It is a truth universally acknowledged, that whenever a subject is broached on Twitter, there is someone looking to get canceled for their terrible take. Frankly, it’s what the site is for now. If you’re a big reader, chances are you’ve formed an opinion about books that not all of your friends agree with. That is if you have any friends left. I don’t. I lost them all while posting my cancellable opinion on Ben & Jerry’s (there’s too much going on in those pints to enjoy the flavor! Tone it down, I say.)
This entire website is devoted to unpopular opinions on classic literature. We’ve roasted everyone from Danielle Steel to Shakespeare. Honestly, I thought no bad take on reading could shock me, but I found myself once again talking to my laptop screen, playing armchair psychologist to people with anime characters in their profile pics. Good Lord, I need a hobby.
Thankfully, my opinions aren’t nearly as cancellable as the ones below. Let’s take a look.
It all started here with @cursedhive asking people to share their “bad” book takes:
It turns out people have hills they’d like to die on when it comes to literature. From covers to opening lines to subjects readers just can’t tolerate, everyone has a take they know others will hate to hear.
Here are the most controversial takes about books according to Twitter:
1. Number one with a bullet. Not all books are alike in dignity.
2. Romance authors, do better!
3. Hear me out: what if some people are well-adjusted?
authors, it’s okay to give your characters healthy familial relationships. mommy/daddy issues and toxic siblings gets boring. it’s not everyday argue with your parents or siblings !!!! https://t.co/znaNUYEa9f
— cj 🕊 (@ceejreads) April 7, 2022
4. Damn. They said it all.
white lgbtq+ people need to stop writing bad reviews on books by queer poc writers just because the character's experience doesn't match their own https://t.co/L55k3HA1bC
— 🍀 (@jjartspace) April 7, 2022
5. Yes. It would be nice to take a breather.
I am begging for more light, easy reads by African authors. Everywhere suffering and crime, war and devastation, orrrrr one million words to describe something you could’ve said in five words. https://t.co/BHxnIkxOS0
— ayoola peperempe (@pipelewaoluwa) April 7, 2022
6. Strong disagree here, but I’ve heard this one before:
i HATE it when books reference pop culture, i absolutely die when i see things like “Netflix” or “Spotify” or a celebrity’s name or something. biggest pet peeve ever. https://t.co/N8zuAUYpIV
— prettiest in the morgue (@simmiemkhize) April 7, 2022
7. On a positive note…
i fear percy jackson maybe the best written children’s/youn adult fanatsy franchise
(i also think one of the best franchises ever but that’s a take for a diff day)
— sam🤍 (@thesammg) April 6, 2022
8. Stop being a baby and read that book, dorks!
if you think an author needs to make it super-duper clear that they don’t ~endorse the bad actions/opinions of the MC, you’re not mature enough to be reading more challenging pieces. that’s a YOU problem, not the author’s. https://t.co/cLL3mUf8Zn
— vena cava (@bleed_peroxide) April 7, 2022
9. We need to redo The Goldfinch!
stop making live adaptations of books & start making animated adaptations instead https://t.co/05n2YhnJ5x
— darius’ little prince | OWLPHIBIA SPOILERS (@fandomtingz_) April 6, 2022
10. On the other hand, though…
I _hate_ #PercyJackson—and #RickRiordan.
Think he’s a hack. Bastardizing mythology…
(I have to restrain myself, if the subject comes up w/ me H.S. students.) https://t.co/DgJQPuehwZ
— Joe Hunt (@joexhunt) April 7, 2022
11. The fact is: the blurbs don’t do enough because the blurb-ers didn’t read the books.
EYE think we should bring back putting synopsis in the back of books instead of blurbs from reviewers https://t.co/Iw4k9tVHih
— adeline 🐝 (@naIeyisms) April 6, 2022
12. Judge not lest ye be judged.
covers ARE meant to be judged so no i'm not reading the book with a shirtless man on the cover https://t.co/l61BqdyDkg
— luna 🏹 kenji's gf (real) (@anqelicstiles) April 6, 2022
13. Make your own reality.
i will purposely ignore physical character traits, “they were blonde” no they weren’t actually https://t.co/UpZQaj1FfK
— courtney (@queersuga) April 6, 2022
14. Mark it up!
signs of wear on books are good, actually. stuff like coffee marks, oxygenation rust, dog ears, random trinkets and papers used as bookmarks, notes written in pencils, pen, markers, any kind of mark left on the book. books are meant to be used, not hoarded https://t.co/9zF0QN9FJS
— kev (@MadMarx37) April 7, 2022
15. This seems extremely specific, but if you’re on the hunt for success in this field… apparently people agree with this hot take.
if people are looking to adapt fanfiction for book deals and movies they need to be look on ao3 not wattpad https://t.co/59DCcFlOdR
— zoe (@ganyeezus) April 6, 2022
16. Wait… literally?
Eating the pages you didn't like after you finish the book is fine and valid https://t.co/IfxAbEmHEc
— yossarian (@cronindoykos) April 6, 2022
17. This made me laugh.
If you are 20+ reading exclusively YA your brain is the consistency of yogurt https://t.co/E2KAriAIWc
— alexandra (@vulpes___vulpes) April 8, 2022
18. A hot take shared by all now, I guess.
most classic books are mediocre and are only "classic" bc they were written by old white men https://t.co/dFq288SGjA
— 🥺 dilf destroyer 🥺 (@lil__coconut) April 6, 2022
19. Get out of here, “now a motion picture” covers!
If the book has real people on the cover im not reading it https://t.co/blqPlJbKC1
— AALIYAH ♱ (@ZAUNAALI) April 8, 2022
20. Truth.
Couples in romance books can have a happy ending without getting married or having children https://t.co/zrZwcEBZVD
— miss.b 🍪 (@showsandstories) April 6, 2022
21. Plots matter.
some writers need to focus more on actually developing a well thought out plot with characters that drive it instead of trying to add every trope you can think of and throwing in representation to just check off a list https://t.co/uOYJhZYC4z
— sofiya (@ghafaera) April 6, 2022
22. Mine isn’t.
Why’s every book a #1 New York Times bestseller? https://t.co/n6Ph0hY36X
— Somto__ (@TheNon_Nun) April 7, 2022
23. The ultimate take.
the printing press is an instrument of the devil https://t.co/KFLrmFOqry
— raheem (@herochao) April 6, 2022
24. Now we’re getting somewhere.
Fiction far surpasses non-fiction and people who don’t read fiction are a red flag. https://t.co/RFraBb6coi
— Sazi (@nodudu_) April 7, 2022
25. Stop boring me, book I chose to read!
i don’t understand why some ppl read high fantasy only to complain about the worldbuilding, intense plot, and lengthy lore. those are literally staples of the genre😀‼️ https://t.co/NRbwkBX0Th
— hayley ☼ ☽ is revising (@pagesofhayley) April 6, 2022
26. Hard pass.
books don’t always need to be turned into a tv adaptation, sometimes books can just stay books. https://t.co/41V2LRjcO2
— jess (@helnikswaffles) April 6, 2022
27. Hell yeah.
authors need to be mysterious again and stop whining on twitter https://t.co/XV4nXWo2d9
— stop asking sakurai for things (gaja boa) (@snailsuke) April 6, 2022
28. RIP, my generation.
NO MORE HARRY POTTER. you are not a slytherin you are 34 https://t.co/vswxDVI7C0
— Ag (@reidsite) April 7, 2022
29. Give the people what they want!
There needs to be more in-book art in adult fantasy books. I want illustrations of the scenes goddammit https://t.co/hQSMcVNj2s
— Aparna Verma || read THE BOY WITH FIRE (@Spirited_Gal) April 6, 2022
30. Oh yeah? Well, guess what.
I can’t take you seriously if the best book you’ve ever read was “the subtle art of not giving a fuck” https://t.co/YBEsS9uC6e
— kan (they/them) (@akaneliswaa) April 7, 2022
31. A nuanced opinion? Sir, this is Twitter.
Older books can be dated and 'problematic' by modern standards and still have value, both as pieces of literature and in the importance they hold for individual readers. It's fine to warn people about the content of older books but thinking no one should read them at all is dumb. https://t.co/MyIhJ0zAdr
— Figging Gingers (@ahabthepredator) April 7, 2022
There you have it. Every person has a different idea of what books should and should not be.
What’s your cancellable opinion about books?
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