I'll back GP's thesis. The global median reader has poor reading comprehension skills and has read few other books. Their main concern is entertainment. Entert

I'll back GP's thesis. The global median reader has poor reading comprehension skills and has read few other books. Their main concern is entertainment. Entertaining as many readers as possible in order to be popular requires writing about broad-interest subjects using surface level knowledge. Dedicated literary critics have read many more books than average and are better at extracting meaning from what they read. They're looking for "quality," which is nebulous but distinct from entertainment value, and they're less likely to be put off by abstract concepts or complexity. Specialized critics are better; if you want a sci-fi book you ask a sci-fi reader. As anecdotal evidence I submit the sales figures of Fifty Shades of Gray.