lectuur

Lectuur is a Dutch term used to refer to reading material in general, with a specific emphasis on material intended primarily for entertainment or casual interest rather than scholarly or artistic aims. The concept covers a wide range of genres and formats, including detective novels, romance, thrillers, adventure stories, popular science, magazines, and other forms of light or popular writing.

In everyday usage, lectuur is often contrasted with literatuur, a label associated with serious or high-cultural writing. The contrast can imply a hierarchy of value, with lectuur commonly seen as accessible and easy to read, while literatuur is perceived as more demanding or prestigious. Within lectuur, distinctions are sometimes made between lichte lectuur (light reading) and heavier forms of popular literature, though the latter may still be considered part of lectuur rather than literatuur. Newspapers and magazines intended for broad audiences are also included under the umbrella of lectuur.

Historically, the term gained prominence in Dutch-language contexts as literacy expanded and mass printing made popular reading widely available. Libraries, bookstores, and bibliographic catalogs have used lectuur to categorize non-specialist, general-interest reading material alongside more serious literature, aiding readers in choosing material aligned with their preferences.

In modern usage, lectuur remains a practical label in Dutch, though it can carry a slightly dismissive tone when compared with literatuur. It persists as a way to describe the broad spectrum of non-academic, consumer-oriented reading material consumed for entertainment and leisure.