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Original poster

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

42 replies

foxinsocks · 05/06/2007 14:23

I finished William Boyd's Restless yesterday. Have realised today that for the past few days, I've had my head in the clouds wanting to get out of the way whatever work had to be done so that I could finish the book off.

I do this with other books too - especially fast paced thrillers or books in a series - find myself counting time till I can get a chance to read till the end.

I even noticed myself looking at people standing on the street differently when I was half way through the book as I was at the stage where Eva was being continually followed and I felt a bit 'on edge' (mad woman alert).

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mumblechum · 05/06/2007 14:27

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.

MrsWeasley · 05/06/2007 14:29

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

Kathyis6incheshigh · 05/06/2007 14:29

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.

Sunshinemummy · 05/06/2007 14:30

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.

Original poster
foxinsocks · 05/06/2007 15:52

aah so I'm not alone!

I feel bereft now I've finished it.

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LittleWonder · 05/06/2007 16:01

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!

Tigana · 05/06/2007 16:06

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.

bakedpotato · 05/06/2007 16:14

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.

Tigana · 05/06/2007 16:16

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

Furrymummy · 05/06/2007 16:18

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.

Original poster
foxinsocks · 05/06/2007 17:58

oh that's interesting bp

first time I can remember it happening (strangely) was with one of the Famous Five - I must have been around 6/7. Next time was Tom's Midnight Garden which had me captivated - think I was the first year of secondary school when we did it as a school book. After that I guess there have been too many to remember.

how funny - it drives dh mad too. But he tends to get very lost in books as well and gets outrageously annoyed and edgy if he hasn't got a good book to read.

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bakedpotato · 05/06/2007 18:37

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.)

LittleWonder · 05/06/2007 19:17

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.

LittleWonder · 05/06/2007 19:19

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...

Kathyis6incheshigh · 05/06/2007 19:33

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

electra · 05/06/2007 19:35

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

LittleWonder · 05/06/2007 19:39

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...

JackieNo · 05/06/2007 19:40

Yes to the getting lost in and obsessed by books. I once had a book of short stories with one in it (it might have been by Fay Weldon, but I might be misremembering) about a woman who was on holiday with her family and another family and was constantly getting put upon, meal plans ruined etc, and I had to stop reading it, because I was completely identifying with her and being incredibly grumpy with DH, who hadn't done anything wrong, but was in my mind the selfish husband in the book.

JackieNo · 05/06/2007 19:43

Oh yes, and I really enjoy reading a couple of series of historical books by Dorothy Dunnet which are so engrossing, it's like waking up when you come to the end of them. YOu're not quite there for quite a while after. And I find myself wanting to visit that world, but don't really have time to read something that engrossing these days.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 05/06/2007 19:44

I don't think I could ever lose myself in the kind of self-conscious fiction that BP's writer is talking about, though certainly not all literary fiction is like that and some earlier stuff is (Tristram Shandy the obvious example).
I don't find the omniscient narrator distances me - could lose myself in Dickens.

bakedpotato · 05/06/2007 19:47

the 'proper writer' was Philip Pullman, sorry for not making that clear.

exactly, Kathy, the self-consciousness issue -- that's more or less exactly how he explained it

LittleWonder · 05/06/2007 19:54

I think a mix of the two is fabulous. When you are totally lost in the book, but able to recognise great literary flair. I stopped reading Martin Amis because it seemed to me - especially with his last book - that he was just trying to be clever and it was frankly rather boring. (IMHO)
Anyway, apologies if I misunderstood, I do bow to the great Pullman - looking forward to the film too...

Original poster
foxinsocks · 05/06/2007 19:56

I haven't read his stuff for ages. I went through a few years where I just could not get into books (coinciding with the kids being nightmares health wise) - I'm so relieved I've got the 'connection' back again iyswim.

yes, I know exactly what you mean about Blyton bp. My parents were told by the school not to encourage me to read them - luckily, they didn't listen!

Jackie - I can very much relate to that situation (with you and dh!). I find myself feeling outraged when I read a book and the female character isn't right (recently, an Iain Banks one which I had to stop part way because the female character just did not work imo!).

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DumbledoresGirl · 05/06/2007 19:58

I read a lot of, what I think may be considered "male" fiction - books of heroism and derring-do - and I certainly find they help me when I am feeling low. It is hard to explain, but I sort of become that hero and it helps me face my demons.

bran · 05/06/2007 19:58

Yes, that happens to me a lot. Sometimes my vocabulary changes for a few days after a book. I was very arch after I first read Pride and Prejudice, which confused everyone who was used my bluntness and general irritability. After I read On the Beach by Neville Shute and was convinced that we were alone in the world (we were in quite a remote location) and were going to die of radiation sickness, I though perhaps I should steer clear of the sad books unless I was in a very cheerful mood at the start. Similarly I only read anything vaguely horror related if I'm in a very cynical mood.

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