I can’t stand people who sneer at someone’s taste in books
This refers to both snobs and reverse snobs. By snobs, I mean those who sneer at “popcorn” fiction or dismiss modern romance as “book porn.” Just because I want to relax with a favorite fantasy romance after a difficult day doesn’t make me a lowbrow idiot. And just because I mentioned enjoying a sci-fi romance series doesn’t mean I “learned about science fiction from sci-fi porn.” The first long book I ever read in English was “The War of the Worlds,” while “Solaris” by Stanisław Lem will always be one of my favorites.
By reverse snobs, I mean those who roll their eyes at fans of classic literature or literary fiction and believe that the only reason people willingly read “serious” literature is to check titles off a “highbrow” reading list and show it off later.
I’ve read and enjoyed a great many classics of Russian, French, British, and American literature. Yes, “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy really is my favorite work of pre-Soviet Russian literature. No, I’m not saying that just to show off. I’m Russian, and I love Tolstoy.
Also, I don’t care for Dostoyevsky. I know, I know! The horror! The sacrilege! The book snobs are going to have a field day with that! However, just the other day, I used a Ouija board to ask the great man himself whether he cared that I read his books before bed to fall asleep faster. He said, “М-Н-Е-Н-А-С-Р-А-Т-Ь.”
What I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to share someone’s taste, but you don’t have to shit on it either. There’s a difference between criticizing a book and mocking someone for loving it. If something isn’t up your alley, just move on and let people enjoy what they enjoy.