Why ya trollin’?

I love to read. We all know this. I also love to see others reading. Honest. It gives me joy to see someone’s nose in a book or a Kindle or whatever reading device you’re using these days. They’re educating themselves, using their imagination, escaping into a written world.

What I *HATE* to see, is people online and other places making fun of what others are reading.

You’re too high and mighty to read Twilight or Fifty Shades of Grey?  Fine and dandy. I get it. Not everyone will enjoy the same things. Understandable, but what gives you the right to make fun of others for what they like and enjoy? I also hate that people seem to think you’re uneducated, a simpleton, if you read those kinds of books and enjoy them. *NEWS FLASH* Some of us like an easier read because we don’t need more stress in our lives. We don’t want books to put us to sleep. We don’t always want to have to read slowly for those secret hidden meanings in literary fiction.

I have an undergrad degree in Comparative Literature and Languages. I could debate the influence of Russian Lit on modern Japanese Lit with you (umm after some brushing up probably! Hah) and I could point out some of my favorite Faustian themed stories and that’s cool and I enjoyed a lot of that, but my brain often hurt from trying to dissect those kinds of books. When I graduated, I spent a summer delving into Chick Lit and enjoying the easy, fun and more relatable plots. Do I think the writing trumps, say, Anna Karenina (which I just see is going to be a remake movie out this year? Awwwwesome!)?  No, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad literature or poorly written. It’s just written more for the masses than the intellectuals/upper crust.

Please don’t judge people on their reading choices. Please also remember that they don’t necessarily reflect someone’s education level. They read want they want because it obviously interests them in someway and there’s no shame in that.  I would much rather see someone reading, regardless of whether it’s Harry Potter, Mein Kampf, or The Da Vinci Code then watching some mindless reality TV*.

Also, if you come upon those who are poking fun and being obnoxious, just ignore them. Feeding the trolls only makes them nastier and quite frankly, you don’t need to explain yourself nor defend your choice of reading material.

 

*Reality TV has its place too, so please don’t take that comment as a diss. I watch some myself at times!