Books that give reality check top bestseller list

Bestselling books are situated in the central aisle in front of the entrance of Kyobo Bookstore in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. / Korea Times photos by Yun Suh-young

By Yun Suh-young

People are reading fewer print publications these days and more digital books, as announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Monday.

The report revealed adults’ reading rate of paper books decreased from 65.3 percent in 2015 to 59.9 percent in 2017 while e-book readers have increased from 10.2 percent in 2015 to 14.1 percent in 2017. The average number of books people read annually also shrunk from 9.1 books in 2015 to 8.3 in 2017.

It’s not surprising the reading rate of paper books has decreased due to the plethora of online content available these days. But those buying books, whether online, or from offline stores, seem to have a particular preference -- self-help.

Not only do people seek solace in these books, they want to know how to deal with the mixed realities of life and work. And it seems the harsher the advice, the more people read.

The bestselling list of online bookstores compiled last week showed books that were notorious for harsh advice remained in the top 10 list for weeks and even months across all distribution channels.

On online bookstores Interpark, Internet Kyobo, Yes24, and 11st, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***” by Mark Manson topped the list, while the book was eighth at Aladdin and third at Youngpoong Bookstore. This book has been topping the bestseller list across all channels for four consecutive months since the translated version came out in October.

The book is notorious for its profanity and provocative language used throughout (although toned down in Korean) and piercing advice that does just the opposite of what self-help books have been doing since now -- soothing people. This book doesn’t soothe; it pokes, giving people a reality check on how they are NOT great and how they should accept being WRONG in order to grow and learn.

“It’s that piercing tone of voice that makes the book so consistently popular. It bluntly tells you not to be conscious of other people,” said Kim Hyun-jeong, who manages the bestseller list at the Brand Management Team at Kyobo Bookstore.

Another book that was consistently on the top 10 list was “How to Smile at a Rude Person” which is an illustrated essay by a magazine editor. It topped the Aladdin bestseller list while ranked eighth on Interpark, fifth on Kyobo, eighth on Yes24 and ninth on 11st.

“This is also a book with a strong tone accompanied by illustrations. It has more pictures than words but the words are impactful and tell you to be bold,” Kim said.

“There’s a high need for self-help books in the beginning of the year and the trend is usually led by people in their 30s who have a strong need to pioneer their life, boost their self-regard and be strong at the workplace, which is why these types of books are popular.”

Other books that are consistent throughout bestseller lists are “Word Plates that Fill You the More You Empty” about communication skills, and “The Temperature of Language,” which is not a self-help book, but essays on language and behavior.

The trend of self-help books isn’t new, but what has changed from the past is the tone portrayed in the books that people prefer nowadays. It used to be that people leaned towards more soft, soothing advice, as shown by the popularity of “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to be Calm in a Busy World” (2012) by the monk Haemin Sunim which has been a consistent bestseller for years or the million-seller essay “It Hurts Because You’re Young” (2010) by professor Kim Nan-do of Seoul National University. Their tones are caressing and more like patting a friend on the back that “it’s okay.”

“Whereas in the past people wanted to be understood and consoled by authors, I think they realized such soft and mellow consolation didn’t really make a difference in their lives,” said Kwak Keum-joo, professor of developmental psychology at Seoul National University. “There had been criticism against these types of books in the past. So nowadays it seems people are looking for more direct, specific advice on how to change their behavior, because they’ve reached a dead end. Now people want to get up and are looking for someone to forcefully lift them up.”

Another book that is likely to hop onto the bestseller list pretty soon -- although it hasn’t yet due to its recent release -- is “The Art of the Good Life” by German author Rolf Dobelli which has topped the German Amazon bestseller list. The book is also strong and harsh in tone and gives a crude reality check to people to stop thinking they’re great.