Attention, Men: Books Are Sexy!

NY Times ^ | August 2, 2025 | Maureen Dowd

[C19fan]

It was one of the most erotic things I ever heard. A man I know said he was reading all the novels of Jane Austen in one summer.

At first, I figured he was pretending to like things that women like to seem simpatico, a feminist hustle. But no, this guy really wanted to read “Northanger Abbey.”

Men are reading less. Women make up 80 percent of fiction sales. “Young men have regressed educationally, emotionally and culturally,” David J. Morris wrote in a Times essay titled “The Disappearance of Literary Men Should Worry Everyone.”

---

TOPICS: Books/Literature; Society
KEYWORDS: books; catherinezetajones; catlady; dowdneedsadood; dowdneedsadude; dowdy; fiction; maureendowd; men

[C19fan]

The reason 80% of fiction sales are made by women is because the publishing industry dominated by AWFLs have exiled white heterosexual men from the industry. Dowd sprinkles classic novels throughout the article but that is not what is making up sales. We all know women are buying up Rom Fantasies about vampires, and werewolves.

[arthurus]

I read a lot but not fiction. I read history and historical biographies. Reading is a waste of time if one doesn’t learn something.

[C19fan]

The article mentions this social media trend of posting photos of “Hot Dudes Reading”. Dowd seems to not realize or intentionally leaves out the first word is what is most important. The last word is just a cherry on top.

[Sirius Lee]

Reading is a waste of time if one doesn’t learn something.

I pity the fool who learned nothing from “1984”, or “Animal Farm”, or “Atlas Shrugged”, or “Frankenstein; or, The Modetn Prometheus”, or…

[PGalt]

NY Times fiction Mo Do not sexy

[EvilCapitalist]

We have Rules for MoDo articles.

[SisterK]

John Ross’ Unintended Consequences is an off the charts educational fiction book.

Also, Louis L’Amour westerns are packed full of outdoor survival tips.

[Lurker]

I have Unintended Consequences in hardback.

L

[EandH Dad]

“Louis L’Amour westerns are packed full of outdoor survival tips”

Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp series has a lot of clues about things our government had. Enough to get W Bush’s attention.

[PGalt]

Haha yes.

[SisterK]

I am jealous...I only have the paper back version and the font is getting smaller as I age.

[SisterK]

Hhmmmm...I will have to check out Mitch Rapp.
Thanks for the tip.

[Jonty30]

Men like books that are generally productive in nature, not simply for pleasure.

[CodeToad]

Same here. Fourth printing. Cover is in perfect shape. Seems like a collectable now.

[HombreSecreto]

[z3n]

"Men are reading less. Women make up 80 percent of fiction sales. “Young men have regressed educationally..."

Yes, fiction educates women. heh

I will take a pass on the shades of gray. Thanks.

I prefer non-fiction. This weekened I dusted off this old book to see how well it was standing up to time.


Holds up fairly well actually. Some of the later chapters discuss the surveilance state, electronic money, and Russia.

I wonder if NYT would consider this good reading?

[tlozo]

one of the most erotic things I ever heard. A man I know said he was reading all the novels of Jane Austen

So she finds gays erotic?

[9YearLurker]

Women have long read more fiction, men more nonfiction.

[cyclotic]

My wife and I were walking through a gold mining town in Colorado last week. I passed a free little library. Louis L’Amour’s Last of the Breed was the first book I saw.

It’s one of my favorites and I grabbed it up. If I was reading FR, I’d be reading it now.

[BHI2025]

Check it out, Laz.