Wednesday 3 February 2016

Paperback's Pondering's: The Reader Vs. The Non Reader (The Reader's Point of View)


Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is more of a debate, and will be in two parts. This is all about the arguments of a reader vs. a non-reader. Let's get started:

I know I've mentioned this many times before, and that is that there aren't many people in my life who love to read. I have one cousin who reads, and that's it. Now even though my other family members don't read, they are active in watching book to movie adaptions, enjoying quotes from famous authors, and other various pop culture activities that could be linked back to reading. Now we all know that this can really grind a bookworm's gears. Who are these imposter's sweeping in and becoming big fans of a book they haven't read?! But we've never really heard what the non-reader's point of view is. That is why in this two-part debate, I will talk from a reader's POV, and then next week my twin sister will guest post on the non-reader's POV. This won't be a place to fight, just an honest confession of utmost feelings.

I can't help but be jealous when  non-readers start obsessing over a book when the movie comes out. I've noticed this especially with John Green's novels, when all of these teenage girls will suddenly come down to earth and start wearing Okay? Okay. t-shirts because Augustus Waters is just oh-so-hot. I'm not going to lie and pretend like I'm just a non-judgemental person and that this stuff doesn't bother me. It does, a lot. But is it the right thing to do?

What mostly pisses me off about this whole situation is just that I feel that people are so quick to judge bookworms: we're nerds, who the hell likes reading anyways?! Or loners with nothing else better to do with our time. However enter a popular teen movie featuring a drop dead gorgeous star, and suddenly these book quotes are spreading on tumblr like wildfire. It almost seems like these people are being hypocritical.

We all know that most of the time, the book's are better. So when people start obsessing over a movie adaption, us bookworms are sitting here in a corner critiquing the entire thing for what was left out, while everyone else just thinks that it's the best damn movie of all time. I think another reason why us bookworms get very protective over books is because we feel like people are missing out if they haven't read the book. It might seem like that people aren't seeing the true beauty and meaning of the book, because they are too focused on the flashy aspects.

What I'm trying to say is, that it's no secret that readers and non-readers of pop culture do not always get along. Speaking from a bookworm's point of view, and I can't speak for all bookworms here, but personally I just don't like the idea of someone not seeing the true message behind a book. Books are truly a work of art, and it is frustrating sometimes when this full beauty is sometimes commercialised to just show what society wants to see, and not what it means to the beholder.

So that's my rant on the subject! Stay tuned next week for part two in which my twin sister will talk about what it's like to enjoy book related topics as a non-reader, and about some of the things she wishes would change.

What's your opinion? Do you get easily annoyed at book pop culture, or do you not mind either way? Join the debate!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

11 comments:

  1. an interesting post - can't wait for part two! I'm pretty chilled when it comes to people watching the film without reading the book - I've done it plenty of times, and then been so intrigued/inspired by the film that I've read books I may not otherwise have read. Every time someone sees an adaptation, there's the birth of the chance they'll want to then read the book: which is never a bad thing. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the input! I wish I had the self control that you do, I just get way too overprotective of books that I do not like to share them with the world!

      Delete
    2. self-control? Me? I don't think that's *ever* been said about me before ;) Books are there to share with the world!!! (Sorry, my insane dream to get the world reading creeping in there!) :)

      Delete
  2. Oh the hypocrisy! Sometimes it bothers me, sometimes it doesn't, I think it depends on how much I really liked the book that is being adapted. And I didn't know you have a twin! I have a twin too, though I have a twin brother.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's true! Some books that I'm not really connected to, don't really affect me as much as my absolute favourites. And yeah, I do lol! I guess having a twin brother is easier, because people can obviously tell you apart!

      Delete
  3. It used to bother me a lot when people would obsess over a book-to-movie adaptation without having read the book, but I think I've gotten a lot more accepting and it doesn't bother me as much. I definitely see their point-of-view, and I get that some people just don't like reading books. Also, as long as people are enjoying the same story through a movie adaption, even if it does not have some elements of the book, I'm happy either way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's amazing Bryce! You make a great point, if people appreciate the book, then who can really complain?!

      Delete
  4. YES I AM THE SAME - I cannot recall how many times I've ranted about this to my sister! It's CRAZY - it just feels so fake at times as well! And also, I know that with TFiOS and The Hunger Games, I kinda found it hard to like them after the hype blew up - it felt like there was no one out there who authentically liked the book?
    Great post, Emily- I totally get EVERYTHING you said here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is kind of hard to like them because I feel like everyone is turning it into something it's nit with the hype! Thanks Geraldine!

      Delete
  5. I have to say this TOTALLY gets on my nerves. Despite popular opinion, I still think the Harry Potter and Hunger Games books are miles and miles better than the movies, but some of my cousins and friends- the non readers- LOVE the movies and it makes me want to bash my head against a wall because I want them to read the books so bad and see how much more awesome they really are. And god, yeah, TFioS movie grated my nerves a lot too- especially when non-readers started going gaga over it. Gah. I know I'm very biased here but.. *shrugs*

    Not that there aren't some totally awesome book-to-movie adaptations out there- case in point, Love, Rosie (I totally loved the movie more than I did the book)- but the books always give us more about the story and a depth which movies somehow always fail to convey.

    Anyway, loved this discussion, Emily- can't wait to see what the "other" party has to say about this!

    Ruzaika @ The Regal Critiques

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too!! It gets me angry when people talk about The Harry Potter MOVIES, as if the books didn't even exist. And I have to agree, some adaptations are really good!! I guess it just depends. Thanks Ruzaika!

      Delete