Have you ever really thought if you wanted to read a book or is it the hype that made you pick it up? This blog is going to be very personal without any offence to any writer or anyone’s preference, but I am jotting this down just based on my preference of genre and experience. In this article, we are going to read about – why sometimes you should read a book that is not over hyped?
I remember when I was 15 I ordered Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Because I was certain that I am going to study English literature in the future and certainly because of the hype. I was ecstatic about reading three Books that are quite popular and are considered a classic in English literature. I read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen first. To be honest, I lost interest in Austen after reading Pride and Prejudice. I watched the movie later to be less critical and I would always prefer the movie. Firstly, romance is not my genre. I mean, I would love to re-read Macbeth but I would not watch The Notebook a second time. No offence, love the movie and the actors but I would not be able to connect the second time in the same way.
Secondly, even though the theme is very vital – how pride and prejudice affect the relationship, the position of men and women is a liability. Still, some factors lack the connection with the readers. I would not have loved Elizabeth if it was not for Keira Knightley. Thirdly, I think the role and nature of Mr Darcy Mr are very over-hyped because I am curious about why Darcy is the way he is. If I have to choose I would always prefer Emily Bronte over Jane Austen. At least I know why Heathcliff was so brutal and savage in Wuthering Heights.
Then I read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The primary reason was I knew the history of Oscar Wilde, how he was wrongly portrayed during his time and how he had to go to jail for writing a book that has homosexual characters. I would not say this book is my favourite book Dorian Gray is certainly one of my favourite fictional characters. Firstly, the dark academic aesthetic is my vibe as a person. Secondly, Victorian society and century portrayed the corruption, the class difference, the splurge, which is the reality. I would rather live in reality and suffer from the existential crisis than live in a delusional world and hope for a fantasy.
I have read several authors and Books because of the hype and not going to lie most of them were disappointing and torturous. Some of the factors that I look for in a book is a detailed characterization of a character – I would rather read a book with just five characters that have elucidated each character than read a book with ten characters and no connectivity (a not so hyped book like Death in Venice by Thomas Mann, it does not have a lot of characters but you can connect with the character).
The feeling of empathy is one of the requirements that I look forward to while reading a book – without any second thought my favourite female fictional character is Lady Macbeth (yes, Macbeth is worth the hype, there is no question about that) but the question that do you love Macbeth or Lady Macbeth is still there. I read Macbeth out of love for William Shakespeare but I love Lady Macbeth (his Creation) more.
I gave you my thoughts and experience to let you know why I do not think you should only read books that are hyped. Why would you even buy books like Fifty Shades of Grey or Twilight? If you like a not-so-hyped or underrated book there is nothing wrong with that but rather you saw something in the movie or realized an aspect of the book that people fail to identify or they could not connect to. A book that I read because of the hype and was glad and satisfied with is Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous – so if you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you read it as soon as possible.
Also Read: Top 7 Mythological Characters in Movies
