Virginia Woolf’s famously mixed reaction to James Joyce’s “Ulysses”—initial amusement followed by growing irritation—reflects a longstanding literary experience that has found new expression in the digital age: hate-reading. This phenomenon, characterized by engaging with a book or text primarily to criticize and find fault, has gained traction as a cultural practice fostered by online platforms.
Malavika Kannan, author of the forthcoming essay collection “Rage Bait,” describes hate-reading as consuming literature for the catharsis of encountering something perceived as “really bad.” Kannan, who identifies as a reformed hate-reader, suggests that the emotional intensity of hate-reading—particularly the feeling of anger—can provide a distinct form of satisfaction. In recent years, social media spaces such as TikTok, Substack, Goodreads, and X have expanded the practice beyond brief comments or personal essays to whole books, with readers openly seeking recommendations for their “next hate-read” or labeling entire reviews as products of hate-reading.
Book communities have emerged around this practice, blending critique and enjoyment. Hayley DeRoche, a writer and librarian based in Petersburg, Virginia, started the Trash Talk Book Club, which centers its discussions on books participants anticipate disliking. DeRoche explains that the effort is less about fostering negativity and more about the complex experience of reading: it offers a “win-win” situation where readers either affirm their critical stance or discover new insights that challenge their initial judgments.
The club’s first selections—Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir “All the Way to the River” and Emily Brontë’s classic “Wuthering Heights”—illustrate the diversity of texts that can become sites of hate-reading. Though DeRoche herself did not enjoy either book, she values the exercise, emphasizing that reading critically, even with disappointment, is a meaningful experience. “It’s kind of nice to be like: I read it and I didn’t like it, and here’s why,” she said.
Hate-reading, therefore, occupies a complex space in contemporary literary culture. It allows readers to engage deeply with texts that provoke frustration or dissatisfaction, while online platforms provide a communal forum to share and validate these critical responses. As contentious or polarizing works continue to spur intense debate, hate-reading may remain a prominent feature of how readers navigate their literary landscapes.