Rant: That one guy in book club who told me I "read wrong" still bothers me 4 years later

It was at a meeting for a sci-fi novel, I think we were discussing Dune. I mentioned how I skim the descriptive parts of landscapes and focus on dialogue and action. This older dude across the table just stares at me and says "You're missing the whole point of reading." Like, what even is that? I've finished like 80 books since then and I remember the plots just fine. Why do people gatekeep how you enjoy a story? Has anyone else had someone tell you your reading style is wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna5891mo ago

I told my book club I skip the long descriptions of food in fantasy novels and one lady acted like I'd burned a book in front of her. But here's the thing - I still catch all the major plot points and character arcs, I just don't need to know what every castle looks like. Reading is about getting something out of the story for yourself, not passing some test.

fiona_lane1mo ago

Three pages about a feast and I'm still not hungry.