When was the last time you were so immersed in a book that the world passed you by? Maureen Mann considers some possible criteria to bring on such a state of absorption and shares some titles have engrossed her. Can you think of others?
How often do you find yourself getting lost in a good book? For me, not nearly as often as I did as a child when I seem to remember spending all day engrossed in a story. Is it that stories are not as good? Or, more likely, I am aware of all the other things which need to be done. And I must admit that I can’t stay that still for such a long time anymore. But I can still get lost in a book. Or should it be the pages of a good book (L.R. Knost)?
But what does this phrase mean? How does it happen? Where does it happen?
Do you become absorbed by the quality of language and allow it to wash over you?
Do you create mental images of the landscape and characters, with the author allowing you to imagine yourself within the narrative?
Can you ignore the outside world – phones, TV, outdoor noises?
Do you have a secluded comfortable place to retreat to?
Does it happen if you read a book quickly? I think you have to read at your own pace without any pressure to get it finished or to complete a set number of pages.
What sort of story works for you? We all have preferences which is why there is such a wonderful range of stories to read.
For my adult reading, I love historical fiction, but it has to be accurate without anachronisms, and not told in the first person. I find myself becoming more and more critical, often because the author imposes 21st century values and expectations on the characters.
Can you get lost in a picture book? If the length of the story is a criterion, then no. But I think a picture book which one keeps thinking about, for whatever reason, has that power. Oliver Jeffers’ Begin Again works that way for me. Think Kelly Canby’s Timeless or A Leaf Called Greaf. Or Bernie Thinks in Boxes by Jess Horn.
Here are a few YR and OR novels which have come close to letting me lose myself.
Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan. It needs quite a lot of Irish history background for impact of the story to resonate fully.
Puppet by David Almond. Puppet, the Pinocchio-like creature links Silvester with Fleur and Antonia allowing the 7-10 year old reader to explore life and death issues.
Magicalia: Race of Wonders by Jennifer Bell. The first of a fantasy series: strong fantasy structure with some wonderfully imaginative magicores.
My Brother Finch by Kate Gordon. The setting, the Coal Mines near Port Arthur, are a character in themselves. Grief-stricken Wren has to learn to be whole and be friends again.
Another Gary Crew Classic? In the Secret Place, Ben learns to cope with his disability and find strength, resilience and friendship. Another book where the location is a character.
We’d love to hear about books where you have recently been lost.
Maureen Mann
Retired teacher librarian and avid reader
Such a great topic, thanks Maureen. As an adult being lost in a book means wanting to get back to reading it, when I have been pulled away, rather than just picking it up when I reach the end of the day. The most recent experience of this was reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I find that I need to feel for the character, for this to happen. The plot, setting etc are secondary to the need to develop empathy. Notable past reads that have stayed with me from my childhood/young adult years are Victor Kelleher’s Master of the Grove series, Emily Rodda’s Rowan of Rin series, Alan Garner’s Owl Service, Ruth Park’s Harp in the South and Poor Man’s Orange, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Winston Graham’s Poldark series (which re-reading recently I discovered two more titles). Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
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