January 28, 2026
Book beef: ancient vs. TikTok
New Books Aren't Worth Reading
Author says new books are useless — readers clap back and bring receipts
TLDR: A writer argued new books aren’t worth reading and claimed nobody reads for fun. Commenters pushed back hard, defending pleasure reading, mocking the “everyone thinks the same” claim, and even recommending older titles — turning it into a showdown over why we read at all and who gets to decide.
A fiery essay declared modern books a waste of time and insisted nobody reads for fun anymore — and the comments section turned into a book-club cage match. The author claims that if you want “perspective,” you’re better off with ancient heavyweights like Xenophon than any 2024 hardcover. Cue chaos. One reader slammed the premise with a reality check: “Is the author living in a completely different alternative reality?” Others bristled at the idea that today’s writers all share one bland viewpoint, calling it lazy and out of touch.
The “reading for entertainment is ridiculous” line lit the biggest fire. A wave of commenters said they still curl up with novels because, shocker, it’s enjoyable — not everything has to be Netflix. One jabbed back that more entertainment options doesn’t make paper “inferior,” it just means people spread their time around. Meanwhile, a reluctant convert admitted, “I almost gave up… but I’m glad I stuck with it,” and even dropped a throwback rec: We Took to the Woods — an old-school pick that weirdly fits the author’s own “read older stuff” vibe.
Between nostalgia stans and modern-book defenders, the thread morphed into a culture clash: ancient-warrior historians vs. laptop-and-cat academics, page-turners vs. autoplay. Verdict? The community isn’t tossing new releases — they’re just not letting anyone shame them out of joy-reading.
Key Points
- •The article argues reading for entertainment is inferior to modern digital platforms and thus not a compelling reason to read books.
- •It proposes that reading literature, history, and philosophy should be for information and understanding the human condition.
- •The author claims contemporary authors share homogeneous perspectives due to academic and publishing gatekeeping.
- •Ancient historians are portrayed as having broader, more intense life experiences compared to modern historians.
- •Xenophon’s life is detailed as an example of diverse historical experience, used to justify favoring older works over new books.