I always find that, upon finishing a fantastic book, never mind a stupendous saga, I feel a little lost and empty. Almost like the feeling you get when recovering from a nasty break up. At a loss of what to with my spare time, before moving onto a new venture, I decided that the best way to get over the roller coaster of emotions I'd just experienced, would be to start blogging reviews of the books I'd read. This way, I get to recap the highs and lows of the emotional journey, as well as getting to share with the world the joys of what I'd just read !!
For me, I always find it far easier to connect to fiction than to the real world. Presumably because you have the knowledge, deep down, that what happening Is Not Real. You allow yourself to bond with characters who you'd normally avoid, because, deep down, you know you can pick them up and put them down whenever you choose ... you don't really have to deal with them.
You can lose yourself to fiction, because fiction is safe. Whether it's a crime thriller or a love story, you know the tragedy is not true but allow yourself to be immersed by the journey and by the perks of the text; be it characters overcoming a life long battle with claustrophobia in the most unlikely situations or even a whole species battling the Evil Humans, who wish to use their power for their own personal gain.
We experience the highs and lows, because we can. We can allow herself to feel the joys and pains of our beloved character; when it gets too tough, we know we can just put the book down and continue with our own life.
Fiction is safe. Fiction is an escape. Fiction is a necessity.
