Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Book Hangover

Have you experienced a book hangover? You felt as if you cant put your mind off from the characters of the books that you were reading. I had that many times especially after reading a good book. I was sleepless for nights after reading Sold. I dwell in the world of Thousand Splendid Suns for days, refusing not to think of the ill fate that befalls  Mariam and Laila. I debated within myself for hours about how the author could have make it more of a happy story rather than drenching the eyes of the readers or maybe the characters are comfortable with the fate that the author has decided for them. I missed the bus while reading The Kite runner and went home late few years ago. I missed reading Audrey Niffenegger's words in The time traveler's wife because the book was just so beautifully written that I find it hard to part away from the words. I was so depressed after reading Orhan  Pamuk's Museum of Innocence and decided not to finish  the book because Kemal made me so angry and I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore.

I have just finished reading The Fault in Our Stars and I couldn't move on to another book. I find myself mourning the death of Augustus Waters (Spoilers Alert) and contemplating on how Hazel is going to move on with her life after this because when you lose something as precious as Augustus, one will be lost and of course he has taken a part of her when he left. 

You see, all these characters are fictitious, they don't exist and some of them are so beyond ordinary that you cant find the common traits among  your neighbors or colleagues. How do you deal with book hangover? How do you move on to flip the pages of a different book when your favorite characters are dead. Suddenly the story comes to an end,leaving you alone in a world that nobody understands you. You tell people around about him and her and they don't seem to get it and continue to carry on with their own work. The world is moving on and you see yourself  stuck at the end of the page and you doesn't know what to do with your life anymore.

Here I am..sitting in a cold office at 12:22 am and wondering how do I move on without these characters and thinking on how to not get attached to anything in life be it fictitious or real because attachment hurts. And everyone you loved and loved you will eventually go on leaving you alone because they have to start their journey somewhere else,

Maybe the characters will be alive in someone else mind tonight,or so I hope. I wish they find solace and be welcomed in someone else thoughts and arms as how they were treated in mine.

16 comments:

  1. Wow I envy you. In the little bit of free time I get, I have two options. To read or write.

    For now, writing is taking precedence.

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    1. Soumya,I wish I can write more.. reading seems to be good for now.

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  2. I could relate to this so much. I was sad for a long time after I read the Kite runner, Not without my daughter and A thousand splendid suns, each one of them made me thank my stars that I was not born in such times and place. A book hangover is best when you refuse to come out of the world of fabulous characters :)

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    1. Yeah exactly.. A great book will succeed in causing hangovers

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  3. I get that with shows and games.

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  4. A good book has a soul that takes us over and leaves a bit of it behind, within us forever. The characters and events then go on to become real for us. As if it were memories from a life we do not remember living. Beautifully written post. I hope things are well with you.

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  5. I loved this write-up and I have to admit that I also go through the same problem. It is always difficult for me to start another book after reading something that I loved a lot. Between, I have noted the books you have mentioned... Looking forward to read them..

    Till then...
    Happy reading :)

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    1. These books are really good,they tear me apart and put me back in one piece :)

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  6. I have had those hangovers far too many times to count. But that's what makes books great. I heard The Fault in Our Stars is really good. They are making a movie out it now.

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    1. Yup Yup.. i heard that too..You shld read this book, its hilariously depressing

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  7. The Thousand Splendid Suns.. ahhh I could not complete that book. I was so drained while reading the book that I felt I all the tragedies were befalling upon me. I kept the book just before I could've reached the end. Words have immense power and this book is a symbol of the same.

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    1. That book really made my eyes misty..I have to paused the reading every now and then before i reach the final page..But the journey of reading that book was worth the pain

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  8. Have I or what?
    Too many times to count.With too many books.
    Too many would mean I regret it.I don't. I've only relished every bit of it.

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