Let’s Talk Bookish – Seeing the Real World Through Books

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

January 19: Seeing the Real World Through Books

Prompts: Many fiction books have messages about social issues, current events, and more. Some are underlying themes, and others are much more overt. Are you more drawn to books that dive into these serious topics, or do you prefer to have fiction be more of an escape from the world? What are some novels that have impacted you? What do you think are the most effective ways for authors to get their messages across?

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! It is cold, cold, cooold, where I am, and I’m not in the coldest part of the country (-50 degrees elsewhere, what?!). Ignoring all that, today’s topic is about the “real world” as seen through books, and the messages authors can send. Is this a good or bad thing?

For me, I am definitely drawn to books that dive into serious or even less serious topics. At the same time, I also read books to escape from the real world almost every time, sticking to fiction over non-fiction. So how can these two be reconciled?

I think the easiest way to explain would probably be to say what I tend to avoid. First, non-fiction, and the true stories that are often just more tragic than tragic, and have the even more devastating blow of being actually real. Particularly with the hard topics, I find these super hard to digest, and even when I do, it feels just particularly heavy. In that sense, I think I’d rather just watch the news or listen to a lecture, rather than be pulled so deeply into a book. I personally find it rather troubling and not too productive.

The second thing I tend to avoid is in fictions, and that’s where the book’s message is overly blunt and in your face. It’s okay if it’s overt, and I don’t mind a less hidden message, but if the only story in the book is the message…then it just seems rather unnecessary. Following up, what then tends to make me want to read a book are these messages that are so well-crafted into the story, that you can’t help but buy into all the characters and the situation, and feel the message organically come up, almost unavoidably.

I recently enjoyed Legendborn, Babel, and The Ivory Key. These all have messages that are in-built into the story in an excellent way. The way these authors explain their messages and craft it into their story is so captivating and gripping, and the story really comes to life. In fact, I’d say that the stories themselves are already so good, but by the end, it’s clear what kind of message the book is sending, and you almost have to wonder if it was on purpose, or just the natural progression of the story. That’s what I enjoy most about this kind of book, where it feels like the message isn’t being pushed onto me, but if you enjoyed the story and really felt for the characters, the message would automatically be intertwined there. To me, that’s the most effective way for an author to get the message across. If you have a captivating story that overall tells some sort of message, it’s almost impossible for the reader to avoid absorbing (and even agreeing!) with it, depending on how deeply you relate and put yourself in the character’s shoes. That’s my experience, at least.

I think another aspect that helps these messages be more palatable, or even more poignant, is that the world is crafted differently or similarly to our own real world. Yet somehow, even in this magical world, where one could argue that “normal” societal issues, etc., may not be applicable, they still are. I think that’s what for me makes it even more powerful of a message. Even with the magic of fantasies, it’s clear that it isn’t the mechanisms of the world that make these problems, and rather it is the characters and the world we live in together that will naturally cause tensions that need to be resolved. I like that books can give us another way of thinking about these things, and I definitely appreciate when an author is able to work a good message in. That being said, books with no message and just for fun are also excellent, and I would never turn away a book for not having an ulterior message!

What about you all? Message or no message? Or does it depend on its blunt or nuanced delivery? What have been some of your own favourites? Let me know in the comments below!