Growing up as an avid reader, my bookishness was definitely never considered anything remotely cool. In fact, some might argue that my tendency to read obsessively marked me as distinctively uncool. I fulfilled the stereotype of “book girl” impeccably — bulky glasses perpetually on the bridge of my nose, a mouth full of braces, my hair always in disarray and frizzed from the lumpy sweaters that I’d pulled on in a hurry. . .
It wasn’t necessarily cute but, then again, reading wasn’t thought of as cute at the time. Rather, reading was an activity designated to the “undesirables,” the strange and slightly socially-inept kids who would rather disengage with a book than talk to anybody. I had a handful of role models who read voraciously — Elizabeth Bennet, Hermione Granger, and Rory Gilmore to name a few. I was mostly content, though, with the simple fact that words brought me comfort and that reading didn’t have to be tied to aesthetic and coolness; I loved books regardless.
Imagine how surprised younger me would be if she had a glimpse of today’s reading culture. Reading has officially become trendy, hot even! There is an undeniable association between reading and style, as sparked by photos of supermodels like Kaia Gerber and Kendall Jenner fashionably touting Joan Didion paperbacks as they lounge on yachts, pile into a car post-fashion show, and do other equally-glamorous things. As Vogue Australia quite sardonically put it, “[b]ooks are the ultimate fashion accessory.”
Luxury brands like Prada and Ralph Lauren are now hosting literary events and partnering with book clubs. Skall Studio, a Copenhagen-based high fashion brand, recently put on a show that had many of the models walking down the runway with books and newspapers in hand like purses. Celebrities and influencers are (allegedly) hiring book stylists to recommend which books are “appropriate” for them to be seen with (whatever that means). BookTok continues to feed us authors and titles that will apparently make you more attractive. It’s a frenzy, with seemingly everybody hopping on the bandwagon and desperately attempting to co-opt the facade of intellect and, by extension, be deemed as hot.
Ok mini rant over. Sort of.
As I’ve already alluded to, certain books are viewed as more glamorous than others. Holding up a collection of short stories by Ernest Hemingway will send a much different message than, say, whipping out a raunchy Colleen Hoover novel from your tote bag. We attach meaning and varying levels of status to books and authors. And so, it’s no coincidence that we see Gigi Hadid clutching Albert Camus’s The Stranger in paparazzi pictures and Emma Chamberlain recommending Jane Austen and John Steinbeck on her YouTube channel. These books scream intellectualism and culture and good taste. It matches, if not escalates, their aesthetic.
This idea, that our choice of books is inextricably tied to aesthetics, is not revolutionary. Books have been brandished as status symbols for centuries. However I think that social media has escalated everything and, in recent years, the book world has felt a lot more performative.
Do we enjoy reading Ottessa Moshfegh and Sally Rooney? Or do we simply want to be associated with the cool girl imagery that is linked to their novels? Are we actually reading Coco Meller’s Cleopatra and Frankenstein? Or are we just lugging it around because of the artistic cover and title? Do we like Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita? Or are we merely Lana Del Rey fans looking to embody her coquette aesthetic? It’s all very confusing; genuine preferences have become blurred, with books becoming almost like pieces of a costume.
To emphasize, I’m not claiming that this aestheticization of reading is bad. Although maybe a tad superficial, this connection between literature and fashion and chicness has been effective in driving people to read more. The numbers don’t lie. . . book sales have skyrocketed over the past few years. In my opinion, it’s better for people to care about books and reading than to not.
Of course, I believe that there is something to be said about how social media makes us feel pressured to read the “right” books and, as a consequence, creates a sort of arbitrary hierarchy that ranks some books as better than others. From my perspective, as reading is becoming more popular it is also becoming increasingly gatekept. There is all sorts of rhetoric on the Internet that classify certain books as not real books. And if you’re reading these stigmatized books then, well, you’re not actually reading.
It is interesting to note that romance novels and, more generally, books geared towards women and girls are among those most frequently disparaged as “not real books” and “trash.” This is obviously a bit suspicious because most critiques lobbed at romance novels can also be applied to every other genre. The only difference is that romance novels are written by women and for women.
Can this widespread contempt for romance novels be chalked up to misogyny? Probably. As explained by a Washington Post article, “Since the books are about women’s sexuality and focuses on the sexual aspect and emotions revolving around love, it tends to be put down as fluff.” All of this is to say that, when we fail to think critically about where our opinions are coming from, we often end up regurgitating rather classist, misogynistic, and racist sentiments.
My takehome message is nothing novel. I hope that we can start to abolish the unwritten laws that dictate what we feel that we are supposed to read. And I would love for us to stop promoting elitism through highly curated bookshelves and Goodreads profiles. At its core, the purpose of reading is enjoyment. Don’t let social media leech the fun out of reading. Read what you want to read and have a good time with it!