I was going to get the book, A Little Life, after a lot of people recommended it to me. My favorite genre of books are dark fiction and non-fiction books that go into the psychological plagues trauma brings upon a persons mind. I read them too to examine how an author dissects a traumatic event or events and brings the characters into those situations and how the characters progress. What always shocks me is seeing how other people react to these books. I suffered severe childhood trauma in various different ways. So reading these books is sometimes comforting, sometimes I read them with the intent to relate to a character, in the thoughts of the character towards an event that others might not have thought one would even experience. But watching some peoples reactions to books like A Little Life, and becoming nauseous or being in disbelief, I find it shocking. What are the experiences of people who read books who did not read it with intent to relate to the character. Why did you pick the book up? Im interested to see the other side of the coin. Does the emotional experiences of the characters resonate with you? Do you see any parallels within your our own life and the characters?
I primarily read to escape my own life so I don’t want anything I can specifically relate to. I very intentionally seek out books by and about people who are not like me and whose experiences I have never shared. It helps me develop empathy through a broader and deeper view of life.
I’m a bit like this too, I don’t read anything set in modern times. As soon as guns and computer type technology is involved, I’m out. I’m the same with TV shows and movies too.
Curious you read any sci Fi?
I’ve read every book in the Old Mans War world, and the Red Rising series, but that’s the only Sci fi I’ve read. Oh and Ready Player Two well before the movie came out.
I’m the same way with contemporary. I mainly read historical and fantasy for this reason. My main reason for reading is escapism and I find it’s just harder to fall into the story when it’s a setting I have personal experiences with
Any good books you recommend? Currently reading silence of the lambs - really enjoying it. But there are guns and some tech :)
I’ve read a ridiculous amount over the years, but it’s mostly high fantasy so that might not be your style. One author I never see spoken about here is L E Modesit jr. He wrote The Saga of Recluse, and The Imager Portfolio, which are both super long series set in very well developed worlds over a long timeline. He’s also written some sci fi that I haven’t read, and the Corean Chronicles, which is well worth a read as well. All of his series have unique systems of magic that I’ve never come across before, and he’s up there as one of my favorite authors.
This is me exactly. Reading is all about escapism. In fact it was the only thing that saved me from all my childhood trauma. I had (arguably) the most trauma out of all my siblings, and all but one and me have substance abuse issues. Reading is how I got away from the unbearable. Because of that, I will avoid any book I know is about child rape or abuses of certain sorts, because they cut too close. Of course, I am sometimes surprised in a book by traumatic events, and it just varies on how badly it hits me. But I want fun reading, not trauma.
Ya as long as the writing is good, generally, I can “become” the character while I’m reading it despite knowing I’ll never be the character.
It doesn’t have to directly relate to my life to be impactful.