books to claim to have read to look insufferable
puts beret on a jaunty angle ‘why yes i went to Oxbridge and go skiing on my holibobs with papa, why do you ask?’ takes a hit of tobacco flavoured vape, puts asterisk in margin of the obscure classic i’m ‘reading’
the list for people who want to look ‘well read’ and need some books to name drop - look no further if you have read them, more power to you, but this is explicitly about the people who claim to have read them but can’t read instructions on pasta
consider this a shopping list 🖤
created by ruthie_readswithtea
last updated March, 2026
Comments
Why is The Burial of the Rats by Bram Stoker here? Is it because its obscure? Because its pretty good and chilling but i don't see how its pretentious
The way I interpreted this list is that the books themselves aren't pretentious (some are and some aren't, I'm sure), but these are the type of books that insufferable people will name drop without reading them first just to appear smart 😅
@amanda_the_tangerine is on the money - the books themselves are great reads but people who can try to be pretentious will name drop them to sound smart but wont have read them themselves
Can I get a vibe check, I'm at 27% but they're all tbr 🧐😂
I mean somehow you need to make up for Lobster, right? 🦞👀
I think Lobster has potential to be pretentious as hell
That is true. Let's make Lobster a pretentious book, so that we can all be insufferable together ☺️
Vibe check: Villain era incoming 😛
I want to get like you twin. I already wanted to read Stoner and Swann's Way this year. On our way to be insufferable 🫡
I'm surprised I haven't read any! I was quite pretentious when I was younger and I love classics 😂
Lmao, weren't we all? 😂 I was obsessed with reading classics as a kid to become a "real" reader. Little me would be anxious to read this whole list lmao. So far, only The Pearl for me.
I just kinda stumbled onto classics and I still love them, but there's so many I haven't read 😵💫
two of my Taste books + Lobster = above average levels of insufferable? (great list btw)
You just wanted to flex your big brain to us pachinko 🤨 (I would never think of you that way 😔)
😔🧠💪🏼
If it's any consolation, every time I look at this list, my percentage goes up. 😅 STOP ADDING BOOKS
no same this list has done nothing to put me off these books 🤠
Same! And then it's like two books that were mandatory reading for me in school 😆 (Chess story and The Sorrows of Young Werther)
Lmao I'm at 4% and it's because I only read Lobster😭😭
Can't read instructions on pasta 😂😂 great list! I have never even heard of a lot of the books here. Also, tobacco flavored vape????
its always the annoying riche girls trying to look cultured but can’t do their own washing in their uni accommodations without help…not that this is inspired by anyone i have known 😅
Glad this is a totally spontaneous thought about an imaginary person 😂😂😂
The fact I have a 0% overlap is not even surprising 😭 I need to read more classics lol
Thank you for this list! I know exactly whom I can recommend all these books to xD
(6% overlap, so I'm only a little insufferable. Perfect. This exactly who I strive to be 🙂↕️)
