3.18.2010

Emotional Reading

One of the greatest things an author can do for me is make me feel. I want to feel the Heroine's pain, sadness, happiness and anger. I want to feel like I'm inside her head when she goes through these things. Not every author can do it, even some of the greats can't make it happen with every book. Sometimes, you pick up a book, and while it's very good, very well written, the chemistry, the spark isn't there. You put down the book and wonder if the HEA will last. If they were in "forever love". Sometimes, the hero/heroine gets angry about something, but you wonder if they really mean it. You can't feel their anger so it doesn't seem as "real" as it should... you get the idea.

The book I'm listening to now is Breath of Scandal by Sandra Brown. I'm not very far into this book. I may be only three or four chapters in, but I was so angry with the situation that I had to stop listening. I knew what was going to happen. I knew that the bad guys were going to get away with something horrific and the heroine was going to be devastated. Done wrong by those who are suppose to always get it right and forever scarred because of the pride and ignorance of those around her. It appears as if even her own mother isn't on her side. Which I just can't stomach. Your mom's job is to be on your side. It's part of the job, it isn't an option.

I know that today, I will put my headphones back in and get through this awful part of the book, because I know that the heroine is a strong woman and she'll work through it and figure it out, (plus I want to see what she does to make them all pay) but I'll finish this book. My question to all of you is this, have you ever stopped reading a book because an emotion was too strong for you to continue? If so, what was the emotion and did you ever go back and try the book again?

Inquiring minds and all that. Happy reading.

4 comments:

  1. I've never stopped reading because of strong emotion, but I have stopped reading when I didn't feel anything. I need to feel what the characters are feeling or I'll walk away from a book. IMO, that's the author's job. Make me feel, and I'll come back to the book every time. I can overlook a lot of stuff if I can feel the character.

    Great post, Erika!

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  2. I love when an author makes me feel like everything is real. It usually takes more for me to stop a book--boredom is a big factor. Flat characters, no action, no tension....

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  3. This story is frustrating me beyond words. Can't this poor girl catch a damn break???

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  4. Actually I've got a book on my 'what I'm reading now' list that I stopped over a year ago for that very reason! I love the story and I really feel the characters but the heroine is going to do something at the end that I just don't agree with - I know why she's doing it as a character and I know why the author is making her do it and lastly I know it won't REALLY happen because she'll be rescued just in time but when I was reading, I got soooo overwhelmed with the 'realness' of being IN the book I just had to stop ... that and it's the last book in the series and part of me just doesn't want it to end.

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