Joey Tribbiani cried over ‘Little Women'. Still think reading is not for you?

Indian Express

a day ago

(Written by Manpreet Walia)
Your professor tried and failed. Your partner facepalmed and gave up for good. Your friends left the 'trying to convince you to read' chat years ago. Even the Bookstagram algorithm could not hack the 'non-reader' armour you so proudly wear. So are you telling me no one can convince you to read?
It cannot be that despite a rich corpus of stories and an extensive spectrum of genres, ranging from classics to fantasy, young adult to erotic, historical fiction to non-fiction, there does not exist a genre seductive enough to tempt you. However, before you scroll past this article, let me clarify, I am not here to cajole you into reading. You don't read? Sure. But you binge-watch shows starring characters who literally romance books like they are people.
I bet these five TV show characters can at least get you to think about giving reading a chance:
While most Friends characters are occasionally seen with a book in hand, it's Joey and Rachel swapping Little Women for The Shining that truly takes the cake. The charming but dim-witted Joey gets emotionally invested in Beth's illness, while Rachel, our ditzy fashion queen hides The Shining in the freezer because it is too scary. There is even an episode where Joey, while lounging on Rachel's clean sheets, discovers her erotic novel. Watching him learn words like 'vicar' is peak buddy-reading bliss and a reminder that if the 'cool' ones can read, so can you.
● Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
● The Shining by Stephen King
● The Velveteen Rabbit (Joey-level wholesome)
● Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
● Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (for Rachel's romantic side)
I would be doing a disservice to readers across the world if I did not begin with the blue-eyed, rapid-speaking literary fangirl to ever grace a TV screen. The Ultimate Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge exists for a reason, because Rory can practically sweet-talk anyone into reading. Remember when she convinced Dean to give Leo Tolstoy another shot? And who could forget her iconic 'I live in two worlds' speech, where she talks about disappearing into books to feel less alone?
● Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
● The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
● Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
● The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath
If reading like you are plotting world domination were a character, it would definitely be Wednesday Addams. In the Netflix reboot, she is constantly caught reading obscure Gothic novels, quoting Edgar Allan Poe, and even writing her own murder mystery novel in her dorm room. Here I would like to quote my English teacher who would often very rightly remark, 'You should read books to write one.'
So if Wednesday, a morbid girl obsessed with the macabre can be sadistic and still read, what is holding you back?
● The Raven and Other Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
● Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
● Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
● The Secret History by Donna Tartt
You might not immediately peg Fleabag as a 'reader,' but her story is built around the kind of emotional excavation that comes from reading great literature. And when the hot priest hands her a copy of The Holy Bible, she probably wanted to say, 'Thanks, I'll pass.' But instead, she reads it. In the bathtub. But she reads it.
Her shelves might not hold many books, but her world is made of words, brutally honest, deeply human, and darkly hilarious. The show has even birthed the viral #FleabagEra on the internet, where readers curate booklists filled with the kind of titles you just know Fleabag would read.
● The Holy Bible (yes, seriously)
● Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
● The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
● My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
● On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
'A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone,' said Tyrion Lannister in the Game of Thrones series.
For Tyrion the question was this: how do you survive in a world that mocks your appearance and underestimates your worth? You outthink them. Every clever comeback, every political maneuver, every escape from death was the result of a brain sculpted by books. Tyrion knew he would never win battles with brute strength only with learned wisdom.
So if you have ever felt out of place, overlooked, or underestimated, maybe it is time to flip the script and play the game on your own terms. Begin by reading. Just like Tyrion did.
● Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
● The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli
● The Art of War by Sun Tzu
● A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin (because he knows)
(The writer is social media strategist with indianexpress.com)