You don't hate reading; you hate the books you read

"I hate reading."

"I cannot finish a single book."

"I get drowsy."

"It's just not for me."

I have seen and heard these sentiments many times over the years, across many social media platforms and among my own circle of friends and family members.

At first, these sentiments seem understandable. Many people say it, so it must mean it is the truth. After all, why would any sane person say they hate reading. Even the most contrarian individual has nothing to gain from saying that they hate reading unless they are edgy trolls. And from what I have seen, they do not seem to be proud of it.

It must mean that there are other mediums they enjoy. But, as soon as we introduce this reasoning, this whole sentiment falls apart.

Nobody enjoys every single thing in a single medium, very less a medium as diverse as art. You can listen to a song feel it is the greatest song ever created in the history of mankind and hate the very next song in the same genre with every fiber of your being. Same for painting and sculptures, fashion and embroidery, theaters and cinemas.

But, if that is the case for these mediums, why are books an exception to it?

Simple. They are not.

You don't hate reading. You hate the books you read.

Just like any other art medium, books are diverse, and you won't like everything you read. You won't even like the same books by the same authors. For example, the very first book I read was of author Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards! Guards!. I enjoyed it a lot. Then, I went for his book The Color of Magic, and I couldn't finish three pages properly.

But, the question is, why haven't they figured it out? After all, any reader must have tried at least ten books in their lifetime, and there is little chance that not even one out of those ten books made them feel something.

Well, I think it is possible and in three different ways. I suppose everybody can nod and agree with the first two, and the second… some might find it controversial.

Now, the first reason is: Boring School/College Literature

From what I have seen, dislike of reading starts early. You are in school and learning grammar. Now, you cannot become good at grammar by just practicing it over and over again. You have to interact with it dynamically. So, you have to read stories.

But, the literature is so boring! It's tear-inducing. Things like The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter are not stories that really get you going. They are not great adventures of heroes and villains or magic. They are reflective stories, in short, literature. A school or college level student won't them the most riveting sort of tales in any way.

This creates an adverse effect on the pupil's mind. Reading is boring. Words on paper don't interest them. Movies, songs, comics, anime, and manga do. It is a tragedy that our educational institutions don't understand this fact.

Children (even college level students) love books of adventure and romance. You are not going to cultivate in them a love for reading by making them read psychological or social novels which most times have a cynical, unhappy ending. Why would you read them? They only make you sad, and reading should be fun.

The second reason: Popular Book Recommendations

It is easy to see that the most popular books get recommended the most. Books that have a large fan following have no difficulty in being marketed. The devotees are looking for any potential reader they can find to convert to their scripture. And even non-readers, when they see these books being recommended recommend the same books to their reader friends and family.

It creates a sort of bubble where unless a book does not make people get tattoos, have their children named after its protagonists, cosplay as characters from it, it is pretty invisible. Now, I am saying that those sorts of books are not well written or have a sizable audience, it is just they get lost in the noise.

The third reason: Industrial Gate-keeping

First of all, I don't think gate-keeping is bad. There are just too many writers nowadays, and nobody has the time to read all the books. And I recognize this fact as a writer. Quality writing, which is few and far between, deserves to get attention. But the sinister aspect rears its head sooner or later. If the gatekeepers watch the gate, who watches the gatekeepers?

Book publishing companies are very helpful for writers to make their books. From editing, to cover design, to marketing, to distribution, publishing companies seem a must. But it gives them too much power. And it seems like it has started to affect the landscape of books.

Before indie publishing became an overnight sensation, people only read the books the companies approved of. It was already a narrow business and became even narrower when politics started infesting into the industry. Especially, identity politics. Now, gate-keeping has become almost tyrannical. If you do one single mistake, you can be blacklisted without a word said to you and you'd be none the wiser. People have tried to have books canceled just because they didn't like the message of the book, or because they didn't like the author. Publishing houses have become a cesspool, and authors have started to abandon ship. In the meantime, Amazon has gladly welcomed them aboard.

So, there. You don't hate reading. You just need to find the right books. And that can be a challenge. There are so many books to read. However, if you have enjoyed any books, then look at them and understand why you liked them. Find a pattern. Was it because it had a complex character, did the humor made you guffaw like a madman, did the drama made you unable to put the book down, did the world-building just made your jaw slack with awe? Find your tastes and keep reading!

Now, if you had any fun reading this post, consider following my blog for more such posts. And also, I am working on my fantasy novel, so there's another incentive to follow my blog more. Thanks!