Quote:
Originally Posted by SmartyPants
well to me its similar to re-watching the movie i love. Being immeresed in the story again. Escapism if you wish.
Sometimes i re-read my favourite childhood books just to take me (for a little while only lol) back to 'child' frame of mind.
And then i have my 'comfort' books. Its like wearing your favourite pijamas..
You really have to be a book lover to understand this!  |
Exactly! It is escapism, but not escapism out of desperation. It is like wearing a favorite pair of pj's or having a meal of your favorite comfort foods. For a bit of time it just allows you to be mentally somewhere else.
If a scifi author creates a fully-fleshed-out universe in my mind with their writing, rereading one of his/her books is the mental equivalent of taking a physical vacation to another part of the world and another different culture. Why do people like to return to certain vacation spots? Going back into another literary universe isn't merely rereading the words, it's thinking about the what-if's and hypothesizing about other aspects of that universe.
In mystery series or really any ongoing series, ones that are well-written, that characters become old friends. You either enjoy the setting of the story or the dialog between the characters or the intricacy of the mystery and/or the relationships between the characters. And just like human friends, you enjoy touching base with them every now and then.
Sometimes certain books bring back happy points of time in life, so rereading them allows you to mentally relive good moments.
In romance books or ones with a romantic element, for me its the characters: how well they're developed and the amount of humor/wit they display. Well-written sexual tension is also important - and it doesn't have to be overt. Read Georgette Heyer's Regency romances to see how it is done well. It's like watching a sparring match of words instead of fists, one in which you know there will be a happy ending.