Do you ever find yourself really living a book you are reading?

If BP's writer was talking about the narrative - it can distance you if they use the omniscient person - more old fashioned - but I do think a great writer in whatever genre will cause you to lose yourself...

Yes - do this often. In my case The Secret History, particularly.

But the Moonstone isn't self-conscious in the way BakedPotato's writer says modern literary fiction is - it's very plot driven.

Oh and bakedpotato - I disagree entirely with this "proper" writer - I write and I think that is such a pompous thing to say. I have been blown away in that way we've mentioned by great literary tomes - The Moonstone for example...

Oh me too with Pullman - my DS read them as well, although only 9 or 10 at the time - we then went to the National Theatre for the stage thing, and I cannot tell you how magical it was for us...and watching his face watching the book come to life...(my best date ever)
I get lost in books all the time. I escape there. Whenever I re-read Austen, I speak in this very antiquated manner and it's a bit . I just read The Optimists - cannot be bothered to go downstairs and find the author - but I fell in love with the main protagonist - he was just so lovely (not meant to be) and when the book had a not happy ending, I wrote (in my mind) a happier alternative.
As to Enid Blyton - well, how fabulous can you get? I loved those mystery towers things and I so wanted a monkey.

aha, fis, I had it first with the Island of Adventure, probably around the same age... I do think people who shelter their children from Blyton are missing the point.

(The genre theory is Philip Pullman's, btw. I had it, that blissed-out reading experience, bigtime with His Dark Materials a few years ago.)

Oh I can definitely lose myself in a good book, drives my dh mad because he'll talk to me and I completely ignore him - it's like I can't heare him coz I'm in another world...
sometimes if it's very good I'll dream about a particular book.

I start 'thinking' in the same language and tone as the book as well.

It's fantastic when this happens.
I once asked a proper writer about this and he pointed out that it happens mainly with children's books and genre fiction thrillers, fantasy, romance etc where the story is is the main thing, rather than the manner of the narrative
with 'literary' stuff the author is more present, twirling around and showing off, and this can obstruct your involvement
Restless is pretty modest WB isn't it, it's a good old yarn, not much more fancy than that. A point in its favour surely.

Yes...and this is really sad...when I was post-natal a friend lent me latest Harry Potter for light reading while expressing and bfing...and I found myself wondering about how Harry, Ron and Hermione were doing while I was wandering around the house !!

This doesn't just happen with harry potter btw.

Yes! do this all the time. What is the first time you remember this happening?
Mine was when I was 13 and I read Gone with the Wind, I kept thinking about Scarlett and I was at a Disco!

I'm terrible for it. I sometimes hide my book in my bag so I can take it to the toilet to read during work time.

yes - reread the Borrowers recently and look at me now.

Seriously, yes, and it's brilliant isn't it? I find it happens so rarely with adult literary fiction, though.
Haven't read that William Boyd but I read some of his short stories once and he is wonderful - one of the modern lit fiction writers I rate most of all.

yes I can relate to what youa re saying. A good writer and your imagination can transport you to anywhere. I love it.

Haven't read Restless, but I kind of know what you mean. If a writer has a particularly strong "voice" (IYKWIM), then my internal thoughts are sometimes couched in the same way.

Doesn't usuallylast long, though.