To be or not to be...a book snob?

The big question of life; to be or not to be…a book snob? Snobbery is a trait we often look down on but when it comes to books is this a fair judgement? Is it ok to have some snobbery about the books others read, or should we be judgemental of those who are judgemental? I think this is a big conversation to be had in the book world. I did a poll on my Instagram (@novel_natter) and 60% said they would not consider themselves a book snob at all. Although the anti-snobs are in the majority, it’s actually a surprisingly even split. For this week’s blog I’ve delved into some arguments, for and against snobbery.

Are some books just better than others?

Like most things in life, there is good and there is bad. This reaches the world of books as well. I’m sure everyone has read a book and thought it was bad. Maybe it was fanfiction, or something written in a rush but there is an unavoidable fact that not every story is written the same. Are you a snob if you recognise this?  I think the difficulty comes when someone else has enjoyed something you feel is objectively bad. This is something I’ve definitely experienced before. I considered my reading material to be superior after I was recommended a romance novel that I found to be very poorly written. After this I started to feel I was a bit of a book snob and quite frankly, I was proud to be one. However, this snobbery ran me into some problems. It excluded me from some bookish conversations because I’d avoided books I had assumed were poorly written. Perhaps it’s wrong of me to make these assumptions, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover after all. 

If it’s badly written, then it’s badly written but I’ve tried to avoid this snobbery in conversation. I’ve learned to become a quiet snob; if someone enjoyed it, who am I to put them down about it? At the end of the day, it’s about learning to not be obnoxious with your snobbery. 

Snobbery is a privilege

One of the big issues with book snobbery is that it can push people away from reading. Not everyone has the same privileges when it comes to literacy, education and access to books. Sure, you might read complex Russian literature but that doesn’t mean someone else reading a YA book is unimpressive. The fact is we all have to start somewhere, and book snobbery actually has roots in other forms of snobbery such as classism. This is something to be aware of in book conversations. The world of literature can be exclusionary and with careless snobbery we risk restricting people’s access to books by shaming them. When it comes to reading it’s best not to pull the ladder up behind you.

Genre snobs

Genre poses an interesting question about book snobbery. There are a lot of genre snobs, and I definitely used to be one. I used to read lots of lit-fic and classics, and I struggled to see how a soppy romance could possibly hold the same quality. However, I realised later on that I was actually being very narrow minded. By being a snob about genres, I was narrowing my literary horizons. There is such a benefit in reading widely, finding different styles, narrative perspectives and plots. Snobbery was holding me back. To this day I’m still not a fan of romance books but I don’t look down on them in the same way. At the end of the day, a good book is a good book no matter the genre. 

This also made me think about books, typically the ones your mum might read on holiday, that are just ‘nice’. They don’t handle heavy topics, the peril and stakes are fairly low and it’s just a mildly pleasant read. Is this book as valuable as Anna Karenina? I decided, after considering this for a while, that it actually doesn't matter too much. I compared this to paintings, some are just made to be pretty, there is no deeper meaning or message or pain in the work. Yet it serves its intended purpose just as much as a painting with meaning does. I believe this goes for books too.

What about controversial books?

I do believe that snobbery is sometimes warranted. Sometimes I will look at book reviews and see a list of some of the most disturbing content warnings. I do struggle to find the literary value in some ‘spicy’ books and some of these are actually just straight up disturbing 'adult' material that crosses the lines of some pretty basic morals. To be clear, this isn’t about censorship, I think it’s ok to write about difficult and upsetting things in different contexts. Lolita, for example, is full of disturbing content but it’s how it’s handled and what its purpose is that takes it above the level of some of those other books.

This also raises the question I have seen revolving around things like booktok and booksta; is it a powerful book or is it just 'trauma porn'? I’ll be honest, I like books that handle upsetting content. I think, when done respectfully, incredibly powerful stories can be created. Yet some authors take this to the next level and their novel becomes 400 pages of torture for their characters. Books should make us feel but if they only make us feel because they're jam packed of trauma is that valuable? I read a book during my studies where the author seemed to just shove in social issues such as disability, being HIV + and eating disorders. None of these topics were done in depth, it was throw away mentions that felt superficial and careless. I am a snob about things like this. It’s also worth mentioning the idea of ‘own voices’, if it’s wrong for authors to write about experiences outside of their own. Most people believe it's ok but when it comes to minorities and vulnerable groups is it wrong to jump in and write their stories for them? Is this something we should look down on?

So, am I to be a book snob?

It’s clear that there are problems with book snobbery and this is something we should consider before looking down on others' reading choices. However, I do think there are times when criticism is valid; if something is exploitative or harmful then we can look down as far as those creators have stooped. In general we should try not to let our prejudices narrow down what we have read, this is something I have learned myself. There is value in all sorts of books and some value will be found by others and not by you. We all have different tastes and it’s the fact that we’re keeping reading alive that is the most important. For my final verdict I think I’ll stick with my title of a ‘quiet snob’.