Honestly, everytime we see Kanye's name in a headline the majority of people will immediately reject whatever he's saying and it's even easier to do because of the things he's usually caught saying. By West stating that he does not read, the most people will automatically label him to be an imbecile.But perhaps we should push past the assumptions we've already made on West, based on previous indications of his character, to understand the point of his message.
What West might be attempting to express a concern that literature is overbearing on the reader. Kanye West seems to have been turned off by the superfluous and complex style of highly esteemed literature. West's feelings do have a backbone, as many people feel classics such as those of Shakespeare to be too complex to be read lightly. Even those who enjoy their literature with a passion have likely conveyed a frustration at times with the overly styled deliverance of a novel. The story of some books simply may not be worth the effort and time necessary for the author to convey it, which is to the discretion of each individual reader.
West's claim that his lack of interest in reading being caused by overly styled texts however, is simply an empty claim. Popular reads today are written in a more modern, direct style in order to attract younger readers without intimidating anyone. West's lack of interest in reading seems to be caused by the overlooking of the benefits of books which can not be ascertained from life. Surely there are many lessons taught by books which can be brought up in life experiences, many novels offer foreign locations and cultures or situations that one would not be likely to be faced with in their life time. In this way, reading diverse literature can certainly portray ideas which may not be attained in many a life time. Of course there are certain academic advantages to developing a healthy apetite for literature as it often proves to better one's mastery of their language. This last benefit of being a reader may be something West specifically should ascent towards.
