I'm sure I can't be the only person who can get really, and I mean REALLY caught up in a story. Note, I say story here rather than book, because unlike a lot of people on the Internet, I don't really read a great number of books. This is for a number of reasons- one, I have read nearly all the books I own, and rarely buy new books. Two, I struggle with my focus on reading when reading without purpose. 16 collective years of education have made me this way. When reading for pleasure, I can never really find a place comfortable to sit, or a comfortable way to sit, and then I find my glasses need cleaning and I need something to drink, and then when I actually get around to opening the book, I read the same paragraph over and over and over. That is why I say book rather than story. Because stories don't necessarily have to be in books.
When I find myself getting into a film or a TV show or a radio drama (yes, I listen to those) or a play it is something other-worldly. Its like my real life doesn't exist for an hour or two, and I'm somewhere that exists outside of time. And I come to feel like I'm inhabiting the same world that the characters I'm following are living in, and thus get greatly emotionally invested in the characters' well being. A great example of this would be during the height of Pottermania, when Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix was first released and everybody went out at midnight and got their hardback first edition copies, I read non-stop until I could no longer stay awake **. Then when I was sleeping, I found myself having potter-dreams. Though curiously, the Harry, Ron and Hermione in my dreams did not resemble the then children taking on these characters in the film, but resembled the versions of themselves that I had created in my imagination upon reading the first book.
Another example of this could have come from when I was watching The Returned which in case you didn't know, was a French drama/thriller series that aired on Channel 4 last year. I thoroughly recommend seeing this. It featured several different story arcs ranging from different points in history to the present day. And though there were many questions left unanswered there was so much gripping me into this world of The Returned.
Another example of something that I've got really into is Orphan Black which if you spend any time with me, you may be sick of hearing about- I'm in lots of groups on facebook, I have an orphan black t-shirt and phone case and wallpaper on my laptop. Occasionally I delve into fan fiction (reading, not writing). But the point is that they are all stories that appeal to me, but what is intriguing is why they appeal to me.
All the things I have mentioned have an element of mystery and struggle for discovery, and an urgency attached to them. Also they have lots of really great characters. But most importantly, the stories going on in these things I get caught up in are very very different from my life. And I think that's what makes these things so interesting. I consider myself to be currently fairly mediocre in terms of fulfilling my potential (don't worry, I'm taking steps to change that, even if they seem slow right now) whereas in these stories, the characters are always in life and death situations where they make massive decisions or go on huge journeys.
What do you think? do you get really involved in a book/tvseries/film/play/radio drama? Why? How? Let me know in the comments.
** actually, I tell a lie, I read all the way up until 42 where there had been a printing/binding error and it suddenly skipped ahead to page345 or somewhere thereabouts where some members of Dumbledore's Army were about to get on some thestrals to head to the Ministry of Magic and the department of mysteries. Needless to say I was thoroughly confused as I had no idea even who Luna Lovegood was, let alone what thestrals were. We kept the book and bought a second one because we thought there might be some crazy collector out there somewhere that might like to buy a first edition misprinted copy of the book bought at midnight with a receipt for proof that it was bought at that time. Some people will buy anything. But it takes all sorts to make a world I suppose!
Today, this is me and my friend Claire who I volunteer with at Oxfam:
See you tomorrow!
-Rosa
x
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