Skip to content
The word Tsundoku may not sound familiar to you, but I'm sure —and if you're honest I'm sure you'll agree with me— that you feel that What I'm going to tell you next is familiar to you.At least for me it's like looking in a mirror, albeit with nuances.
A few days ago I read a quote in Threads —that social network like X but that understands me much better— that stuck in my mind. It said something like:
«Reading books and buying books are two completely different hobbies.»
And it was as if a new dimension that had been hidden until then had lit up in my head. It's funny because shortly after I started researching, I began to find as if by whim of the universe Some examples and articles that talked about this habit: Accumulating books without reading them.
They say it's another way to show your love for books, and in some ways it is exactly like that. tsundoku is a Japanese term describing the habit of buying books and leaving them piled up unread. But who would want to do that?
Well, surprisingly, a lot of people do. For many bibliophiles, this practice is not just a mistake, but a true philosophy of life. Or for simple people like me who like that image of the book on the shelf.
Let's learn more about this curious custom.
What does “tsundoku” mean?
To start, let's talk about the language —don't worry, I don't speak Japanese either— from which this beautiful word originated.
As I suppose you might have already inferred, the term tsundoku (School of the University of California, Los Angeles) is a combination of several Japanese words:
«Tsunde» (積んで), meaning "to stack things."
«Oku» (置く), meaning “to put something aside for a while.”
«Doku» (読), which comes from “yomu” (読む), which means “to read.”
All in all, and as I'm sure you've come to deduce, tsundoku perfectly describes that action of buying books and piling them up without ever reading them. It may seem so, but It is not a negative attitude or a lack of interest in reading.; on the contrary, it often happens to people who are passionate about books that they buy more than they can read.
When and how does the term arise?
Looking for the origin we can find that the use of the word tsundoku dates back to the 19th century in Japan, during the Meiji era (1868-1912). It is believed that it was coined as a play on words to describe scholars who bought more books than they could read, perhaps as a form of mockery.
The 10 Best Books of the 21st Century According to The New York Times
Authors Who Created Entire Languages for Their Books (And You'll Want to Learn)
Which book to choose according to your mood?
Audible: My favorite app to listen to FREE audiobooks wherever you want
The Best Chess Books: Complete Guide to Growing
6 Famous Authors Who Hated Their Own Books (And We Loved Them)
The fact is that the first record of the term appears in newspaper writings and literature of the time, where It was used humorously to point out people who had piles of unopened books in their homes.It is more than likely that this term came from before, although there are no records.
What we do know is that the first documented appearance of the term “tsundoku” in print dates back to 1879. Specifically, the phrase «tsundoku sensei» It is found in a satirical text from that same year, according to the writer Mori Senzo.
However, over time, the word stopped having a mocking tone and became accepted as a neutral description of a common phenomenon among book lovers.
Like me and maybe like you too.
Tsundoku in the West: its arrival and expansion
Although as we have seen the term is Japanese, the practice of tsundoku is universalThe word began to gain popularity outside of Japan in the 2010s thanks to the internet and social media, especially Instagram, where readers from around the world shared images of their bookshelves filled with unread books.
One of the first to speak of the term in English was in 2018, in an essay for New York Magazine, where he described his own experience of accumulating books. It has since been adopted by the English-speaking literary community and has appeared in numerous articles and debates on the psychology of reading.
Nowadays, Tsundoku is a word known in many countries and has been adopted into the lexicon of Spanish-speaking readers., who use it on social media to describe their piles of pending books.
How not to do it…
Why do we accumulate books that we don't read?
Let's see. Tsundoku isn't just a matter of impulsive accumulation. It's not about that. There are several reasons why readers buy more books than they can read:
- The desire to learn: This one affects me personally. Every time I see a book that can offer me something new, I buy it. I have the intention to read them, but the time available is limited.
- The pleasure of owning books: For many, books are objects of aesthetic and cultural value, beyond their content. And don't say that a bookshelf full of books doesn't decorate any room.
- The illusion of availabilityIt's like having a library at home. It feels like you can read those books at any time, even if that time never comes.
- Simple collecting: Some people buy books to build a collection, even if they don't plan to read all the titles right away. Others collect coins or stamps. Why not do the same with books?
The phenomenon has parallels with other forms of accumulation, such as the "backlog" in video games or the endless lists of movies to watch on streaming platforms - more similar to «Digital Diogenes Syndrome»—.
Famous examples of tsundoku
Don't believe that only ordinary people fall into the trap of tsundoku. This may surprise you, but Some of the most influential figures in history have been great hoarders of books:
- Thomas Jefferson: His personal library grew to over 6,000 books, many of which he never read in their entirety. And no wonder…
- Fernando Pessoa: The Portuguese poet had hundreds of books in his house, many unopened, reflecting his insatiable intellectual curiosity.
- And I'll leave the last one for the end. Umberto Eco: The famous Italian writer. Pay attention…
Umberto Eco's personal library was impressive in its size and diversity. It seems that Eco's total collection consisted of more than 50,000 volumes!. He had them distributed in two of his homes:
- At his home in Milan, Eco had approximately 35,000 books.
- At his country house in Monte Cerignone, near Rimini, he had about 20,000 additional books.
Within this extensive collection, the following stood out:
- On the one hand, there are more than 50,000 modern books, acquired over the years or received as gifts. Who would pass up a book as a gift…
- A collection of approximately 1,200 antique books, all personally selected and acquired by Eco. Second-hand, just the way I like them.
- Between 20 and 30 incunabula (books printed before 1501). I hope to be able to get close to read them or just touch them.
You may be wondering: Is tsundoku bad?
Well, not necessarily. Although some see tsundoku as a form of cultural consumerism, others consider it a manifestation of a love of books. In fact, some experts suggest that surrounding yourself with books, even if you don't read them all, contributes to an intellectually stimulating environment.
Philosopher Nassim Taleb talks about the concept of the "anti-library" in his book The Black Swan (2007) —which I highly recommend—, arguing that Unread books are more valuable than read ones, as they represent knowledge yet to be discovered. According to this view, tsundoku is not a useless accumulation, but an investment in future learning.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (Contexts) | 24.70 EUR | Buy on Amazon |
How to manage tsundoku without stopping enjoying books
If you have a growing pile of unread books and want to get better organized, here are some tips:
- For a start, Organize your library as I already told you and start creating a cataloging system. It will help a lot with the next steps.
- Set priorities: Make a list of the books you really want to read in the next few months. With a little organization it will be easier.
- Avoid impulsive purchases: Before you buy a new book, ask yourself if you'll actually read it soon or if it just appeals to you in the moment. Listen to Taleb.
- Keep a record: Use apps like Goodreads or Libib to catalog your collection and keep track of what you've read.
- Combine reading and rereading: Don't just focus on new books; revisit the ones you already have and find forgotten gems on your own bookshelf. You'll find gems from your past self.
- Accept the tsundoku as part of your identity: Don't punish yourself for accumulating books; instead, enjoy the pleasure of having them around.
So now you know. Tsundoku is more than just a habit of accumulation: It is a reflection of the love for knowledge and literatureWhile it may seem a contradiction to buy books and not read them, the simple presence of them in our lives reminds us of the richness of the intellectual world.
Whether you're looking to whittle down your backlog or simply accept your fate as a book hoarder, The important thing is to enjoy the trip that reading offers us.
Are you a tsundoku practitioner? Share how many books you have pending and how you manage your personal library! Let me know in the comments how many books you have.