flash out the stories and characters.

[@QuinferdSpeaks]

“I only read when they’re speaking”….then watch a show?

[@mar2982]

literally! but they might still look at their phone for scenes that setup the context and have no dialogue lol

[@lynseybowe8693]

I am a high school English teacher. I’ve seen an alarming number of students who complain about reading anything. I assigned Christmas Carol last year and they all complained because it was too long. It’s a short novel and definitely not as long as many other books. I think it’s sadly becoming a trend due to lowered attention spans. I personally love long books with descriptive paragraphs.

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

I think it has more to do with the rising illiteracy rates as more and more kids are being failed by a system that is just rushing them from one grade to the next. And bam they end up in highschool with a literacy level you expect from a kid in grade 7

[@warlordofbritannia]

Christmas Carol is barely even a hundred pages! You’re not bestowing Great Expectations on them

[@matthewcaldwell8100]

Jesus Christ. I remember being embarrassed to read A Christmas Carol for school because it was known to be a popular novella that Dickens more or less tossed off. It was no David Copperfield or Hard Times.

[@scipioafricanus5871]

@@warlordofbritannia I see what you did there!

[@genericplantlife]

I mean, I was in high school more than a decade ago and even then there were already kids complaining about assigned reading. This isn't really a "kids these days" thing.

[@penina8438]

I’m so excited! That person apparently only reading dialogue is really funny to me as a playwright,

[@iluv2cheer176]

Imagine reading a Robert Jordan wheel of time book and only reading dialogue😂😂😂

[@jimin8006]

@snorlaxgender🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@pleh7019]

Same 😂 They could be reading plays! But they won't!

[@jordanashby8918]

I’m only 1:33 into this video but I had to say something. I am an avid fanfiction reader, and let me tell you: when an author spends an entire paragraph or THREE illustrating and conveying emotions and thoughts and body language, without dialogue, I LIIIIIVE FOR THAT SHIT. The booktok girlies probably came from comics and graphic novels, but didn’t want to look immature for reading them, so decided to talk about actual books, but don’t have the attention span or imagination for it.

[@violettefemme21]

Ironically, if I am reading more “fluffy” books I tend to start skimming more cause it’s easy to not miss things in those.

[@honeysluiced]

right 😭😭😭

[@vokkagirl]

you can tell who didn't read at all from ages 7-13 when those reading muscles are developing

[@ms.badskirt9226]

ABSOLUTELY!!!! (I’m a reading specialist k-5 USA)

[@starry.princesss1115]

That's literally when I read the most. Now I'm older and a writer

[@ms.badskirt9226]

@@starry.princesss1115 This comment might be shared with my small group of fifth graders! If you wouldn’t mind!

[@irradiated_woman8016]

Ohhhh that's interesting. I spent a huge proportion of my time reading at that age, but started to slack on pleasure-reading during university. 6 years out of university... I'm still slacking lol. Kinda fell out of the habit, I start and stop. At times I worried that I was losing my reading skills through neglect, but I haven't! I suppose those early years are the reason why!

[@takke9830]

To be fair, as much as i agree that these girls are making horrendous „reviews“ with this attitude, i do wanna say that gatekeeping reading is not a good thing either. The reason I didn‘t read between those ages is cause my adhd makes reading books incredibly difficult for me and the shame that comes with that is what also put me off from reading for a long time. Audiobooks have literally done a lot for me cause they are a lot easier to engage with for me. So no. We‘re not permanently incompetent in terms of reading. Reading is just difficult for some people. Especially when the dull monotone way pages look and standard formatting really understimulates you to the point you lose track of what you‘re reading for the next 5 pages while spacing out every other page. Wich is funny cause that is the reason i could master some books with very erratic and strange formatting really well even tho other readers said they were really difficult cause to me, the chaotic unpredictable formatting made reading them so much easier for me. Anybody can pick up books if they want to. You just need to know how to make reading accessible, fun and compfortable.

[@mewrie_mew]

As a person who has read book series that in total are 200/300 chapters or more, if you dont want to read books, then don't. If you're just gonna read dialogue or skim everything, you won't enjoy anything and you'll miss so much!!

[@averysspookshowspectacular6205]

Seriously though, we need to normalize being smart and not enjoying traditional reading. I love reading, but my wife has a hard time with it. It took her forever to admit she didn't enjoy reading because she thought I would think she's stupid. She is a very intelligent woman, she just takes in information and stories in a different way than me.

[@ShieldofApollo]

They would hate this one book that I love that has absolutely no chapters. There is no chapters it’s 300 to 400 pages long and it changes the point of view through the book, but you do not get a chapter for a point of view, and if you try skimming it, you would get so lost. But it’s one of of my favorite

[@HayHayPlans]

They clearly don’t even like reading. They jumped on something because they found out it was popular. And are now outing themselves. How embarrassing lol.

[@MOONSUN4Life]

Perhaps these BookTokers should stay away from novels and read plays and screenplays instead, saving the occasional novella for when they are feeling particularly daring? Everybody has the right to their preferences, but when you're talking down to an author for "daring" to write descriptive paragraphs and providing back story, or when you complain that a novel has too many words, perhaps it's time for you to consider reading something else...

[@DhanakNMalik]

this is exactly how I feel. Just read a script, if you want dialogue

[@MiddayLady]

I knew it. I freaking KNEW it. I always thought there was something wrong with those booktokers who read like 1000 books a month. I was like, HOW is that possible. When? Reading takes time, day has only 24h, you do other stuff too... HOW. I had this sneaky suspicion... they don't actually read, but it was like a tinfoil hat theory for me. And here it is, cat out of the bag: I skip whole paragraphs, I skim through the descriptions, I read only the first and last sentence of a long paragraph, they just want simple dialog you can go through fast... THEY DON'T READ THE BOOKS, I KNEW IT!! I feel so validated because I KNEW there was something wrong here, but the creators would just ridicule anyone who pointed this out. I just don't get why. You don't like reading... okay... why is that the thing you chose to pretend to do as your main hobby/identity element? I dislike sports. I as hell am not creating a gym-goer tiktok account.

[@bluecannibaleyes]

A lot of them also listen to the audiobook and call that ‘reading’. And they get REALLY mad if you tell them it’s listening, not reading.

[@Алена-д5ж7ю]

@@bluecannibaleyesand what exactly does it change? Do you not consume the story while listening? Do you not understand the motives and the background? No offence, though. How about visually impaired people or adhd? If the only possible way to “consume” a book is by listening to it? I guess “reading” has been created in the times when there was no other option but use your eyes to comprehend written content. It’s long gone, though.

[@bluecannibaleyes]

@@Алена-д5ж7ю What exactly does it change to just call it listening not reading? Why do you insist on calling it something that it isn’t? Why should I change the meanings of the word just to make people who can’t read feel better? If they aren’t reading, then they aren’t reading. Listening isn’t the same thing as reading. It’s really that simple. Part of why I read is because I love words. I want words to continue to have meaning. Reading is not and was never defined as ‘consuming a story’ and I don’t like that people nowadays are trying to change the meaning of it to that. By that logic, watching a movie or listening to a podcast or music could be called reading too. If you say that listening to a story is the exact same thing as reading it yourself, then what you’re saying is that a toddler who can’t read being read a book is the same as a child reading it on their own. But it’s not the same thing. The child who read it on their own can read and the child who was read to might not know how. It’s simply not the same thing, reading and listening are different skills. I don’t want literacy to be made meaningless by just substituting listening for reading like that, especially considering the difficulties with reading that the current generation is having. It matters because if schools started to follow your definition or reading, kids could just be sent home with audiobooks in their ears and be considered fully literate and eventually hardly anyone would actually know how to read anymore. As someone who likes reading and books, I don’t want to live in that kind of world.

[@ronanlevy1554]

@@bluecannibaleyes that's literally not how literacy works though. yes learning how to read and understand the written word is important but it is literally impossible for some people. and they're still fully capable of acquiring the MANY other literacy skills that you need. words will continue to have meaning even if blind people have access to books. either own up to your belief that blind and dyslexic people are inherently less intelligent and literate, or learn how things actually work

[@bluecannibaleyes]

@@ronanlevy1554 Listening to a story being read does not mean a person is literate. I’m sorry if that offends you, but it’s just the truth. Equating intelligence and literacy is something that only you have done here; I’ve made no such extrapolation.

[@robinronin]

I skim or skip long paragraphs... in fanfics, exclusively. Fanfic authors really do love their faves and go on waaay too long sometimes. In original works, it seems kind of silly to skip that much, because all of it is new information and you literally paid for it too 😂

[@arias1792]

In Fanfiction we also know what the world and the characters look like. In other books we need to get what these character are like, where do they live. That's like half the fun

[@gagoogasv1064]

That's the thing, these ppl read everything as is if it's smut or fanfic

[@mrbork7218]

Same with some translated works. I don't need to read the same thing twice as a piece of monologue and narration.

[@WfrArcPol]

@@arias1792 A lot of these trashy booktok books also follow the fanfiction format by relying on well-known tropes with existing context and rules. This may be fine with established characters and worlds that an audience already knows, like in fanfics (where the heavy lifting of characterisation and worldbuilding has been already done by competent writers), but with original characters using tropes to shorthand development and avoid writing descriptions and fleshing out your characters/world/plot makes the work completely hollow. It's like having a meal but with only the seasoning/sauce and not the meat and rice.

[@flygirl6048]

I've read far better-written fics than some of the books that are coming out today. It's nuts that people are complaining about reading when nobody is forcing them

[@the_madhadder]

My suggestion to these horrible reviewers: Don’t ever read Tolkien ever

[@Shephardsatan]

I wanna read Tolkien now

[@Itsjms2006]

Gatekeep Tolkien from BookTok

[@veraciously]

This to me is partly about algorithms promoting ragebait content ("booktoker who hates reading" gets rage engagement more than the booktoker who is mildly bored by books) and also how some book readers don't have book stamina. It's hard on the brain to read, but you train yourself by reading more, until it gets easier. Great video!

[@danietom]

There is definitely a ragebait element here. It feels SO intentional when they complain about too many words on the page. Like, come on, that’s baiting for a reaction

[@annac9534]

You hit the nail on the head.

[@aparkinglott]

an important point I thought of. I've put down many books right away, after like 25 ish pages. then picked them up a year later and I couldn't put them down! It's okay not to like something right away!!! you don't have to force a certain amount of pages to prove anything either. It could just not be the right time 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@DiMagnolia]

Happens to me a lot with ADHD!

[@marocat4749]

Yeah sometimes its environment too?

[@8114梦见]

I don’t really read many novels, because I just don’t find them as interesting as non-fiction. Since a lot non-fiction isn’t necessarily story-driven, I often am reading 10 different books at a time, and just switching to the topic I am in the mood for. As a result, I finish books at a pretty slow rate. My friends on GoodReads will normally say “wow, you’ve been working on that one for a while” whenever I finally post a review haha.

[@abidoran3439]

I agree! I tried reading Something Wicked This Way Comes for the first time and couldn't get into it. I picked it up again almost 10 years later and loved it!

[@88kayleigh]

This! Sometimes it’s about your mood or where you’re at in your life or something. I tried to read a book and I got so bored of it I didn’t finish it. But a few years later I picked it up again and could not put it down! It was beautiful!

[@ewok_soup]

They’re just looking for engagement. They know most people are gonna comment something negative and they don’t care, they just want to be popular, no matter how. The best thing to do is to ignore them. There’s people more deserving of hate anyway. You don’t waste your love, you don’t waste your hate.

[@erica.explores]

Part of the problem is the rising illiteracy rate in places like the US. According to the National Literacy Institute, 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level, with 20% below 5th-grade level. So if you have that low level of literacy, it makes sense that higher quality books with writing that is above those levels, they would complain about it because it exceeds their level of understanding and, of course, rather than blame themselves or the education system they complain about it online and blame the author(s).

[@lchayespen]

@39:38 "I know the beach has seagulls, I know that the beach has sand and seashells [...] I realize those details so I skimmed through it [...]" Yes. Most people can intuit the background of a scene, but the purpose of those sentences isn't because the writer assumes that you don't know those things, it's painting the scene and immersing you by drawing attention to the little details. Scene setting and prose can be such a signature of the author and by skimming it (especially consistently), you're essentially gutting the author's soul and signature from it. A painter or sculptor can tell you about an image in their head, but wouldn't you rather see it manifested by the talent of their hands to appreciate it?

[@noctap0d]

If the narrator is not omniscient, it can also be a good way of developing a character. Like, the things the character pays attention to, how they describe things in their minds...

[@itslindseeey]

Not to mention not all beaches have those exact details 😂 In my fantasy world, the closest beach is black sand and has a really rocky shoreline and hardly anyone visits it. And they don’t see birds there because dragons nest in the cliffs.

[@abidoran3439]

@@noctap0d Yes absolutely! How a character or narrator interprets/describes the setting and seemingly mundane things adds to the story itself. It offers insight to a character that dialogue alone can't offer because no one, not even fictional characters, say all their thoughts out loud.

[@penina8438]

I’m visually impaired and I’m starting to wonder if some of these ppl are just having vision issues w how often they complain about font sizes and how many words are on the page and generally being overwhelmed by paragraphs. Those are usually common signs and it happens to a lot of ppl esp as we age. If they make their ebook font bigger, listen to an audiobook, and/or get fitted for reading glasses Im sure they’ll enjoy it a lot more.

[@aliciakla6460]

Interesting!

[@kylinajordan]

They also make large print versions of these books. They have plenty of space on the page to help with this, too. I find them all the time at my library, even new releases too. When I used to tutor students ESL (english as a second language), this helped them get over the fear and sense of feeling overwhelmed by the words on the pages. Sometimes, it's more of an insecurity with language rather than a visual impairment. But check your local library! They have these, and/or you can request these, too!

[@averysspookshowspectacular6205]

I think you're spot on, actually. I have dyslexia and adhd, two things that can make reading challenging for people, and I've learned that layout and visuals can be night and day for some people. Margins, headings, white space, and even fonts can make a huge impact on readers. This is the upside of e-readers, if they can be used well. Kindle lets me change margin sizes and has OpenDyslexic for a font and it has made reading textbooks so much easier.

[@alldolledupinstraps]

Personally, the font thing is the only thing I understand, but that's why I read ebooks, so I can adjust my font as necessary (I wear glasses and my vision isn't great overall)

[@abbycarvermusic]

this but also a lot of these people are probably in the age range (if they are american) where they didn't learn how to read properly in school and so it's difficult (not even mentioning people with learning disabilities)

[@sophdog2564]

There is something to wanting bigger font size because maybe you need bigger words to see them, or sometimes I get overwhelmed by how many words are condensed together, but I don't want less words, just different formatting (although that means more pages, so you know)

[@bulbasaurevolved]

I was thinking this too lol. One of the many things I enjoy about my Kindle is being able to change font size 😊

[@Loonette42]

Yeah, I have definitely read books with font size so small that I had to give up on those copies because they were giving me headaches. I'd rather deal with a heavier book, or even have it split into 2 parts. Large print books and E-books with text customization options are a great resource that make reading accessible to more people. I think these book reviewers could make positive change if they worked to normalize and popularize use of large print books for people who could benefit from them but feel like they don't need them. More books could get large print copies and they could become more affordable! Instead so many people are just complaining instead of trying to find alternative formats that work for them, or just accepting that what they read isn't for them.

[@georgethompson913]

These people are tourists, they eant the aesthetics and social recognition from reading rather than actually enjoying it.

[@Pelusanefasta]

I don't think they're even sucking it up like a child's milkshake, that would be if they read it all. It's more like if they sipped the milkshake a little, threw most of it in the sink, and then sipped the end to have the feeling of finishing it lmao

[@valeriarossini543]

I know they're a minority, but jesus christ... people like this are the reasons why I don't trust anyone who advertises themselves as a “reader”

[@Milo-it1tf]

It’s a very loud minority though

[@BigDaddyJinx]

@@Milo-it1tf Most all minorities are...

[@Yara-ez5px]

Respectfully, just as we wouldn't call a pornography reviewer a cinematography critic. We shouldn't consider these people book reviewers/critics.

[@lemonzing234]

As someone who literally makes porn (drawn, not filmed) a lot of the principles that non-porn uses (composition, perspective, lighting, anatomy) can be used to make better porn. What they're doing is more like reviewing _any movie with a sex scene_ as if it was porn.

[@marta3215]

I mean, to draw porn you have to be fucking amazing at drawing human anatomy. As someone who started learning drawing just a year ago, it's impressive as fuck. On the other hand to film porn... what skills do you actually need?, let's be honest

[@Shadowshift522]

Valid! I honestly think that sex in books is pointless unless it drives the plot and has a real impact on the character's growth and development.

[@lemonzing234]

@@marta3215 what skills do you need to make any other kind of film, y'feel? films don't have to be good or well-made to count as films

[@Yara-ez5px]

@@Shadowshift522 I completely agree with you. Otherwise is just fan service and in my opinion writing for the pleasure of others isn't art (literature), that's just manufacturing a product to be consumed and disregarded in order to get another one. An addictive cycle of consumerism, just like porn itself. That may also be a reason why the marketing of books is filled with tags: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, dark romance, etc. Because it's easier to select products in a clearly defined catalog. And in porn sites you also find tags for the kinks you're interested in. The parallels may go further than we think at a first glance.

[@kilian-one-l]

This is so wild to me. I literally have ADHD and those books they're complaining about just look live the average book. I think maybe TikTok is affecting peoples' attention spans? But also I think they've just been reading too much of the literary equivalent of junk food

[@DiMagnolia]

Yeah I have ADHD so very dense text can be hard to process but that’s why I love audiobooks and ebooks, I can fly through books that way.

[@self_appointed_wisdom]

Super wild lol and same re:ADHD. I do audiobooks alongside physical sometimes if it's a longer book. These people clearly just want to *look like* they like to read.

[@gabbyjohnson]

punching my adhder ticket here too! i turned 30 on monday and am embarrassed how few books i’ve read in the last decade EVEN I ASPIRE TO READ THE ENTIRE PAGE FOR FUN !! i got a local library card so it might help me have a sense of urgency to finish more books 😬 these “booktokers” kinda scare me

[@Plague-speaker]

Not diagnosed ADHD, but have some attention span issues. I used to blitz through books as a kid, read quite a few. Then I got to uni and realised how severely lacking my reading was since I just read and realised I skipped whole sentences. (Realised this that as I had to read hundreds and hundreds of pages of textbooks and it didn’t stick). So when I finally finished my second semester I started re-reading Witcher books to both catch what I skipped and to understand what I didn’t as a teenager. All I can say is that A little sacrifice made me just lay in bed for good five minutes just contemplating the tragedy of it. Right now reading a lot of Horus heresy (Warhammer 40k prequel) and all I can say that some of the Black library recent omnibuses would probably send these people into seisures with how dense they are.

[@MissingmyBabbu]

ADHDer here (with deeply suspected undiagnosed autism too). And reading for me can be hard. I love to do it, but it's hard. So I'll find an audiobook version of things, or I'll read a chapter (or on some days, one or two blocks of text) and take a break for a while. I can't IMAGINE skipping over like 40% plus of the book and JUST reading dialogue, or JUST the action, or w/e. I'm currently reading the LOTR books. And the descriptions are so enchanting, I've often gone back to read them multiple times. To picture the beauty of the Shire, or of the woods, or whatever else. If I tried discussing these books with someone and found out they skipped all that beauty as 'boring' or 'irrelevant', I would leave. I'd have to, or it'd be on sight (not like, literally. I wouldn't punch someone over a book. but u get me)!! Even at my worst, most unmedicated, undiagnosed bad-eyesight having era, I didn't skip over parts of the book to 'get to the Good Part'. I would unintentionally skip around, but then when I realised? I went back and read what I missed! I think you're right. I've read soe BookTok Favourites, and they're.. I mean not ALWAYS terrible or anything, but these romantasy style, 'no plot all romance/smut' books really DO feel like eating junk food. Fine as a treat, but too much and you'll rot your gut.

[@stephaniecrouch5865]

On Rachel talking about not wanting a good book to end, I've literally cried because books are over. Not because the ending was particularly bad or even particularly good. Rather because my journey with them is over. I have to go back to my life and never know what happens when it's over.

[@stephaniecrouch5865]

On a different point: regarding the thing about a series being just too long for no purpose other than fan service and profit, I definitely agree. I read and adore the Rizzoli and Isles series. I recommend it to anyone willing to listen. Does that series need 13 books? No. No it does not. I personally think they're amazing and all worth reading, but that doesn't exempt it from that same issue. At least each book builds on the last while still being different enough to be interesting.

[@KossolaxtheForesworn]

How I felt after finishing Frankenstein. also reading it made me realize there is exactly 0 good movie adaptations of it.

[@harveyhaslostit]

I've put off reading the last chapter of a book for weeks several times so far because I didn't want it to be over. Also started books only to pause and reread the beginning several weeks later because I wanted to savour them more.

[@hoodys]

0:43 i don’t care what they’re doing…

[@SiliconeDrones]

Yeah this is.. Lol

[@quixotiq]

Apparently it's because kids are no longer taught to read whole books. At least in the US, and probably other places.

[@samnthazolwta8153]

THATS LITERALLY THE BEST PART. seeing how the author writes actions, situations, thoughts , and flashbacks. It’s beautiful how they artistically express these complex feelings. How you immerse yourself in the characters habits, feelings, and etc.

[@angelastoker]

It's an ADHD habit I have for my eyes to skip straight to dialogue, read half the page with the dialogue, and then realize I have skipped half the page and go back and read where I left off. If it is a short paragraph ending in dialogue my eyes skip to the dialogue without even nothing the prose. So I find myself confused how we got somewhere and I have to go back and find out which prose I miseed a single line of an important detail. However, UNLIKE the person who "only reads dialogue", I literally do not do it on purpose. It's just what my brain looks for, and I even get on my own nerves when my eyes do this.

[@boxcutter4]

This is my problem too

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

I use a piece of paper and ruler to block off the parts of the page I finished reading/have to still read. The only sentence I can see is the one Im currently reading

[@Nassifeh]

The sheet of paper/ruler/bookmark/etc trick is literally life-changing. I get not wanting to do it in public, but when you're alone, following along with your finger is also very helpful. I think we get kind of shamed out of some very useful reading habits as kids, sometimes.

[@Pendrake]

Have you tried putting a bookmark or piece of paper under the current paragraph/line? I know that makes my brain stick to where it's supposed to be reading. Or on devices, I scroll up using the bottom of the page as the 'bookmark'. Same idea.

[@smallphoenix13]

On some ebook formats you can highlight text, and my go-to method to stay focused is highlight the page and then un-highlight as i read. I’ve found that i focus on text more if it’s a different color, so this seems to work pretty well!

[@captainbunnicula]

As a general story lover and avid consumer of things that are frequently snubbed as "not real literature" (e.g. fan fiction, webtoons, etc.), learning about these kinds of "reviewers" is....just heartbreaking, to be honest. My absolute favorite stories are the ones that compel me to slow waaay down and make sure I'm getting absolutely everything I can from the words, art, whatever. Those are usually the ones that made me bother to make the very minimal content I did on TikTok, because I just HAD to talk about it so other people could experience it too. It's soul-crushing to think that people are instead listening to book reviewers who seem to hate reading.

[@johnatandelacuso4174]

U thibk this trend is just the other side of the horseshoe issue. While on one end you have people who only acknowledge 'real' literature and will deem you as 'not a true reader' if you dont enjoy their recommendations these reviewers just go 'well if I dont like it then it is obviously bad'. Its the same type of arrogance and gatekeeping both have the only difference is what standards they follow and ultimately it all boils down to 'Well this is bad because I, an authority on this matter, have said so'.

[@captainbunnicula]

@@johnatandelacuso4174 So true, well said

[@anniannianniii]

yess exactly!! I frequently go reread sections of Tolkien’s poetry just to soak it in and kind of… exist in the poem for a minute, it’s such a lovely fun time!!

[@233Hicks]

"content" "creators" "consume" "content" gatekeeping is necessary, otherwise a medium is dumbed down in pursuit of capturing a lowest common denominator audience to sell product. Where people struggle, is they don't like the idea of being seen as unkind, or unfair for gatekeeping. If you tolerate shit though, you get shit.

[@Kay-wp8xf]

"words??? In MY books?????" Edit: im not gonna trash, but i went to a book event with one of my friends last weekend. She doesnt enjoy smut/romance, but I'll read it a bit and generally have a good time. People like these BookTokers were harassing her and asking "is it worth reading if theres no smut???" And "why do you read that boring stuff?" I was genuinely appalled. Read what you want to read but then you turn around and tear into people for reading what they enjoy? Having preferences? I can take a crap on your tastes too. I don't want to be *that* person but I genuinely think BookTok has ruined reading and how people percieve it.

[@HazelSageHP]

YES! I love smut (but only in fanfiction tbh, the way it's written in romance books makes me almost universally cringe) and I get wanting to read it, even if the way it's done in the popular books drives me nuts. But the fact that people so often don't want to even think about touching something without smut? It would be fine if their phrasing wasn't so often what you described, basically saying a book without smut is worthless because that's the only thing that is good in reading... People can have preferences but DAMN, they really don't like reading if they are going to snub the vast majority of books like that, you know?

[@Kay-wp8xf]

@@HazelSageHP Or like, turn away good books or books they may enjoy simply because there's low/no spice. Sometimes it feels a little creepy to me. It's like a guy walking around a movie convention saying "oh that's not a porno, so I haven't seen it, and it sucks and you suck for enjoying it." May be a bad allegory but like... Ya know

[@HazelSageHP]

@@Kay-wp8xf Exactly! Honestly I think that's a great analogy. I feel bad for them as much as I'm frustrated with them! They're missing out on a lot of good books

[@KolorfulDreamsArtKda]

​@@Kay-wp8xfit's a great allegory though, smut IS porn. If that's someone's cup of tea that's great, but it doesn't change the fact that it is written porn.

[@marocat4749]

Cant they stick to the romance, smut of fanfic isle if they love only that :( , that do exist peobably.

[@FrekiV]

The girl with the “so many words” can’t be serious, right? Riiight??? Also. To the girl with the “the paragraph was thiiis long” - hello from a Russian person who had to read Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky when they were 15 years old. For school. Without skipping - because later you have to write an essay about it.

[@buzzfeedhater]

Anti intellectualism is a disease

[@martophrenia]

those are great as well

[@paigehansen8944]

Uh oh. Rachel, these girlys are clearly terminally online… they’re gonna see this, make a video just to say ‘your video is too long and I didn’t watch it but it’s still dumb & I’m right’. Then their viewers will flood your comments section. Booktok viewers are many, young, and petty. This will bring drama, and I’m sorry in advance for what you’re about to go through.

[@BigDaddyJinx]

I second this. She done kicked a hornet's nest now. The Plastics will be here shortly...

[@KK-bl1oc]

For a while, I thought you wrote "pretty" instead of petty, and I was confused like, "Why did you included that?"😅

[@skromnyasha]

​@@KK-bl1oc be careful, they young AND pretty

[@GeekyC.]

Ah well unlike them a lot of us can simply turn off and step away from social media when those things happen .. unlike this group who are hooked up to social media like its their life support machine. Dont be afraid of these people they thrive on this mentality and are just bullies but if they were confronted in real life they would fold VERY quickly.

[@RainWelsh]

Ehhhh given Rachel has previously pissed off the likes of the crazy fundie community and big KZbin “personalities”, I don’t think a bunch of illiterate TikTok halfwits going “ummm excuse you 🙄 if theirs no SPICE 🌶️🌶️😛😛🌶️🌶️ theirs no POINT stupid 😤” is going to make much of a dent. Never mind the fact they’ve all got such atrophied attention spans that even if they do have a tantrum about being called out on their illiteracy, they’ll just inflate the numbers on one of her videos and then see something shiny and wander off, completely forgetting they were angry about something.

[@catherinewiggins9385]

I am literally using this video as a source in my masters thesis on this topic! im so glad you finally covered something on this! thank you for that lol

[@yoji5755]

As a russian person im so confused by the intro, we are reading huge books in school like "Crime and Punishment", "War and Peace", "Oblomov" and etc. And the "none dialogue" paragraphs are a huge part of the book, where you are diving into another time and space where actions and words of characters make sence. Like wtf, why they don read comic books instead or plays. For what they are reading the book...

[@kotrena]

О, я тут не одна ❤ рада видеть

[@RanposPowderedDonuts]

Omg I love Dostoyevskies works

[@pinkink1672]

Yeah. Suppose we have a different reading culture, and schools are maintaining it, at least for now. Tiktok or other things that require short focus can change it. Glad to see russian speakers too! 🤝

[@axolotdraws9946]

not russian but I kid you not my literal first thought as the beginning of the video was “this lady would not survive a single second reading crime and punishment”

[@АлинаКондратьева-ь4у]

господи да эти люди бы не закончили седьмой класс с тихим доном….

[@slapstick920]

"I just care about the conversations" lmao then what are you reading books for??? Plays literally exist???

[@Punkrockpenguin2]

Omg they'd probably love plays

[@Ash-nc9bb]

As daft as it sounds sometimes stuff like ‘I can read a play instead’ just doesn’t occur to people like if all you know of plays is musicals and Shakespeare (which is most people) you genuinely might not have thought about that as a medium that might have modern content in genres you enjoy.

[@Janus10001]

Plays are harder to read than novels. You have to understand character and motivation and moment-by-moment power exchanges at the level of a master actor or director to know how to read a play. Novels supply all that connecting tissue for you with description, jumps inside a character's head, etc. A really good play looks uninflected on the page. The reader has to supply all the inflections that would make it come to life as a piece of drama and truth.

[@nicolelincoln4223]

Maybe part of this is ragebait. It seems like a lot of these people - specifically the blonde woman wearing pink - are getting SUPER angry and have over the top reactions. I don’t doubt that a sizable portion of them genuinely feel this way because the fast fashionification of most hobbies is already in full swing, but also getting people angry enough to comment “how could you be so dumb?” Under your tiktok is still engagement, is still views, is still influencer money People might share it with friends who share it with their friends who share it with THEIR friends that may find that personality entertaining enough to buy merch, or to subscribe, or something. Although it is quite worrying seeing a lot of peoples attention spans drop below the floor, to the point where they can’t see the purpose in paying any mind to details, themes, or descriptions. All they seem to care about is that next dopamine hit and it’s scary.

[@thewizard8263]

i was wondering about what kind of dense, complicated books the girls in the intro were reading and then it was just. Six of crows. Incredible

[@katelynbarnes2987]

i saw this coming from miles away when Booktok started to get popular and people who used to bully me for reading constantly began to gush about books. because this is what happens when they read well-written books, not the ACOTAR or Hoover bs.

[@pinksmoke234]

I agree with you 100% but ACOTAR isn’t actually that poorly written, it’s just become easy to hate on because it’s so popular

[@ethanfleisher1910]

I'm a published author. Not Wattpad, but self published and published by legit publishers. I do both self pub and trad when I can. I saw this coming too. It was horrifying seeing fanfiction take over love of the classics and the search for good literary fiction. I'm sorry, but this mindset started with "classics are old dead white men" therefore I don't have to understand good writing... Which was infuriating because half of the classics are written by non-white people and women...

[@seeleunit2000]

​@@ethanfleisher1910Personally, think self-publishing gets too much criticism. However, I do think these so-called book reviewers need to be scrutinised thoroughly. These are the same sorts of people who constantly jump on trends and trying to kill the joy of reading

[@GirlMadds]

@@ethanfleisher1910​​⁠​⁠Wow, well this blows to read as an aspiring writer that only writes “fanfic” in terms of borrowing character names just to get the plot off the ground. And because I have absolutely zero resources apart from the little money in my bank account, I was also going to go the self-publishing route. Thanks for dunking on both and making an entire group of writers feel (once more) like we don’t belong and have no right to stand among “published by actual publishers” writers. I thought this elitest attitude from “traditional” writers was a thing of the past. Guess I was wrong.

[@ethanfleisher1910]

@@GirlMadds that's not what getting at. I've also self published, and I think it's increasingly a viable route for new authors. The point is that I busted my ass for years studying the greats because I too had zero resources, knew no one in the biz, etc. When we put amateur erotica on the same shelf as Moby dick, writers aren't encouraged to try and readers think titillating slop is "reading". I feel like this is self evident, and it horrifies me how much "read the greats and try to write beautiful things that will stand the test of time" is considered elitism... Im literally broke trailer trash, have been all my life. But I love great literature and young readers need to be challenged, not turned on... "Elitism." Yikes. Bust ass and send submissions and you'll do fine. 99 percent of publishers are prioritizing women and bipoc writers, so you've already got a leg up over what I had to work with. Go get em tiger

[@dorianleakey]

Its almost like self parody, like they know they are saying "we are STUPID! AGGRESSIVELY STUPID! We do it on purpose and it MAKES US ANGRY!"

[@s589xjc9]

It's the exact word combination that came to my mind on watching these tick-tock "reviews". Aggressive stupidity.

[@nerdoftheatre]

34:05 "Just get on with the story." It is still going on. Flashbacks move the story along like action. Like, no author is going to go on a meaningless tangent.

[@thehousecat93]

Many pieces of classic literature do have tangents that have little to do with moving the story. There were writers like Dickens, all story all the time, but Hugo and Melville come to mind. I wouldn't call them meaningless tangents as they do have meaning/purpose but the purpose isn't plot development, or necessarily even specific character development. Page after page about whale biology and whaling doesn't get Ahab any closer to his confrontation with Moby Dick.

[@OopsIDidItAgainUh]

It's really annoying when they say that because for readers like these, to "get on with the story" most of the time means to have more "spice" in the story - you know, like a s3x scene (which could be a r4p3 scene with romantic dialogues), or a scene where the protagonist get abus3d by the antagonist or the second protagonist, or a problematic plot twist like the lovers find out that they're step siblings or something (hello Colleen Hoover). They're fine with flashbacks and contexts but like I said, they need some "spice" in them also, which is why a lot of them love It Ends With Us despite it having unnecessary flashbacks and repetitions. They're so used to reading smut and toxic stories that a "normal" story sounds boring to them. I have a feeling that these people are just going through their Wattpad phase and will slowly get out of it once they're exhausted by it or become a matured reader.

[@Socke.222]

I absolutely love the dogs snoring in the background lol, it’s adorable

[@anonymousperson2839]

The thing about the 'trashy' books is that it can be a gateway into reading for people who don't typically read. But the problem is that these people then don't push themselves onto higher level books, they keep reading the same old stuff. It's how you learn and improve your reading level, by pushing yourself into reading different books. I used to read a lot and all read sorts of books when I was a child, and by the time I was 13, I had the reading level of an adult. It sounds to me that these Tiktokers don't want to genuinely learn and grow, they just read for the Tiktok aesthetic.

[@lemsip207]

I often feel dirty and empty reading those trashy novels. Like the ones by Julie Shaw for example. I read one after reading that Julie Shaw was the pen name for Lynne Barrett-Lee. They are two different people.

[@88kayleigh]

This had been my hope too, when I heard about the whole book tok trend starting. That it would open up the world of reason for people who otherwise might not have gotten into it. I do still think that must be true for some, and for people making ragebait “reviews” like this well… they’ll move on eventually once it’s no longer cool anyways, and leave the people who actually like reading books to our own devices 😂. This too shall pass!

[@S0raly]

Okay, but reading for some people is a hobby. Anyone should read whatever will make them happy. Unless I’m reading to improve my reading skills.