Literary Clickbait Headlines So Outrageous, They’ll Make You Spit Out Your Tea
Could clickbait headlines get people to read more classic books? I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot!
We’ve all seen them: those over-the-top, gossipy headlines at the ends of articles. They try their best to get you to click so you can read a shocking story about a celeb breakup or get a super secret insider tip to fix crepey skin. This clickbait is what makes sites like Buzzfeed tick, but it’s also to be found on “high quality” websites like Business Insider or CNN. It hangs out in the “from our sponsors” or “around the web” sections…and increasingly, in the content published by those quality websites themselves!
Sometimes my family speaks in clickbait to each other (you won’t BELIEVE what happens next!) because it’s just so annoyingly ridiculous, or we send each other screenshots of clickbait headlines with their accompanying cheesy-or-unrelated stock photos.
At least clickbait headlines provide good entertainment.
But I started to wonder: why should these sites get all the fun? Isn’t there enough salacious, curiosity-inducing content in books to keep us flipping pages with reckless abandon?
Of course there is, someone just has to point it out.
So, for your reading pleasure on April Fool’s Day, I present you with Clickbait: Classic Books Edition. I had a good chuckle making these, and I hope you will, too.
High School Boy Taunts Female Classmate. How She Responds Will Blow Your Mind!
(Anne of Green Gables)
Pet Owners Over 50: Need Your Cat to Cough Up Some Antique Lace? Try This One Weird Trick!
(Cranford)
Did you enjoy these literary clickbait titles? Which was your favourite?
So fun! Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure!
This was delightful! It gave me so many chuckles. Thank you for coming up with this Elsie. Happy April Fool’s indeed.
So glad it brightened your day!
This was so much fun!!! I read them out loud to my family and they tried to guess which book. Thanks Elsie!!
Ooo, that’s a good idea!!
This is super! So clever!
(:
Thoroughly enjoyed this, great fun 😂
My husband said he got a kick out of just listening to me laugh while I worked on this post! Great medicine.
A brilliant idea & headlines so cleverly chosen. Such fun to read; they put a smile on my face. Thank you!
You’re quite welcome!
This post really made my morning!
Mission accomplished!
Busy Mom Checks Her Email Before Her Kids Wake Up. What She Reads Completely Changes the Course of Her Day.
Thanks for the chuckles, Elsie!
Ah, nice!! 😂 So glad!
Love it! So fun!
These were so funny! You’re so creative.
Thank you!
I had so much fun trying to guess the books from just the titles! My favorite was the one for Peter Rabbit : ) Thanks for the laughs!
Thanks, Emma! I had fun finding great pictures for each one, too, and I’m very pleased with the Peter Rabbit one, ha!
Also, the title of this post!!!
Brilliant!! I loved all of these, but my favorite was probably The Hobbit.
Yeah, I thought I was pretty clever there, haha!
*chuckling* Very clever. Made me want to make up my own: New Owners Remodeling House Had to Call Police After Knocking Down a Wall… (Cask of Amontillado)
Oh boy, yes, that *would* be truly sensational, ha!
I loved them all but Peter Rabbitreally ot me! Very funny!
(: (: