[ SECRET POST #5188 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #5188 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 59 secrets from Secret Submission Post #743.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

OP: Yes, this. I wouldn't have had such high hopes for it if it wasn't sold as an adult book and if I didn't hear from many adults that it's great. I'm selective even when it comes to YA novels, so I would have probably skipped it (or waited until I could borrow it instead of buying it). Honestly, goodreads is horrible when it comes to books like this and me trying to figure out if I'll like it.

[(Anonymous)]

NAYRT

Honestly, goodreads is horrible when it comes to books like this and me trying to figure out if I'll like it.

I'm in a Scifi and Fantasy Book Club on GR and this book is the current fantasy book of the month. There's been a range of reactions to it in the discussion, but I was surprised by quite a few members whose opinions I respect who really enjoyed this book.

I think what it must come down to is that reading isn't just the words on the page. It's that plus what you bring to it as the reader: your previous life and literary experiences, your mood when you read the book, the state of the world when you read it, etc. Because I agree with you that the actual book is mediocre at best, but I also know several intelligent adults who obviously got a lot more out of it than that.

[(Anonymous)]

(OP)

You're right about our perception of the books we read being very affected by what we bring to them, and I don't really mind that, there are mediocre book which I love, because they just ~worked for me on some level, etc.

In this case, I was just really confused, because of the size of the gap between my impression fo this particular book and the general opinion on it (and opinions of my friends). But I know why it doesn't work for me, what really intrigues me is why it works so well for others. There are many, many adult people who found it incredibly uplifting and heart-warming, and I can't figure ~how or maybe even ~why, becaue I get how this level of simplification and sugary naivitate would work for someone younger, but for adults living in this world? To me, you have to work pretty hard with the text, as a reader, to follow the emotional path set by the author. You have to be, in a sense, very willing to gloss over the platitudes and truisms and so on, to get the effect you want from the narrative. And it both baffles me and also sadens me a bit to think that people need this kind of strories so much that they will take the undercooked versions and treat them as masterpieces. Because I think it can be done better.

(of course, this is my conjecture, etc. - maybe "the anvil to the head" level of messaging is exactly the selling point and everybody's favourite part, not something that many people tolerate because they like the overall story)