What are your “red flag” books, where if you see someone reading it, you automatically assume the worst about them?
For me, there’s two in very different categories:
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand – I have done a lot of reading about this author and this book (though I haven’t read the book itself), but I can see why a lot of people hate it. It seems like the book is very two-dimensional and a lot of people disagree with Ayn Rand’s politics, myself included.
Haunting and Hunting Adeline by HD Carlton – Any book that glorifies abuse and adjacent themes horrifies me, as someone who was a victim of a lot of those things. The dark romance genre in general is so offputting, I don’t understand how anyone, victim or not a victim, can read any of those books.
Why am I asking this? Well, I’ve been thinking of doing a challenge where I “hate read” a book or two for fun. Just to see why so many people hate the book, and question why anyone likes it. I’m tempted to read Atlas Shrugged myself solely for this purpose – so I can make the argument that I hated it, and have evidence and the fact that I read it to back it up.
by sbucksbarista
30 Comments
Lolita is a controversial book, as a victim of stalking, assault and grooming as a minor I read it as an adult to understand the mindset of an adult who was capable of such action. I wouldn’t judge someone for reading it although I was a victim of the abuse.
anything by L Ron Hubbard
Bridges of Madison County
i dont make a habit of judging people based on their books other than whether or not i think i could take a book rec from them or not
for instance, if i see someone reading Stephen King i know our tastes wouldn’t align
edit: to be abundantly clear, not saying King is bad or whatever, just a good example of a very popular author thats very different from my preferences
There are so many reasons people read books, I don’t really see someone just reading some controversial book as a red flag. Ive definitely hate-read some terrible books. Maybe if they really seem to be enjoying an Andrew Tate biography or something.
Edit: if you’re looking for something to hate read, I just saw a post about the Onision books. They’re genuinely awful, but they’re the kind of awful you almost have to experience. He’s a garbage person who wrote garbage books
Anything by Ayn Rand
The Bible 🙃
I read AS when I was a college freshman, right after I read The Fountainhead, and got reallllllly into Ayn Rand for a while. And then I grew up. A lot of her themes are appealing at first blush (intelligent, hardworking people with their own strong value systems who don’t always feel like they fit in with society in general, plus a love story or two mixed in), but anyone who’s honest with themselves can see the flaws in her ideals. Still, I could see it being an interesting hate read if that’s what you’re after! Some of the characters are interesting and sympathetic imo, despite being hobbled by Rand’s philosophies.
This one’s probably pretty controversial because I know it’s objectively really popular – but A Court of Thorns and Roses. It’s just incoherent horniness (*he sheathed himself inside me* is a direct quote that will haunt me to my dying day), the plot is peak “characters won’t fucking talk to each other and that’s the only reason for most of the conflict,” and if you actually pay attention, the racial undertones in the book are really weird. Sorry not sorry to any ACOTAR lovers haha.
If you hate people based on what they read are you any better than anyone else who chooses an arbitrary reason to hate people?
*Atlas Shrugged* *House of Leaves*
I will never judge anyone for reading anything—you never know why one is reading it and someone needs to read Rand et al. to make sure people know why it sucks. But I _definitely_ judge people on their favorites, books that they’ll take to a deserted island.
Anything DFW but _especially_ Infinite Jest.
Murakami if and only if they don’t read any other Japanese lit.
Nietzsche, almost always. And Heidegger, if someone unquestioningly loves Heidegger that’s gross.
Edit: lol looks like I poked someone’s red flag.
Anything by Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, etc.
If anything by Colleen Hoover is their favorite, I will assume they probably don’t read much.
And if they say Icebreaker is their favorite… well I will make a lot of assumptions about them
Anyone can be reading anything without my judgement. Being obsessed with an author or genre or series can indicated a possible red flag.
For me it’s being obsessed with disturbing or toxic or abusive material. Particularly raving about it as if it’s going to last or should last through the ages as great literature.
To me, this can be anything from GRRM to the Twilight series to Jane Eyre.
First date and they start going on about Nietzsche….
I read fountain head before I knew anything about Ayn.
I don’t think it’s wise to automatically assume the worst of anyone, ever, no matter what I see them reading. What kind of person would that make me? 🧐
As someone else said, no matter how terrible a book or author may be, you don’t know WHY someone is reading it. Maybe they’re reading it for a class. Or for a friend. Or because they like to read differing points of view from their own. Or heck, maybe it’s just for book club.
Be curious, not judgmental. 😉
The Name of the Wind books. I’m just gonna assume you don’t like women very much…also they’re bad.
A Little Life
Bible
Quran
Book of Mormon
Ayn Rand
If you are going to read Ayn Rand read The Fountain Head it’s actually a pretty good book and much better than Atlas Shrugged. She wrote Atlas Shrugged after she went off the deep end taking amphetamines.
Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson’s *12 Rules for Life*
The art of the deal
If a guy tells me they love Jordan Peterson…that date is over.
Jane Eyre and Little Women. I hate these two books more than any others in the world. I want nothing to do with people who like them. More even than books about ghost hunters or Nigel Farage.
50 Shades or Twilight. That is not good writing. You don’t appreciate good writing. We can’t talk seriously about books or writing.
About real life: Jordan Peterson and Ayn Rand, because we are going to be on opposite ends of the political and moral spectrum
About my interests: Philippa Gregory. I despise this woman and people obsessed with her books only know a warped version of history that makes conversation impossible.
Same with Dan Brown and art history. Bah.
Dean Koontz – that is just not a serious person.