When people judge others based on the books they like.
Last night I was going through the Divergent tag because I just finished it a few days ago and someone felt the need to say how they think both Divergent and The Hunger Games suck and how they feel no remorse in judging people for liking them (and they felt this post simply needed to be in both fandoms’ tags). Well, that’s bullshit.
I don’t mind if someone holds a different opinion about a book. If someone thinks that The Hunger Games is a terrible series, I honestly feel bad for them because I think it is such an important commentary on society filled with rich symbolism and fascinating characters, but I can’t judge them because it is their opinion and frankly, there is nothing I can do about it. Their dislike of the book should not affect my adoration of it, unless they are assholes and shove their hatred down everyones’ throats.
But then you get this RIDICULOUS concept of judgment based on the books that people like. Can we all just take a step back and see how stupid that is? I don’t give a shit if you’re in love with Anna Karenina or Twilight because honestly, we don’t really have the power to control if we like a book. As C.S. Lewis said, “we read to know that we are not alone.” We like books because we identify with them. The themes in both The Hunger Games and Divergent struck me and there was not a single thing I could have done to avoid liking them once I read them. And someone has the nerve to judge me and people like me for that?
It’s like if someone likes Twilight. “Twihards” often get ridiculed, but if a teenage girl identifies with Bella Swan, who are we to stand in her way? Liking the Twilight saga does not make anyone less intelligent, it does not indicate their emotional patterns, it does not say anything about them other than they liked the characters/story/what have you.
Also, if you claim to be a person who loves reading and yet judges other people based on the books they like, you’re a hypocrite. “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” - Maya Angelou. You can’t really argue with that.
I think that a lot of people on tumblr can agree with the statement that reading is nourishing, comforting, and incredibly inspiring. We seek refuge in books and become passionate about stories because they mean something to us and affect us in ways that few other things can. And if you’re going to judge someone for that, shame on you.
