Tsundoku (積ん読): The phenomenon of acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one’s home without reading them. The term is also used to refer to books ready for reading later when they are on a bookshelf. The term originated in the Meiji era (1868–1912) as Japanese slang.
What should discussions surrounding Literature entail? Passion? Most certainly? Knowledge? Definitely. Affectations? No. When reading books becomes a costume, a problem arises in the shape of hollow beauty. I’m afraid that when we search for creators, we are plagued by cotton socks, red lipstick, sultry glances, tote bags, and affectatious manner. The candied shell of persona walks in from the shadows. I long for someone to film themselves reading with matted hair, dirty pyjamas, and crusty mascara: I long for someone real.
One must ask why some people feel the pull of persona. Is it a consequence of society? Whatever app I open, the rhetoric of “sex sells” is constantly pushed, even in the downfall of magazines. I wonder how insecure these booktubers feel if their appearance is all they have to offer. Their genuine passion is overshadowed by the toxicity of aesthetics. As they talk in a string of pretentious waffling, the review becomes a smoke screen for their true intentions to pout and perform.
Of all the avenues you could implement aesthetics into, reading is not one you would expect. I would argue that it completely defeats the purpose of it: to inspire the mind. This all fur coat and no knickers approach to reading books as an activity disregards any intelligent notions of those who partake. Certain booktubers make it their mission to appear like alluring wallflowers who occasionally enjoy a page or two of Tolstoy. They speak in an affected tone—soft and sultry—to reel you in, and hopefully make you believe they are sexy in a cute way.
While these same people may genuinely enjoy reading, you wouldn’t know as they seem wrapped up in their own narcissism. 21st century people cannot enjoy a thing if it isn’t all bells and whistles. If they want to advertise Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, they need to include their Louis Vuitton wallet or fishnet stockings. Why must literature boil down to a Pinterest board? My Instagram feed is full of reels with things like: “books to satisfy female rage,” “top five sad girl books,” and “these books will make you feel bonita.”
As a woman, there is so much pressure to conform to the pleasures of men, but I refuse. Having long since grown up in an environment where appearances matter, it is frustrating to see it continue. Turning acts of knowledge into commodities does irreparable harm to society’s already fragile foundations. Are we now at a point where one feels they have not read a book if their nails aren’t freshly manicured or if someone doesn’t comment on their reading tastes?
The most popular booktubers posit themselves as “resident librarians,” but merely provide aesthetically charged comments on what they purport to have read. It would seem to me they have little care for genuine discussion; preferring to monetise on their personal modelling agency so they can potentially host the Booker awards. These people have now become the Kate Moss, David Beckham, and Tyra Banks of the bookish space. What they’re reading, we must have. What they eat, we must also. What they wear, so must we.
Some criticisms of arguments such as mine talk of misogyny, but we have to ask: Why is it misogynistic to deconstruct flawed women? While there are plenty of men who carve out these personas, it is more often than not the call of women. We entrench ourselves in the land of beauty and bathe in the mud. It is my personal view that the conflation between outward presentation and confidence is responsible for this outcry when criticising women.
The big questions are: How do we bring reading back down to earth? How do we refocus on what is important when talking about books? When do we return to the sheer joy of the story as opposed to how you looked while reading?
In recent years, finding out what your favourite celebrities read has become increasingly popular. With the rise of the internet, it is incredibly easy to partake in product placement. If you have a large following, choosing to use a unique tote bag will guarantee comments from “GIRL, where did you get that bag?” to “Yes girl, get your bag.” In general, humans are easily led. Like sheep follow their dog, we take note of what those who interest us read. Each social media post becomes its own Christmas village scene.
The reality is that as long as we promote these superficial ideals over genuine experience, reading books will further become an accessory, like having a Chihuahua in a handbag. As long as lavish book launches with custom cakes and exclusive botox paint the front pages, the it girl is an immortal vampire looking for fresh blood to corrupt, searching to plant more paintings in the attic.
“You must have a cigarette. A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?”
―Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Courtenay's Corner 