tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post3143737920708768090..comments2024-03-16T22:32:46.026-06:00Comments on It's All About Books: Reading EmotionsSueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-63333366840304976332013-10-07T21:58:10.452-06:002013-10-07T21:58:10.452-06:00Thanks everyone for a great discussion and awesome...Thanks everyone for a great discussion and awesome comments! I need to do this more often! :)Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-48872676536651652992013-10-07T21:57:39.352-06:002013-10-07T21:57:39.352-06:00Jeane: Yep, I think everyone here has made some gr...Jeane: Yep, I think everyone here has made some great conclusions about the WHY thing. Awesome stuff to think about.Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-90572794726231127392013-10-07T21:56:44.776-06:002013-10-07T21:56:44.776-06:00Marce: Yes, manipulation is for sure a sort of emo...Marce: Yes, manipulation is for sure a sort of emotion that everyone is NOT liking at all here. And maybe those books we can call bad. Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-66742907211019633712013-10-07T21:55:54.200-06:002013-10-07T21:55:54.200-06:00Kelley: It's so true. Emotion is the key I thi...Kelley: It's so true. Emotion is the key I think.Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-42865780220913856082013-10-07T21:55:29.650-06:002013-10-07T21:55:29.650-06:00Trish: I like the crying books too! And yes, good ...Trish: I like the crying books too! And yes, good is so subjective. But I don't know what other word to use! Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-70389923178944698482013-10-07T21:54:41.962-06:002013-10-07T21:54:41.962-06:00Lisa: I've wanted to throw a book at the wall,...Lisa: I've wanted to throw a book at the wall, and I keep thinking about that book and wondering, was it a good book? Even if it made me crazy? I would probably have to say yes!Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-50902649836126832652013-10-07T21:53:52.185-06:002013-10-07T21:53:52.185-06:00Michelle: And that's what makes your books goo...Michelle: And that's what makes your books good, is this passion and the deep feelings you've caused. I love it!Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-65251183053109790392013-10-07T21:53:08.902-06:002013-10-07T21:53:08.902-06:00DoingDewey: They may not be your favorite, those s...DoingDewey: They may not be your favorite, those sad and angry books, but if you FELT something it means it was generally a good book... even if you didn't like it. Right? :) Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-45791482340951278032013-10-07T21:51:40.184-06:002013-10-07T21:51:40.184-06:00Jenni: Yep, exactly what I was trying to say! Jenni: Yep, exactly what I was trying to say! Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-53832173108595364122013-10-07T20:28:32.755-06:002013-10-07T20:28:32.755-06:00Good question. I think if an author can make you f...Good question. I think if an author can make you feel, then they did their job. I may not like the book, but I'd definitely give it credit for what it did. I don't think I've ever hated a book because it made me feel a certain way. Sure, it may have been hard to finish, but I've never hated a book because of emotion. I've hated books because the plot was boring, the characters didn't engage me, the writing sucked, I felt manipulated (not genuinely feeling a certain way if that makes sense), or there was too much swearing.<br /><br />Now, movies on the other hand, I have hated because they made me feel a certain way. I've hated them because they made me feel gross or sick or scared. Sure, I used to watch scary movies all the time, but when I saw Sinister, it scared me too much. It did its job, but it did it too well and I hated it for it.<br /><br />I know I'm a contradiction, but I get what you're saying and for the most part I don't base my like/dislike on my emotions ... I think. ;)Jenni Elysehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08403700912436098391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-80888988207507711242013-10-07T12:07:52.200-06:002013-10-07T12:07:52.200-06:00If a book makes me annoyed or angry at the charact...If a book makes me annoyed or angry at the characters, I will often dislike that. To me, it feels so pointless when things don't work out because the characters are being stupid. Although The Book Thief was an exception to this and I might have to rethink this opinion, for the most part, I don't like books that make me sad either. I certainly wouldn't say those books are bad books! But I read to learn things and/or to come away feeling happy and entertained. That means that books that leave me feeling sad or angry are usually not my favorites.DoingDeweyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09902496432225294188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-54744116606923914602013-10-06T07:41:28.223-06:002013-10-06T07:41:28.223-06:00Mmmm, I agree with this all the way. I seem to wri...Mmmm, I agree with this all the way. I seem to write books and stories that piss some readers off to the point that I've even had them tell me in a book group that they hated my stories. It takes a lot of anger/passion to admit that face to face to the author, I think. I just chalked it up to the fact that I was able to inspire such passion in a reader more than nothing at all. I've always thought "that has got to mean something, right?" Michelle D. Argylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696465137285587646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-82814993924054101052013-10-05T21:13:10.284-06:002013-10-05T21:13:10.284-06:00I absolutely agree - a book can definitely still b...I absolutely agree - a book can definitely still be good even if it still up strong negative emotions in you. Of course, I'm assuming here that you're not talking about getting done with a book and wanting to throw it against the wall, but rather something or someone in the book stirring up those strong emotions. Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05554217416500328610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-46095783835430606572013-10-05T13:13:20.616-06:002013-10-05T13:13:20.616-06:00My favorite books are the ones that make me cry bu...My favorite books are the ones that make me cry buckets. I can even dislike the entire book up to that point that it makes me cry and then it's all of a sudden the best book ever. ;) But absolutely I agree with you that a book should touch the reader emotionally. If it's "emotionally dead" then I find it is forgetable and a book I don't recommend to others. Now ones that touch on negative emotions? Hmmm--I think it makes it good for discussions, like book club, but I don't know if that necessarily makes it a good book? Though in this discussion "good" is highly subjective!Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17225576485797030511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-50188890546439199472013-10-04T21:38:07.281-06:002013-10-04T21:38:07.281-06:00I would agree, the best books always evoke emotion...I would agree, the best books always evoke emotion. Books that don't require investment from me are usually forgotten rather quickly.kayerjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08479123027080062607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-26310150773167000912013-10-04T09:45:55.056-06:002013-10-04T09:45:55.056-06:00BTW, Still Missing is the book I am thinking about...BTW, Still Missing is the book I am thinking about, but Gone Girl was another.Marcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10136238772526246675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-74266555042738992502013-10-04T09:45:08.030-06:002013-10-04T09:45:08.030-06:00Tif I felt the same about Gone Girl and just didn&...Tif I felt the same about Gone Girl and just didn't enjoy it like the majority. I felt manipulated.Marcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10136238772526246675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-6465686305214415972013-10-04T09:41:06.511-06:002013-10-04T09:41:06.511-06:00Suey, I totally agree with you, if emotions were b...Suey, I totally agree with you, if emotions were bought out the author has done a great job. <br /><br />I will say there is one book I really did not like and it is a very popular book, the emotion I went through was because I felt manipulated and it would never happen. I gave the book a 3 but wanted to throw it across the room. I still am a little guilty on not giving higher rating but I can't get past the manipulation part. I did have discussions etc about it and this was 2 years ago I believe. Still a tiny bit guilty lolMarcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10136238772526246675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-49288574453419583552013-10-04T06:47:58.571-06:002013-10-04T06:47:58.571-06:00I agree with a lot of the comments here: it all ha...I agree with a lot of the comments here: it all has to do with <i>why</i> I'm feeling a strong emotion. If I'm irritated because the book has terrible editing or no glossary when it's needed (see my recent post about Whale Rider, ha ha) that's different from feeling frustrated at what a character is doing, or because I can't figure out the storyline and am all confused at the end. Often that makes me want to dive right into the book again to figure it all out! The ones that I consider actually "bad" are those that are so boring and at the same time incomprehensible or nonsensical that I just lack all desire to read them. They often don't even get mentioned because I see what's coming and put them aside after ten, twenty pages or so.Jeanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02270303640902731044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-36887083145104426502013-10-03T22:30:14.128-06:002013-10-03T22:30:14.128-06:00Tif: Ah... feeling disgusted? Yeah, no there's...Tif: Ah... feeling disgusted? Yeah, no there's a good question. I would say it probably did it's job to make you feel that way, but now, you aren't going to leave feeling good about the book at all. Hmmmm.... an emotion I haven't feel much with reading... but this does NOT want to make me read this book! (I've avoided this book because this what I hear most people saying. Yeah, not my thing!)<br /><br />But The Road! Now I would say.. good book... because of the emotion there! Great example of what I'm talking about here.Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-49427086562312115612013-10-03T22:28:07.563-06:002013-10-03T22:28:07.563-06:00Susan: Being manipulated to feel something is not ...Susan: Being manipulated to feel something is not a good thing and something I've noticed people talking a lot about lately. Another good discussion idea!Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-91694596400585724302013-10-03T22:27:23.375-06:002013-10-03T22:27:23.375-06:00L: Good question! About the giddy thing. I say yes...L: Good question! About the giddy thing. I say yes. And I say that boredom isn't a true emotion for this discussion! Boredom is what I'm thinking when I say a book that has no emotional reaction from the reader at all. Not good. :) (At least for whoever was bored by it!)Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-31067889490002308592013-10-03T22:25:09.025-06:002013-10-03T22:25:09.025-06:00Kami: Yes of course! But then you have remember th...Kami: Yes of course! But then you have remember that what you thought dumb someone else loved! :) That's where this discussion gets so very tricky. Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-57277641387078110182013-10-03T22:24:38.120-06:002013-10-03T22:24:38.120-06:00Jessica: I like your term successful. That's w...Jessica: I like your term successful. That's what I mean here! And yes, I totally agree with your distinction about WHAT it is that causes the emotion. I guess I'm thinking mostly the heart of the story here. Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-91859876250120656862013-10-03T22:23:19.283-06:002013-10-03T22:23:19.283-06:00Carol: Right. I love it when books make me feel, n...Carol: Right. I love it when books make me feel, no matter the emotion.Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.com