1/ The Book Shopper:
Buys more than reads. Tweets photos of book posts and book hauls, but doesn’t say much about books. Loves book sales, especially NYRB sales. Has an NYRB collection. Complains about lack of space, but continues buying books. Once in a while says “oh no, I went to a bookstore and accidentally came out with a pile of books”.
2/ The Fancy Book Photographer:
Visual. Likes beautiful covers and sees books as objects of beauty. Takes photos of books with flowers, a cup of tea/ coffee, some decoration, etc. Doesn’t talk about the beauty of prose or metaphors.
3/ The Book Counter:
Posts photos of books read in the week/ month. Counts number of books they read in a year, and compares it to previous years. More extreme: may have statistics about how many books are by women, how many books are by writers of colour, how many books are in translation, and so on. Generally prefers novellas and short novels to “loose baggy monsters”.
4/ The Ranker:
Likes lists and rankings. Occasionally creates a poll comparing books or authors, even when there’s no basis for comparison.
5/ The Memer:
Regularly shares memes about how much they love books, how all they need is a library and a garden, how books are friends, how books allow you to travel, how books make you better people, and so on and so forth. Doesn’t talk much about specific books, however.
6/ The Quoter:
Types lines from books, or shares photos of passages in books, though doesn’t comment on them.
7/ The Plot Summariser:
Has a blog and reviews books by summarising the entire plot then adding about 2-3 sentences of comments.
8/ The Group Read Participant:
Takes part in group reads, often more than one at the same time. Reads a set number of 20-40 pages a day. Sees reading “loose baggy monsters” as climbing the Everest, and feels a sense of accomplishment after getting to the top. Congratulates others for reading books.
9/ The Challenge Participant:
Takes part in challenges such as German Literature Month, Women in Translation Month, Japanese Literature Month, and so on.
10/ The Text Disruptor/ Canon Hater:
Attacks the Western canon and hates the concept of a canon, though forgets that other countries and cultures also have their own canons. Thinks that the canon is created by a committee, and wants to “disrupt texts”, “decolonise the bookshelf”, “decolonise the curriculum”, etc. Thinks that Shakespeare is celebrated only because of the establishment. First and foremost concern when they look at a book list is to see how many of the books are by women and how many are by people of colour. Often an English teacher.
11/ The Canon Defender:
Continually argues with DisruptTexts proponents, always in vain, but doesn’t learn. There can be an overlap with the next group, but a Canon Defender isn’t necessarily a Bloom Worshipper.
12/ The Bloom Worshipper:
Quotes Harold Bloom often, and sees The Invention of the Human as a Bible. Often speaks of the School of Resentment, and uses words such as “inwardness”, “anxiety of influence”, “overhearing himself/ herself”, etc. Has little interest in non-Western literature.
13/ The Nabokov Worshipper:
Aesthete, only interested in details and “the tingle in the spine”. Refuses to look at literature through the lens of gender, race, or ideology, and ends up looking at literature through a Nabokovian lens. Always defends Nabokov when someone criticises his novels, especially Lolita, or his views, especially on Dostoyevsky.
14/ The Book Slut/ the Omnivore:
Reads everything, from different periods, different countries, and different genres. Thinks all kinds of books are good and people shouldn’t be snobbish. Often says “as long as people are reading, that’s good”.
15/ The Book Snob/ the Old Fogey:
Reads classics (almost) exclusively. Only interested in books that have stood the test of time. Out of the loop, has no idea what’s hip and who’s currently big.
16/ The Women Promoter:
Reads women (almost) exclusively, and often uses the hashtag #ReadMoreWomen. Tends to prefer modern literature. When looking at a book list, first checks how many books are by women. Protective of Persephone Books. Loves Woolf and A Room of One’s Own.
17/ The Edgy Kid:
Sees Modernism as the peak of literature, and thinks the novel belongs to the 20th century, not the 19th. Likes Proust, Kafka, and Dostoyevsky, thinks Tolstoy is sunny and simple, and doesn’t care about Shakespeare. Not interested in Dickens or Jane Austen, sees them as old-fashioned, boring, and “safe”. Not interested in plot, and generally not interested in anything before the 20th century. Tends to read books that are difficult, challenging, plot-less, experimental, and overall intellectual. Likes unreliable narrators, dislikes intrusive narrators. Often male.
18/ The Peacemaker:
Cheers for everyone. Sees “argument” as a bad word, and sees any challenge to an opinion as a provocation. Sees Book Twitter as a safe space. Mostly female.
