Reality and Fiction
For many, reading is an escape from the real world. Cuddling up with a book means a chance to leave from the harsh realities that surround us - crime, threats of terrorism, natural disasters and war. But what about when such topics insinuate themselves into books? Do you read on? Would you be willing to spend time reading about a group of people dealing with the aftermath of 9/11 or a family picking up the pieces after Hurricane Katrina? What about a story about a POW soldier who returns home from Iraq? Of the heroine who feels guilty because a fellow soldier she was serving with died in battle?
Are there any instances where you'd be willing to read these stories? Instances where you'd choose not to read on? Would the type of book (suspense, category romance, mainstream fiction) determine whether you would read the book or not?
And if you've read books with war or terrorism as themes, or even secondary plots, what did you think of these books?
In an upcoming issue of RT, we'll be exploring this topic and I'd like your input. So let me hear from you. What do you think about mixing the realities of war, terrorism and natural disasters with fiction?
Faygie Levy
Executive Editor
RT BOOKreviews Magazine
Are there any instances where you'd be willing to read these stories? Instances where you'd choose not to read on? Would the type of book (suspense, category romance, mainstream fiction) determine whether you would read the book or not?
And if you've read books with war or terrorism as themes, or even secondary plots, what did you think of these books?
In an upcoming issue of RT, we'll be exploring this topic and I'd like your input. So let me hear from you. What do you think about mixing the realities of war, terrorism and natural disasters with fiction?
Faygie Levy
Executive Editor
RT BOOKreviews Magazine
posted at 11:19 AM
3 Comments:
When I read fiction, I read it for escapism. I'm looking for a good story that entertains, not something gritty and realistic. I enjoy reading romance, science fiction, fantasy, and horror for this reason.
If I want reality, I turn to non-fiction. Why read a fictional account, when you can read about the real thing?
Fiction is fiction, and I prefer to not get it too mixed up with reality.
I prefer the fiction I read for pure entertainment to be somewhat removed from reality. This is especially true for romances. While I have nothing at all against a gritty vampire story or a darker historical, I would shy away from plots or subplots that strike too close to home, for example plots that involve recent wars. A few months ago I read a romance which contained a detailed description of the heroine's descent into depression after she had miscarried and of the resulting dissolution of her marriage. I found this novel extremely disturbing and the happy end not at all satisfying or believable.
Back at school we read a lot of short stories set during the Third Reich or WW2, and later, at uni, I read Anna Segher's The Seventh Cross, definitely a great book and imo one of the best portraits of Nazi Germany. But still, these are not things I would choose to read for relaxation after a day at work.
I think it is a natural progression to find stories like this. We often "write what we know" and for many people the realities of the world are better expressed through the imaginations of others. I do know when reading about these events, the writer needs to do research, talk to people who have actually suffered through the event or read non-fiction accounts. As an honorably discharged Marine, I know when I read a story about Marines, it needs to be right. I can suspend disbelief to a point, that is part of it being fiction, but blatant disregard of research is a no-no.
Just my two cents, for what it's worth.
Cara North
www.sirensandmuses.com
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