The other day I came across a post on my newsfeed that was of a women writing to a fictional character, speaking to the character as if they could and would respond. I follow this character and several others knowing that the author of the series runs the pages and often will post interesting tidbits as these characters. It's entertaining and adds something of interest to think about while I am waiting for the next installment of the series to be released. It's fun and sort of cool, in the very nerdiest of ways.
But, something about the way this women spoke to the character made me question how connected us readers get to these characters. Is it all in good fun or can it be too serious? I will admit there are several characters from several books of whom I maintain some very serious attachment- Darcy, Four, and Sirius, to name a few-- but my attachment to these characters is coupled with the mutual understanding that they, dare I say, aren't real! Now, I am about as obsessive as they come when it comes to the specific series that I follow religiously, but having just recently been exposed to an even more extreme set of obsessive I am curious, is there a line?
The more I looked into it I began to notice a severe difference between my kind of obsessive and the more extreme sort. It seems there is a small community of readers that find solace in these characters and use them as pillars of judgment against real people in their real lives. Sure, characters usually have qualities that can be found in actual people, in actual situations, but comparing a real person to a character is a slippery slope and certainly could result in some pretty severe disappointment. Those that consider themselves apart of certain fandoms (and there are a few that I definitely do) sometimes create an unrealistic expectation of reality for themselves that typically results in defeat or disillusionment.
Obviously, we ALL would rather be in Potions class than Geometry or fighting alongside the "Girl on Fire" but these books are meant to give you a break from the more difficult portions of reality, not make you disappointed that your life doesn't measure up. I will admit that once I am finished with a particularly enthralling read, it is sometimes pretty hard to adjust to life just thereafter. But, that's when you hop on over to Barnes and find something new! Ultimately, I think the message here is to read the books you love, become invested and attached to their stories, but not allow yourself to become so obsessed that you cannot find happiness when you finally close the back cover ( or, at least after you get over the shock of having just finished a great read!).
Read on!
But, something about the way this women spoke to the character made me question how connected us readers get to these characters. Is it all in good fun or can it be too serious? I will admit there are several characters from several books of whom I maintain some very serious attachment- Darcy, Four, and Sirius, to name a few-- but my attachment to these characters is coupled with the mutual understanding that they, dare I say, aren't real! Now, I am about as obsessive as they come when it comes to the specific series that I follow religiously, but having just recently been exposed to an even more extreme set of obsessive I am curious, is there a line?
The more I looked into it I began to notice a severe difference between my kind of obsessive and the more extreme sort. It seems there is a small community of readers that find solace in these characters and use them as pillars of judgment against real people in their real lives. Sure, characters usually have qualities that can be found in actual people, in actual situations, but comparing a real person to a character is a slippery slope and certainly could result in some pretty severe disappointment. Those that consider themselves apart of certain fandoms (and there are a few that I definitely do) sometimes create an unrealistic expectation of reality for themselves that typically results in defeat or disillusionment.
Obviously, we ALL would rather be in Potions class than Geometry or fighting alongside the "Girl on Fire" but these books are meant to give you a break from the more difficult portions of reality, not make you disappointed that your life doesn't measure up. I will admit that once I am finished with a particularly enthralling read, it is sometimes pretty hard to adjust to life just thereafter. But, that's when you hop on over to Barnes and find something new! Ultimately, I think the message here is to read the books you love, become invested and attached to their stories, but not allow yourself to become so obsessed that you cannot find happiness when you finally close the back cover ( or, at least after you get over the shock of having just finished a great read!).
Read on!