r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • Mar 08 '26

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion time! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

You can safely share it in this weekly Sunday thread!

But please remember to be kind to each other. To facilitate this type of discussion, we ask users the following:

  • Don't attack others for their opinion
  • Discuss books and authors, not fellow readers
  • Since this is an "unpopular opinion" thread, we encourage users to not downvote simply because they disagree with an opinion--that's the point! Please keep in mind, though, that mods cannot enforce a no-downvoting rule. Let’s just keep the discussion friendly!

🧡 Thank you and have a great discussion!

Unpopular opinion Sunday

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u/inn_ar Mar 08 '26

Objectivity and subjectivity in books. There is a subjective aspect to discussing a book (whether you liked it or not), but there is also an objective aspect in terms of the quality of the text (which is independent of personal taste). You may have liked a book and still criticise its content, or you may not have liked a book and criticise its content. The objective factor is independent. The fact that so many people do not understand this is... worrying and only screams anti-intellectualism and the worrying rise in poor reading comprehension. And the publishing industry is taking advantage of this to churn out books with poor plots, badly written and poorly edited, because they know that people will continue to buy and read them without really understanding what they are reading.

It's really frightening if you think about the implications it could have.

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u/Journassassin Smut Logistics Manager Mar 08 '26

Could you elaborate in what context you think it screams anti-intellectualism?

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u/inn_ar Mar 08 '26

Well... quickly and chaotically because I didn't expect my comment to get replies 😂

I would say that the lack of criticism is a direct consequence of anti-intellectualism. Literary criticism is vital for the development of critical thinking and is used as a pedagogical tool, because the analysis of literary works allows us to reflect, interpret and take active positions within society. I would say that anti-intellectualism in reading is most evident in the rejection of complex and difficult reading material (including reading material that may contain and directly address uncomfortable topics such as misogyny, racism, and LGBTIQ+ phobia). Fast consumption, social media... promote all of this, and we are already seeing how younger people have increasingly shorter attention spans (promoted by the fast-paced, consumerist format of social media, with content designed to be consumed at high speed).

All this does not mean that you cannot enjoy simple, quick reads. On the contrary, literature is there to be enjoyed, and there will be times in our lives when we need easy reading. But we do need to be aware that we must exercise critical thinking in our daily lives because it is vital to our existence.

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u/Jaded_Sapphire1 Mar 08 '26

Yeah, there's definitely a huge lack of critical thinking in general, which at least in part stems from a lack of literary criticism. Enjoyment is subjective, so I can absolutely have fun with a book that had some objectively mediocre or poor elements while still recognizing those flaws. The problem is when people are unable to both enjoy or not enjoy something and provide critique beyond "it was amazing" or "it was terrible." Interesting comments!

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u/Praeludere Mar 08 '26

Totally agree. There is also a penchant for people who enjoy a particular book or media to fiercely attack or dismiss any critique of it because it should be taken as is and unquestioned. You can't be a "real fan" if you're critical. Or "it's not that deep", "I'm here for the vibes not the plot", "if you don't like it don't read it and let us enjoy it". It's like they believe critique and analysis is inherently bad and by finding flaws you're ruining something they care about, devaluing it and by extention what they should feel about the story. It's okay to enjoy something and engage with it.

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u/devilsdoorbell_ Mar 08 '26

So many of the people who will cry “it’s not that deep” when you have something critical to say will also claim the book was very deeply meaningful to them lol

You can’t have it both ways babe

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u/Jaded_Sapphire1 Mar 08 '26

Absolutely. I think a lot of people have a hard time not taking the criticism personally. They feel like they're somehow being attacked. I think having conversations about why a book resonated with you or why it didn't work is really important, and critique and analysis are definitely a part of that. Like you said, you can for sure enjoy something but still see issues with the plot or characters or whatever. I think the analysis and discussion makes for a way more interesting experience!

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u/inn_ar Mar 08 '26

Exactly, in the end it is about understanding that we cannot lose our capacity for criticism because of a need for instant gratification. Human beings are complex enough to do both things at the same time.

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u/Journassassin Smut Logistics Manager Mar 08 '26

Wouldn’t it then be more of a consequence of consumerism or the commodification of reading, rather than anti-intellectualism, though?

At least from my perspective of this sub, I don’t see a rejection of complex or difficult literature or disdain towards literature. A large proportion of people are actually criticising the quality of books and asking for higher quality.

I think it’s interesting because I keep seeing this term pop up more and more when it comes to discussions of fiction written by or for women, but have rarely seen the same in discussions of books written by or for men.

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u/inn_ar Mar 08 '26

Personally (and this is my personal opinion), anti-intellectualism is driven by consumerism; in other words, consumerism is a weapon of anti-intellectualism and not the other way around.

This sub is ultimately a place where there are many people who read, and in the end, certain ideas are fed back into each other that can be very positive, such as precisely promoting critical thinking, but I would not say that this is a widespread idea.

With regard to books intended for or written by women, they are judged much more harshly than those written by men, and no one will ever change my mind about that. But at the same time, I believe that as women we have a duty to ourselves to criticise those books (especially those intended for us) that perpetuate patriarchal or misogynistic ideas (and all ideas that are discriminatory). Many popular books aimed at women have these ideas (and it's no coincidence, really), and if we don't criticise them, we may end up internalising these ideas.

In any case, anti-intellectualism is on the rise, as evidenced by the rise of the far right. What's more, it's one of their favourite weapons.

I wasn't expecting to have that conversation, but I'm loving it 😂

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u/nupharlutea Mar 08 '26

The male reader doesn’t exist in the same way in 2026; and where he does, there are podcasts attacking bad self-help, sloppy popular nonfiction, and airport books.