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I read about 35-40 books last year, in my defense some of them were really long (no one ever accused david halberstam of brevity). It's kind of a tragedy that so many people stop reading when they're not forced to. There are also disturbing stats about how half of American adults can't read above a 5th grade level.
Somewhat related, remember the goldfinch, bestseller from about a decade ago? Literary critics were disturbed by how popular it was despite being 'children's literature'. Is that still a criticism people level about modern fiction?
The literary establishment is totally off the rails. Out of the NYT's List of Best books of 2024, I think I knew of someone who read 1, and seen maybe 4 or 5 of the books in an actual book store (and I am a frequent bookstore visitor). What the literrati want the proles to like I think is less relevant than ever.
That said, it does disturb me that the most popular books these days seem to be some variety of the same fantasy smut tropes. Basically porn for women. Think fourth wing, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Twilight if you want a throwback. This is dissapointing and sad to because books can and should be so much more than a vessel for you to act out your own fantasies. For me, reading is about experiencing the other, or in other words culture shock. If all you want to read is basically self-insert porngraphy, I think there's something wrong.
Congrats on the 35-40 books. That's a really good amount, especially if they are long ones!
I will go to bat for Twilight. The first one is legitimately good. Yes, it’s purple-prose-y but so is actual adolescent romance. And the second half especially gets closer to ‘experiencing the other’ than you might expect. There’s a moment in the second half that always comes to mind when you get a glimpse of just how weird it is to be in the presence of a tiny, cute-as-a-button girl who is not only considerably older than you but is a predator completely capable of ripping you to shreds and is merely choosing not to do so.
Sadly, the rest of the series mostly loses sight of this and the atmosphere / world building becomes increasingly vague and unconvincing.
I haven't actually read Twilight: we tried on a roadtrip when I was in middle school, but my mom turned it off after about an hour. Sounds like I need to check it out now though. I stand by my hatred of Fourth Wing and ACOTAR.
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