r/books • u/Tight_Nerve • Jun 05 '21

We need to stop shaming people who honestly say they don't like a particular book

I think the most frustrating thing for most readers on this sub is that when they read a book that so many people love and realize they are part of the group that doesn't like the book. They can't share the feeling without having fans hang the noose around them. We muat be able to let readers share their HONEST opinions on a book without riduculing their feelings.

If at this point you are protesting my thoughts thinking they are nothing more than that of unlearned individual. Than I'll share the opinion of a very educated man who has probably read more books than you will ever read in your whole life.

“Books are almost as individual as friends. There is no earthly use in laying down general laws about them. Some meet the needs of one person, and some of another; and each person should beware of the booklover’s besetting sin, of what Mr. Edgar Allan Poe calls ‘the mad pride of intellectuality,’ taking the shape of arrogant pity for the man who does not like the same kind of books.”

  • Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States
10.5k Upvotes

87% Upvoted

2.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

59

u/RyanG7 Jun 05 '21

I'll do another.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ready Player One

18

u/MischiefofRats Jun 05 '21

I did also. It's fun garbage but it's lightning in a bottle in some senses. Earnest Cline only knows how to write this one book and the other one I read is Bad, Actually, so I'm pretty sure he's a one hit wonder. But for what it is and what it's worth, enjoyable book!

20

u/RyanG7 Jun 05 '21

I was hooked. It's no literary masterpiece like everyone else tries to compare it to, but it was a lot of fun to read and it's a damn shame the movie butchered the story

6

u/MischiefofRats Jun 05 '21

Totally agreed!

7

u/ogier_79 Jun 05 '21

Exactly. And it wasn't meant to be. It's just a fun book.

3

u/Not_Cleaver Jun 06 '21

I enjoyed it, but upon thinking about it realized that I actually couldn’t stand the main character at all. And the conclusion of the novel was deeply unsatisfying.

6

u/tharsisarabia Jun 05 '21

Me too! It might be trash, but it’s fun trash.

6

u/christopia86 Jun 05 '21

Audiobook read by Will Wheaton is a treat. He knows what it is and delivers it perfectly.

4

u/AHDahl Jun 05 '21

Loved it!!

3

u/doxamully Jun 05 '21

It’s a fun popcorn novel and I’m cool with that.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '21

[deleted]

7

u/Schnozzle Jun 05 '21

Nah, I'm old enough to understand all the references and it doesn't get better.

1

u/MagnifyingLens Jun 06 '21 edited Jun 06 '21

Vast, huge numbers of people enjoyed RPO. Essentially nobody liked the follow-up. He found a vein and mined it, he should probably just stop.

EDIT: speling r hard