Ever throw a book? I nearly tossed my book across my room late one night. In my case, it wasn't about the book’s heroine but the death of an ally. It made me so MAD and angry and sad and shocked, I kinda felt betrayed. I'm not even sure anymore, but I was a mess. And to top it off, when I finished the trilogy, I felt so let down I tossed the book as well.
What gets us so riled up that we want to throw a book across the room? Is it anger … revulsion … disappointment … fear? And what sparks those emotions?
- graphic sex?
- graphic violence / brutality?
- offensive language?
- over-the-top suspense?
- injustice—characters treated or judged unfairly?
- irritating characters?
- predictable plot lines?
- unrealistic coincidence?
- bad writing?
The question is: how does literature evoke such passion? Think about the wonder of it all—literature comes to us as small black letters on a flat white page…which we use to create meaning…which in turn inspires powerful responses. Astonishing…when you think about it.
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