Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Reading a novel is not like getting married

Some time ago, I was talking to a lady who politely explained why she declined to read any of my books. "After the one and only novel I ever read, I decided never to read fiction again."

"Was it that bad?"

"No, to the contrary, it was excellent. It was 'The Thorn Birds' by Colleen McCullough. I enjoyed it so much I decided no other novel could possibly come close. Since I'd read the best novel ever written, what would be the point in reading any others? It'd be a waste of time. I'm glad the only novel I ever read happened to be the world's best book."

My jaw must have hung slack for a moment. I tried to convince her that there is a wealth of wonderful stories out there which she'd surely love as much, if only she gave them a chance. I can understand 'book hangover', which is when we read such a good novel, we want to spend time savouring the characters in our heads and thoughts before we move on to anything new. I've often had it myself. I've never heard of it lasting 20+ years, as it has been for this lady. As I couldn't convince her, I assume her case might drag on for the rest of her life.

That surprised me enough to wonder how many others her reaction may apply to. Surely not many, I hoped. Yet I began to see less extreme variations of the same thing in others, even within my own family. My 14 year-old daughter, Emma, loves the comedian Tobuscus, aka Toby Turner. She has often been heard to say he must be the funniest guy alive. She has bought a Tobuscus jacket from overseas and had a Tobuscus pair of shoes designed by an artist she knows.

One day, soon after we moved into a nicer house than we'd lived in before, Emma's little brother, Blake, asked her, "If you had your choice, which would you pick? We could live in this great new house but Tobuscus never existed? Or we could still live cramped up in the old house and he does exist?" Kids ask weird questions.

Emma had to think about it. Even though she loved her more spacious new bedroom, she decided that living in the old house and being able to continue enjoying the comedy of Tobuscus would be her preferred option. I suggested to her that she was thinking like the 'Thorn Birds' lady. If Toby Turner didn't exist or she'd never heard of his comedy, she'd be none the wiser and there would surely be some other comic person she'd totally enjoy. Because the fact is, creativity is everywhere and it's sad when we limit ourselves to one person or outlet. God-inspired ideas are floating around and there are many creative people snatching them and crafting them into unique and fantastic offerings with the aid of their God-given imaginations.

I'd love to read all the books I possibly could, starting with the ones which appear on the widget of this blog by creative authors from around the globe. I've read some terrific novels and I'm sure there are many more destined to have me sighing and swooning over emotional roller coaster rides. I'm honoured when people tell me such things as, "I enjoyed all your contemporary novels but didn't think I'd enjoy your fantasy series, yet when I started it, I loved them just as much," or vice versa. Even when a particular genre may not be our cup of tea, there are others written by different authors that surely would be. Reading widely has always been one of my greatest hobbies.

I'm thankful that books are nothing like marriage. I know what I'd tell that 'Thorn Birds' lady if I had the chance to speak to her again. Choosing a novel to read is nothing like choosing a spouse. We don't have to make vows to remain true to them to the exclusion of all others. Such a covenant is not required because God has designed our brains to appreciate any number of stimulating stories. When I co-wrote "The Greenfield Legacy" with fellow Aussie authors, Meredith Resce, Rose Dee and Amanda Deed, we put a page about each of us at the back of the book. That is so readers may find out more about the diverse writing each of us has to offer. We're hoping they'll start there and branch out. I challenge us not to be the sort of readers who blindly stick to our favourite authors. I like to download kindle freebies. I've read a few dodgy ones that I'm happy to delete, but I've also come across some fantastic ones which I'm grateful not to have missed.

Paula Vince lives in South Australia with her family and homeschools her younger children. She writes contemporary romantic dramas set in her own picturesque Adelaide Hills, some of which have won awards. She believes nothing has the power to entertain and inspire as much as a well-written story with lovable characters. Visit her at www.paulavince.com.

16 comments:

  1. Great post, Paula. And I'm so thankful that reading isn't like marriage, because I'd hate to know what I'd be labelled :) Most times I've hardly finished the one book and I'm on to the next. Even in my writing ... as much as I'd love to stay in love with my current characters forever, there are more characters anxiously waiting for me to breathe life into.

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    1. Hi Marion,
      Your comment made me laugh. I also know several people who tend to read four or five different novels at once, picking up the one they fancy at the moment. Thanks heavens novel reading is not like marriage :)

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  2. I'm a bit like your Thorn Birds lady, except when I fell in love with a book I wanted more, and more and more. The book was "Anne of Green Gables" and I read every L.M. Montgomery book I could find. When I'd read them all I had to look for others. The reading habit was so deep, it had to be fed. And you've never read "the best book ever written!" There will always be another that's even better.

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    1. Hi Alice,
      I did exactly the same thing in my teens. I collected everything LMM ever wrote because I just knew it would be lovely. Some of her more obscure ones were easier to come by in the 80s than now.

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  3. Definitely Paula. I've discovered some amazing authors in the past twelve months by not sticking to those I know and love - and some are quickly becoming new favourites. :)

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    1. Hi Amanda,
      Yes, I've definitely been doing the same as you. Keep up your reviews, btw.

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  4. I think that woman was more an example of a person who doesn't really want to read. Having read a really good book, she was relieved to discover that she'd had that experience. In fact, I'd wonder if she really did like The Thorn Birds all that much when she wasn't inspired to read other things, at least, other things by Colleen McCulloch.
    By the way, can you say to Emma from me, "Careful Harry, he doesn't have a nose!"

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    1. Hi Lynne,
      I think you might be right. She can tick it off her 'to do' list. I love that funny bit of film you're referring to. He's a clever guy :)

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  5. Wow. I feel really sad for this lady - she is missing out on so many amazing stories.

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    1. Hi Kara,
      I completely agree. And she's not alone. I've come across many non-readers, as I'm sure you have too.

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  6. If I live to be a hundred and forty two, I still don't have enough time to read (and write) all the things I have on my TBR or TBW list.

    What a sad anecdote. What a sad lady.

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    1. Hi Judith,
      I sometimes think the same thing when I'm reading an old favourite over again :)

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  7. I often feel unsettled after reading a good book and get rather selective with the next one , sometimes discarding a couple in the process. But I could never imagine not reading. So many good books out there to read. that said, I have never read The Thorn Birds and the book I am reading at present is one I wasn't sure I'd like but picked up on spec and have been surprisingly drawn into it, so you never can tell what will appeal till you try it.Thanks Paula

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    1. Hi Dale,
      Absolutely. I'm finding that out as I flick through all the freebies I download on kindle, something I was never able to do even a few years ago.

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  8. Hi Paula, great post! I tend to agree with Lynne - if the lady had loved The Thorn Birds as much as she said, why wasn't she looking for more books to read by Colleen McCulloch? I haven't read the book but I loved the tv miniseries with Richard Chamberlain, Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward.

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  9. Hi Paula, what a sad comment. I once had a lady say she only read profitable books. At the time I felt maybe what I was writing was not helpful,until I heard from others with entirely different, but encouraging viewpoints.

    However, it did make me take care that what i wrote would help my readers in their faith walk in some way.

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