BiblioQueria 8

Bookish (which is quickly becoming one of my favourite book blogs) has posed an excellent question today, which reminded me of an incident that occured about two years ago. First, Bookish's question: Is there such a thing as “a female reader” or “a male reader"?

And as you ruminate over that question, hear my story.

Like I said, it was almost two years ago, and I was wandering in the local mega bookstore that's in my neighbourhood. As far as mega bookstores go, this specific store is a cut above the rest, only because of the actual design of the store. It used to be an old stage theatre, then movie theatre, and when it finally closed down, Chapters/Indigo bought it, and thankfully preserved a lot of the original exterior and interior of the theatre. But I digress, and so soon in my story, to boot.

So I'm wandering around the store, and I notice various tables with lots of books for sale, and of course various signs displaying statements like, New Hot Fiction and 80% Off, etc. Suddenly I see this one table with a sign that says, Books Men Will Love. Hmmmm. That's enough to get my attention, so I wander over, and browse at the titles of the books which Men Will Love. Here's a few of the titles I saw that day: Ideas That Changed The World, Koba The Dread, The Man Who Mapped The Arctic, Bang! Getting Your Message Heard In a Noisy World, and Act Of Creation: The Founding Of The United Nations.

Low and behold, on the other side of the sign it read, Books Women Will Love. And you wanna know what kind of books they had on display for us women? Nothing but chick-lit. Now, I'm not gonna get into a hate-fest on chick-lit; some of it is good, some is not, end of story. But I think that a fair percentage of women read more than just chick-lit. Possibly even some of the titles that the men would love!

Perhaps I was crabby that day, perhaps it was because it was the year I turned forty, I don't know. There was a time when I would have looked at that display, quietly seethed to myself, and gone home. But not this time. Something hit a nerve. I brought the display to the attention of the staff there (most of whom, by the way, were women), and told them that I was not impressed. Some other ladies who were also shopping in the store that day started gathering around the sign, expressing the same discontent, and we had a good ol' bitch session. But I knew that more had to be done. I went home, phoned the complaint department of the Head Office, and the woman I spoke to said that she would bring my concern to attention of the appropriate department. Well, we all know what that means. I had to try one more thing. I got the address of the CEO of the bookstore chain, and wrote her a two-page letter, explaining to her in detail what happened, and how I felt. Here's some bits and pieces from my letter:

So just what is the message here? Well, first of all, according to Indigo/Chapters, men don't like to read light fiction; but more to the point: women don't enjoy reading books of substance, especially ones about ideas, history, adventure and politics. Oh really? I would love to know what brilliant mind thought of creating that sign, and then who were the others who approved its creation and distribution, along with the division of titles to go with it. Obviously someone who has never considered the significance of effective marketing to women. (I might add, by the way, that one of the books that 'Men Will Love' was the title 'Bang! Getting Your Message Heard In A Noisy World' which was written by THREE WOMEN). To ignore the female consumer in today's marketplace is to commit economic suicide. I would think that you would be very sensitive to this. (And by the way, that list of what Men/Women would love to read also refers to YOU).

Quite honestly, I truly believe that the sign in question should be removed from all of your stores across Canada. Nobody can decide for me, as a woman, what I would love to read. The same applies for men. The male and female minds are, I believe, quite different, but in our desire for knowledge, ideas and inspiration, I believe we are exactly the same.

Well, two weeks later, I get a phone call. From the CEO herself. She told me she loved my letter, and that she agreed with me completely. She said it was a bad marketing call, and the signs would be removed. I have to assume that it was done across Canada, I have no way of knowing otherwise. I know that I haven't seen them since in any of the stores I have been in, in Toronto. And this CEO is not my favourite person, I gotta say. But I will concede that it was a classy move to call me personally. Was it also just good PR and damage control? More than likely. But I still appreciated the call. So my question to you is twofold:

Should we concern ourselves with classifications like "male and female readers", and .....

Did I overreact?

Comments

[Teresa]

Did you overreact? No, my dear, you acted rightly and appropriately. I applaud your perspicacity!

[Kris]

No! You did not over react. I think that the most interesting part of the story was when you had several women gathered around discussing the issue. If I had been that store manager, I would have asked all of you to re-do the display! I'm sure it would have been very interesting to see what a somewhat random group of women would have included!

[Darth Ken]

(visiting from Bookish)

Nope, I understand the reaction ... I think I'd been a bit mad about that sign myself. I'm a man, but I hate that thought: "You're a man, ergo you like technical, historical and political books. None of that namby-pamby girly novel stuff." GAH!

But should we classify? Not really, though I think there is something valid in the distinction (not that it is iron-clad and universal ... by any means ... it can only ever apply to some books/readers some of the time.) Our psyche is different, and so, by extension, is the reading experience. This isn't reducable to easy statements such as "chick lit for the womenfolk and science for the menfolk" but certain stories (and I'm strictly talking fiction & poetry here, I don't know anything about non-fiction) DO seem to appeal largely to either men or women. Why that is I find very interesting.

But how important is this distinction? Not very. People read what they find stimulating and interesting, and you cannot reduce that to easy categories. We are way to complex and erratic in our reading for that.

[Anna]

You certainly didn't overreact - you did what many of us wish we had the eggs to do. I think it's hard to not consider gender identification in anything, but we shouldn't lump everyone together based on that one characteristic. I'm a woman and I can't stand most of what is classified as chick-lit, but give me science fiction and I'm all over it. On the other hand, if it's science fiction dealing with gender issues and feminism, the average sci-fi adventure boy geek isn't going to be as interested in it as I am. The point is, you can't paint in broad strokes when it comes to art and its audience, but it does provide a wonderful base for conversations on the topic.

[Shelly]

I agree with you, but...

There are male and female readers, tho there are male "female readers" and female "male readers." Which means, people don't all fall into categories. But after 24 years and counting as a public librarian, I've come to know the male and female readers out there. The women who just want a nice little romance, who tell me they don't like those manly books with violence and all. Or the men who want some nice action books or something about sports, and please, no girly girl books. But then, I have women saying the same thing about the chicklit books and men who just want to read Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts.

But since so many readers, especially older ones, identify themselves by their gender and specify that their gender is the reason for their reading interests, I have to say this isn't cut and dried.

I don't like labeling books, or readers, but if it helps people find what they want, I don't argue with it. So, call it chicklit or action/adventure and don't attach a gender label, and it'll probably be okay, cuz men can enjoy chicklit and women (like me) can enjoy action/adventure.

[R J Keefe]

Good for you!

Without the signage, Barnes & Noble does the same thing across the street. In the long window are tables with piles of books that few men would pick up - covers with almost exaggeratedly "feminine" art. Nearby are stout non-fiction books.

How about:

Books no man will read!
- Anything with "Nanny" in the title.
Books no woman will read!
- Improving your golf score, how to outsmart the market.

In the current issue of The Atlantic, Terry Castle prescribes five books that women should read: "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom," by Lawrence of Arabia, "The Face of Battle," by John Keegan, Hemingway's unfinished novel, "The Garden of Eden," "Memoirs of Hadrian," by Marguérite Yourcenar, and "The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD." Ms Castle teaches English at Stanford.

[Stefanie]

What a great story! You did not overreact at all.

Are there male and female readers? The publishers and marketers would like to think so. Personally, I think there are only men and women who like to read.

[Bibliovixen]

Absolutely not.

[Isabella]

Kudos, Patricia! I will definitely keep a closer eye on bookstore signage in my part of the country from now on.

I'd like to say there are no men's books and women's books. However, most men I know read nonfiction, specifically history, and sci-fi. I wouldn't want to make any bigger generalizations than this — let's just say the guys I know tend to be geeky history buffs. The women I know read more than the men do, by far, and their tastes are more varied, and they read more fiction than non. My conclusion from this: my women friends tend to mirror my own interests.

All this to say: as distasteful as the idea is to me, broad generalizations with a certain degree of accuracy (but to which there will always be exceptions) COULD be made, but IT SERVES NO PURPOSE TO DO SO. Better to stack books according to categories like History, Action, etc, and let men and women choose for themselves.

[Pete]

Your reaction was absolutely appropriate. Dividing literature into "guy reading" and "gal reading" is completely pointless, and an insult to both genders.

[Julie]

Let me tell you something -- it's this kind of awful marketing that surfaces every holiday season and litters our home with unwanted books. Pete (yeah, PeteLit Pete who just left a comment up there) & I are avid readers. Knowing this, our family members wander haphazardly into chain bookstores, see these displays and walk out with the following -- sports books (mostly featuring the Chicago Cubs) and Maya Angelou anthologies. You can guess who gets what. Oy!

[Robot Johnny]

Squeaky wheel...

[adrienne]

Did you over-react? Only if you think you did. If you think you did what your feelings dictated, then you didn't over-react. I am the type of person who would have looked at that display, though to myself "Morons!" and walked away. It would never had occurred to me to say something about it. Brava.

[Becky]

I'll have to check the displays the next time we're in Edmonton!

I'm glad you thought to write, and I'm surprised and pleased to learn that Heather picked up the phone. But then how surprised was she that someone actually noticed?! Most of the people I see in the book aisles at Chapters seem to be on their way to buy a supergrandemocha or some such, or a $10 greeting card, or a calendar, or a "gift book," which apparently is a different kind of animal from a reading book.

[Susan]

I'm glad you did it and I'm glad you got results.

[Anne]

No, you didn't overreact. I think your letter was perfect, and I think the CEO was savvy both to take it seriously *and* to call you. A win-win all around.

That being said ... (Anne ponders nervously how to say this without sounding insufferably elitist) ... I have noticed that many women who perhaps did not receive at least a 4-year liberal arts degree, or any college at all, or perhaps are lower on the socioeconomic/intelligentsia ladder... do gravitate almost solely to a certain kind of book, either the pure romance novel or the tarted-up romance novel disguised as a legitimate hardcover work of fiction (Danielle Steele), or the latest gimmicky how-to sorts of books (Ten Dinners Guaranteed to Turn On Your Man!) -- hey, I made that last one up, but you get the drift.

And I've noticed that less highbrow males ten to read the Ludlum genre of spy fiction, or detective stuff. ... or nothing.

In more educated households, I find more of a blurring and overlapping of tastes in reading between males and females. Anecdotal, I admit.

OK, I hear the proletariat at the gates, shouting for my head. Gotta lock myself in the ivory tower now. Let them read Harlequin! :-P

- Anne

[Arethusa]

I am so impressed that you did this and pleased that you received such a favourable response. I'll have to make a point of checking at the local Chapters whether they have such signs.

Thanks for commenting on my blog. I've read two of Hodgson's books so far--I adored one (Hippolyte's Island) and was somewhat disappointed with the other (Lives of Shadow) because it didn't meet my high expectations. Her designs in both cases were top-notch. I'm definitely interested in reading more of her fiction and non-fiction.

[darth]

i think thats great! arethusa and i have discussed the whole dubious labeling/marketing of books thing, she blogged about "women's fiction" not long ago...and i was amused to see several books that i've recently read on the shelf labeled as such at the borders bookstore down here-wtf?

of course, i don't let the shelf labels stop me from browsing the "young adult" novels either..thats where some of the best fantasy/sci-fi ends up!

and another hodgson fan here, btw..would love to see her speak-did she show any original artwork? that would be wonderful.

[patricia]

Arethusa, I know what you mean about 'Lives of the Shadows'; it was not as good as her previous works, but visually still stunning. 'Hippolyte's Island' was fabulous, and I highly recommend 'The Tattooed Map' and 'The Sensualist'. But really, I think all of her work is amazing. You might also enjoy the works of Nick Bantock, especially 'The Forgetting Room' and 'The Ventian's Wife'. Check out this site, which is specifically about the works of Hodgson and Bantock, who in fact, have worked on some wonderful projects together:
http://www.fan-dango.com/

Darth, Barbara didn't have any originals on hand, but she did use a Powerpoint presentation in which she showcased numerous preliminary drawings, sketches and photos. It was a feast for the eyes.

[Ana]

After reading the comments I agree with what Anne said. What men and women read is very in touch with education. Those labels are true to men and women who don't find in books anything else than entertainment cause normally men love sports and sci fi, all those stuff; and women love romance. When you read for a purpose beyond entertainment, a pleasure that goes far beyond than just a nice story, but includes the good story, beautiful words, exploration on human condition and many other things that can be found on a good book, you pass the chick lit. I mean, you can read the chick lit but you don't stay there forever, you also read other kinds of books.
And no, you didn't over react but I guess that if you are one of those people who enter a book store twice a year cause they think about books not as a need but as a hobbie, they'll inmediately will be drawn into those lists and probably will choose a book from it.

[Julie]

Oh no, you did NOT overreact! I'm a woman who doesn't read much chick lit, who loves "male" genres like science fiction and Patrick O'Brian and history. The sign you describe offends me extremely, and I thank you for doing something about it!

Isn't it great how one person really can make a difference?

[MSchannon]

Coming late into the game with a comment, it's unfortunate that you even second guessed yourself. Of course there are differences between what men and women read, but genetic differences aren't the issue...much more insideious is the ever growing cultural insanity that worships status over stature.

Our heros aren't thinkers or discoverers, artists or humanitarians--they're sculptured, manufactured, plasterized shapes parading around for us to admire and emulate.

Did you change the world with your action? Nah...But at least you stood up against this wave of male/female definitional mediocrity that threatens to drown us all.

So...good for you! As a male-type person, I salute you.