Reading is not dead. It has evolved and means different to different people. Some love to read fiction, some are serious in their literary pursuits, others read to learn, and there are those who cannot do without reading. Here is a listing of readers based on their tastes and natures. See if the description fits you.
The Insatiable
These are the Great Whites of the lot. The apex predators who devour indiscriminately. As long as they get to read, they really don’t give two hoots about genres . Poetry, fiction, non-fiction or educational, they need their fix, or they go crazy. This is also a rare breed in today’s times, but you can spot them in libraries, cafes, planes, trains and automobiles focused on a book oblivious to everything happening around them. These guys are flexible about the medium i.e they don’t mind getting their reading done via an e-book reader or their phones and tablet.
The Puritans
This group abhors e-books and gadget reading. If the reading material is not paper, they throw a fit. They will wax eloquent about the smell of a new book, or the aroma of an old one, the feel of paper, their undying love for hardcovers, so on and so forth. They are quite set in their ways and will not be converted to the convenience of e-readers, that easily.
The Loyalists
Some people only read books of their favourite authors. They never even give a looksie into another author. It’s almost religious. They will read, re-read and will even be able to quote entire passages and chapters, without missing a punctuation. Even if their favourite writer makes a misstep or two, they will forgive and fight for him/her with the ferocity of zealots.
The Repeaters
There is a niche group of readers, who would rather re-read the books that they love than venture into novel volumes. They start reading at a young age and fixate on certain authors or books. Though they might be viewed as a subset of the loyalists, this group care more about the works than the author. They prefer the solace and pleasure of the familiar words and worlds in the books of their choice.
The Self-Help Junkies
These readers are mostly found in the cut-throat world of business. Management graduates, techies and students in those streams are ardent believers in these books. Their shelves will be filled with works that package pop-psychology, eastern mysticism, management techniques, street-smarts, spiritual advise and totally improbable and impractical ‘wisdom’ in engaging words. Those who are deep into this can seldom be saved. They love the way they feel while reading these books; the euphoria and the pleasure of seeing oneself being happy and successful.
The Fictionistas
They love the world of fiction – pulp or otherwise. Be it romance, legal/political/sci-fi/historical/ espionage fiction, fantasies or erotica, the readers love the intrigue, the pace and the fun that they provide. These readers don’t prefer mind-benders, but a book that keeps the interest alive and makes them want to keep reading till the end. They mostly forget the story and plot in a matter of hours. What matters is the joy of having passed their time with some interesting characters in a fictional setting without being forced to wrack their brains.
There may be many more types that you might have noticed. Feel free to share them in the comment box.
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