The Beginning of Intolerance in Literature

Are the things we read and write getting shorter and shorter? Or is that just our imagination?

Our daily consumption certainly seems to be accelerating. This is evident in the entertainment tools we use and the activities we choose in our spare time. Take the songs we listen to, for example. Many are produced to be short or to have repetitive choruses. Fast, energetic genres such as rap and hip-hop are becoming increasingly popular. I won't discuss scrolling through videos on social media, but even our messages now consist only of emojis, animated GIFs, and memes. So how does this situation affect literature?

Since the internet entered our lives, everything has sped up. It is well known that the value of handmade items and trial-and-error learning has declined. Everything is expected to happen immediately. We recently discussed this impatience. Today, based on my observations over several years and the sources I have read, I would like to revisit this topic.

I enjoy reviewing the statistics for each year and reading the relevant news at the end of the year. Each period seems to contain a wealth of data, like an experimental test tube. No matter what topic you look at, you can find something interesting. I was also curious to find out which literary forms were popular this year, based on factors such as book sales, popular literary genres, and the results of online book polls. I have read widely on this topic and will list the sources I used at the end of this article. Those who wish to can examine them there.

I don't know what you think, but book sales are increasing every year, albeit by small percentages. Forecasts predict that this trend will continue into the future. In fact, growth in the sector has not fallen below previous years' levels. Of course, this refers to book purchases rather than reading habits. There has been a particular increase in bulk purchases. I sometimes wonder if people are buying books just to add to their collection. Have an unimaginable number of libraries and bookshops opened?

Regardless of the content, short story collections and novellas are the most popular choice. Just as we don't want to listen to long-winded narratives, we no longer have the patience to read them either. In our daily lives, where we are constantly scrolling, we don't even glance at the descriptions under videos. In contrast, comments are usually interesting. This is because they are short and either “humorous” or critical.

On the other hand, I believe that some digital platforms have encouraged people to read more. At least, I hope so. Take TikTok, for example. It's not a platform that most people prefer, but I could be wrong as I don't use it myself. One thing I'm sure of, though, is that people who wouldn't normally spend time on it have been drawn to it because of the “BookTok” trend and the popularity of book-related content. Ultimately, though, we know that lengthy narratives don't work — everything has to be short and quick. If it doesn't grab people's attention immediately, they won't spend much time on it. It's a race, really. So, can we truly convey the value of literature in this context?

Photo by Wilhelm Gunkel on Unsplash

Ultimately, this situation is as much a reflection of the reader as it is a reflection of the writer's preferences. Some writers may have shortened their work, while others may have divided it into several parts. The truth is that anything over a certain number of pages can be off-putting, and at best the novel will end up at the bottom of the reading list. Not to mention the issue of it being too expensive to buy. It's strange that the books I heard about everywhere during the year were usually thick novels that couldn't be read in one go. Then there's the issue of finishing them in one sitting, of course.

Reading, like writing, is a process that takes time and improves with reflection. As with many things, consumption is naturally faster. Nevertheless, there's no need to feel compelled to finish novels in a day. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why novellas and short stories have become popular: the ability to take breaks allows you to digest what you've read early on and prevents "stomach ache".

Due to the hurried nature of the modern age, I think these forms are overly prominent on both the buyer and seller sides (authors and readers). Both production and consumption (even online sharing) are carried out quickly so that one can move on to the next book. Note that I am not referring to regular readers here, as such people would not be able to embrace what has previously been mentioned, even if they wanted to, as it does not suit their character.

To conclude my remarks, I would like to address the writers' perspective one last time. I am very curious to see how this topic will have evolved by 2026. As I compile my poems and prose in the near future, I feel somewhat isolated in terms of the quantity of work produced in this form. Perhaps poems will come to the fore for some reason, who knows? Certain themes may attract more interest than ever before. New trends may emerge on social media and pull in different directions. Readings in famous people's book clubs could elevate forgotten writers and their works that have not received the recognition they deserve.

I mentioned authors... Whether it's true or not, we too are exposed to the obsession with speed associated with the younger generation. We write short posts on platforms like X (Twitter), trying to express ourselves within the character limit, even if no one reads them. I wonder if even novellas will become simpler and shorter. Will short books become fashionable under the pretext of 'saying more with fewer words' (which is difficult and requires skill)? Will the market be flooded with thousand-word flash fiction stories? Much of this may seem unfamiliar, but this is the world we live in. The power of the internet is unstoppable. One day you can be the laughing stock; the next, a hero. You can be a highly esteemed writer or someone who is ostracised.

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Note 1: Source 1 - Source 2 - Source 3

Note 2: One of the platforms I believe can most clearly measure interest in books (whether preferred or not) in a contemporary sense is Goodreads' 2024 (6.26 million votes across various categories) and 2025 (7.51 million votes) show that interest in reading (and consequently writing, producing content for digital media, exploring new genres, etc.) has increased significantly based on the total number of votes cast.*