Are All Books Equal, Or Are Some More Equal Than Others?

Judging by the fact that the Animal Farm reference in this post's title is just sliiiiighhhtly pretentious, you may have figured out what I'm going to be talking about today. Just like George Orwell wrote about farm animals and shit to make his political statement, I'm going to paraphrase said farm animals to make mine. Okay, I know that I probably have chosen a pun that was a) funny, and b) isn't pretentious. Honestly I'm too proud of its lameness to change it.

It seems to be that some books are 'worth' more because of what genre they are, how many awards they've won or how 'serious' they are. You know, if some sophisticated type asks you what your favourite book is, you're more likely to name that Classic You Read That One Time than your absolute favourite fantasy book. I'm guilty of it, and it sucks that there's this ludicrous notion that literary fiction/classics are better than everything else.

Newsflash: They're not.

I need to start by saying that if you absolutely love classics/literary fiction, there's nothing wrong with that even if they are the only books you read. I'm not saying I hate those kind of books because that'd be a downright lie, but I'm trying to get across the point that there are more genres and books out there that are--shock horror--just as good.

The reason I'm writing this post is because I recently went to my local library and checked out five books. One of them was Bronte in Love by Sarah Freeman (a book about Charlotte Bronte's life), and the other four were books 4-7 in The Princess Diaries. I could only fit four of said books in my bag, and it probably isn't hard for you to guess which book I chose to carry for the world to see. I'm ashamed of myself for wanting to hide The Princess Diaries. They're not the best books out there but so what? Whatever you enjoy, read it. Even if it's a book about a melodramatic princess going to high school in New York.

After I finished The Princess Diaries books that I got from the library, I started thinking about how wide my reading tastes are. My favourites lists include the likes of Jane Eyre and 1984 as well as less 'serious' books like Anna and the French Kiss. I enjoyed all those books equally, no matter what genre they are or how literary they are.

I feel like romance and fantasy books get the most hate regarding not being considered serious fiction which is basically a load of horse shit. Some of the best books I've read are fantasy, and they deal with the same themes and issues as literary fiction does, just in a different way.

Of course books can inspire, enlighten and transform you into new worlds, but at their core books are made to entertain. If your idea of a good time is a cup of Tetley Tea and War and Peace, good for you. But what's the point in reading a book you don't like just because of its literary value? Some books are important because of the issues they explore (such as 1984 and The Bell Jar, for example) but that doesn't make them better than other books, just different.

I've also realised that I'm part of the problem, and that's something I'm trying to change. How many people out there are guilty of hating on Twilight, even when it's a lot of people's favourite book? I know I am. The fact that I disagree with some of the themes doesn't matter--since when do I have the right to tell people what they can and can't read? It's okay not to like a book and express that dislike, but not to put down people who do read it.

As a side note, I want to say that if you strongly disagree with a book because it's homophobic, racist, misogynistic etc, then that's a different matter. If you're reading Mein Kampf not for its historical value but because you re a fan of Mr Hitler, then I think it might be a good idea if someone intervenes.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you should read what you actually enjoy, not what you think you should like. Genres and age ranges only exist to make booksellers lives easier. So what if you're an adult who loves YA, or a teen who can't stand it?

It's a free world, people. Read what you love, and don't be ashamed of it.