“Boomer Lit” as a feel-good genre for people of a certain age

[Anonymous]

This person posed the suggestion that books like Theo of Golden are “boomer lit” and I like her explanation.

The comments on TikTok and Instagram suggest some other titles like The Correspondant, The Road to Tender Thoughts, and Beartown.

It’s not saying they’re all poorly written, but they are feel-good stories written by and for old, white people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXb5FvIQTA/

[Anonymous]

Fiction serves all sorts of purposes, and this is one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This person posed the suggestion that books like Theo of Golden are “boomer lit” and I like her explanation.

The comments on TikTok and Instagram suggest some other titles like The Correspondant, The Road to Tender Thoughts, and Beartown.

It’s not saying they’re all poorly written, but they are feel-good stories written by and for old, white people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXb5FvIQTA/

I loved all these books and I am neither old nor white.

[Anonymous]

I haven't read any of the books you are referencing here but that review is really funny and gave me a very good sense about the kind of thing you are talking about. It doesn't make me want to read these books but does make me think it might be a good Father's Day gift for my dad.

I know how it feels when younger people look at you and just think you are embarrassingly out of touch. I think I was born kind of "old" and just read as conservative and clueless because people have always treated me this way. Like literally when I was in high school, middle schoolers would heckle me for being "old and boring." I'm in my mid-40s and recently acquired some neighbors who are maybe late 20s/early 30s and one of them literally said "ok b**mer" to me, which I thought was pretty funny. It's okay. But it's also okay to admit that books like this are largely about wish fulfillment, the same way romance novels are about unrealistic romantic experiences for women, or Harry Potter is about a child who feels overlooked and unloved learning he's literally the most famous wizard in history. It's okay for books to do that.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t read the review referenced in OP’s post but agree with the wish fulfillment aspect from the previous poster. We all read fiction for different purposes and escapism/wish fulfillment is one of them. I think it is even more pertinent in today’s world. I think the huge uptick in Romantasy and speculative fiction and the different “cozy” genres are also pointing to that. It is ok to not want unending misery and trauma in fiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This person posed the suggestion that books like Theo of Golden are “boomer lit” and I like her explanation.

The comments on TikTok and Instagram suggest some other titles like The Correspondant, The Road to Tender Thoughts, and Beartown.

It’s not saying they’re all poorly written, but they are feel-good stories written by and for old, white people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXb5FvIQTA/

I loved all these books and I am neither old nor white.

Okayyyyy. Did you watch the video? What are your thoughts aside from your self-centered response?

[Anonymous]

I got Theo of Golden from the library. It was so bland, so vanilla, I couldn’t push through.

[Anonymous]

Theo of golden is awful.

[Anonymous]

I really liked the correspondent and my boomer mother thought it was only ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This person posed the suggestion that books like Theo of Golden are “boomer lit” and I like her explanation.

The comments on TikTok and Instagram suggest some other titles like The Correspondant, The Road to Tender Thoughts, and Beartown.

It’s not saying they’re all poorly written, but they are feel-good stories written by and for old, white people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXb5FvIQTA/

I loved all these books and I am neither old nor white.

Okayyyyy. Did you watch the video? What are your thoughts aside from your self-centered response?

NP. The poster has told you she disagrees with the premise.

[Anonymous]

Maybe it’s because I didn’t like it, but I don’t think Beartown can be described as a “feel good” book (I did like some of his other books such as Ove and Anxious People). I also didn’t like The Correspondent, although I can see the appeal to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This person posed the suggestion that books like Theo of Golden are “boomer lit” and I like her explanation.

The comments on TikTok and Instagram suggest some other titles like The Correspondant, The Road to Tender Thoughts, and Beartown.

It’s not saying they’re all poorly written, but they are feel-good stories written by and for old, white people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXb5FvIQTA/

I loved all these books and I am neither old nor white.

Okayyyyy. Did you watch the video? What are your thoughts aside from your self-centered response?

Yes, I did watch the video and I think it is very condescending and offensive to put people in boxes based on what they like. Books, music, movies etc are incredibly personal and speak to us (and affect us) in different ways. The same book/movie might affect the same person in different ways ways based on their life experience or what they have been through. Yeah so as an immigrant, PoC, woman, I did like the books. I like to read fiction to enjoy and entertain and don’t want misery and trauma porn. I like to read about the power of kindness, compassion and community. Same as how I enjoyed many Becky Chambers books and you can argue they are liberal message fiction. Is that enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This person posed the suggestion that books like Theo of Golden are “boomer lit” and I like her explanation.

The comments on TikTok and Instagram suggest some other titles like The Correspondant, The Road to Tender Thoughts, and Beartown.

It’s not saying they’re all poorly written, but they are feel-good stories written by and for old, white people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXb5FvIQTA/

I loved all these books and I am neither old nor white.

Okayyyyy. Did you watch the video? What are your thoughts aside from your self-centered response?

Yes, I did watch the video and I think it is very condescending and offensive to put people in boxes based on what they like. Books, music, movies etc are incredibly personal and speak to us (and affect us) in different ways. The same book/movie might affect the same person in different ways ways based on their life experience or what they have been through. Yeah so as an immigrant, PoC, woman, I did like the books. I like to read fiction to enjoy and entertain and don’t want misery and trauma porn. I like to read about the power of kindness, compassion and community. Same as how I enjoyed many Becky Chambers books and you can argue they are liberal message fiction. Is that enough?

Wow, I didn't get that from the video at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This person posed the suggestion that books like Theo of Golden are “boomer lit” and I like her explanation.

The comments on TikTok and Instagram suggest some other titles like The Correspondant, The Road to Tender Thoughts, and Beartown.

It’s not saying they’re all poorly written, but they are feel-good stories written by and for old, white people.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXb5FvIQTA/

I loved all these books and I am neither old nor white.

Okayyyyy. Did you watch the video? What are your thoughts aside from your self-centered response?

Yes, I did watch the video and I think it is very condescending and offensive to put people in boxes based on what they like. Books, music, movies etc are incredibly personal and speak to us (and affect us) in different ways. The same book/movie might affect the same person in different ways ways based on their life experience or what they have been through. Yeah so as an immigrant, PoC, woman, I did like the books. I like to read fiction to enjoy and entertain and don’t want misery and trauma porn. I like to read about the power of kindness, compassion and community. Same as how I enjoyed many Becky Chambers books and you can argue they are liberal message fiction. Is that enough?

Love this response!! I agree that the need to label people and put them in boxes is detrimental to us all. I’m not going to watch the video because I don’t want to give clicks to this sad way of thinking.

Aren’t authors instructed to “write what you know”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Theo of golden is awful.

agreed. The only people who like it are those who think Kristin Hannah is a great author.