TIL I was reading book club picks all wrong for years

Our group was talking about 'The Dutch House' last week, and I kept saying how I didn't get why the main character was so stuck on the house. My friend Lisa just said, 'You're reading it like a puzzle to solve, not a person to understand.' That hit me... I realized I always looked for a clear 'point' instead of just feeling the story. Has anyone else had a moment like that change how you talk about books?

4 comments

4 Comments

nancyn692mo ago

OMG YES that happened to me with "Where the Crawdads Sing." I was so focused on the murder mystery part, trying to solve it like a detective, that I totally missed how lonely Kya was. My sister said something similar, that I was reading for plot and not for the person. It completely changed how I pick up a book now.

bennett.evan1mo ago

Your sister nailed it with that advice. But here's the thing about "The Giver" though, the kid doesn't actually run away in the end. He slides down the hill on a sled and sees lights, which could be real or just in his head. The book leaves it open. I get what you mean about the quiet horror though, how all those rules and pills just slowly eat away at his normal life. The big escape you were waiting for never really comes in a traditional way, it's more like he finally chooses to feel something real. That's the real plot, him learning that feelings are worth the pain.

the_tyler2mo ago

Isn't it wild how a book can feel totally different on a second read? I did the same thing with a different book, just racing to see what happened next. Now I try to slow down and really picture myself in the character's shoes, like what their normal day feels like. It makes the big plot moments hit so much harder because you actually care about who it's happening to. I guess some stories are more about the journey inside a person's head than the big events around them. Your sister gave you really good advice.

sage_green2mo ago

That idea of reading for the person, not the plot, really sticks with you. It made me remember this old book I had to read for school, "The Giver." First time through I was just waiting for the action to start, like when he would run away. Rereading it years later, the quiet horror of his daily life just hit me so much harder. I was so busy looking for the big escape that I missed him feeling trapped every single day. It's exactly what you and @nancyn69 are saying, you have to slow down and live in their normal before the big stuff matters.