Is anyone having a problem reading....

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Is anyone having a problem reading....
14
Wed, 10-12-2005 - 12:02pm
the gory stuff.....psychological mysteries/thrillers? Really good authors too....Kellerman, Rendall, etc. Especially if there are children involved. For many years, I read & enjoyed this stuff, but I don't anymore. In fact I'm finding it repulsive. Just for me of course. What others read is fine with me. I'm also having trouble with the news & leave the room to avoid crying with some of the craziness in the world that's reported & shown on TV. That's why I haven't contributed much to the board lately. I've been reading really lite stuff mostly during this time until I get my bearings & decide what I want to focus on. Anyone else at this stage? (OK. I admit to being alot older that most of you....LOL. That's probably why I even mention it. I ask & I'm not bothered by what anyone thinks! Hint: I graduated high school 50 years ago)dee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-09-2000
Wed, 10-12-2005 - 9:28pm

I haven't reached that stage yet, Dee, but have come across similar feelings (especially when it comes to children) discussed on the boards here


You're not alone =)

~Jackie


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Avatar for guili12737
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-23-1997
Wed, 10-12-2005 - 10:30pm

Absolutely! I just could not bring myself to read _The Lovely Bones_. I don't care how many good reviews it got, or how many people told me it was great. I just could not read that book. Since I became a mother, I just can't read upsetting stuff about kids. I even got distrubed reading _The Nanny Diaries_ and that was supposed to be comedic. I felt so bad for those poor kids neglected by their rich parents.

I don't think it's your age BTW.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 10-13-2005 - 7:04am

dee- would love to hear about the lite stuff you're reading.. I have never been one for lots of gore- never picked up Kellerman because just rading the backs of the books turned me off. Our group read this month was really out of my comfort zone too. Which isn't a bad thing now and then but not something I would like to do on a regular basis.

Can't wait to hear about the lite stuff:)


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Avatar for cl_ladibbug
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 10-13-2005 - 11:22am

Dee ~


Thanks for bringing up the subject -- before Sept. 11 I read 'serial killer' type mysteries alot (Jeffery Deaver, etc.).

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-19-2004
Thu, 10-13-2005 - 12:09pm

Sometimes I don't feel like I belong on this board because a lot of mainstream stuff I cannot read for the exact same reasons. I haven't read a lot of the books/authors mentioned, like Lovely Bones, Nanny Diaries and last month's read the Kite Runner. So I spend most of my time in historical fiction - I'm happiest when I'm swept away to a different country in a different century!

Lisa

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-23-2001
Thu, 10-13-2005 - 6:08pm

Dee, I quit reading Jonathon Kellerman for awhile because they just got too gruesome. I did finally start up again after the reviews sounded lighter, but there are still 2-3 that I've never read & don't wish too - even if it does mean missing some of the characters' storyline. I've quit reading Patricia Cornwall because not only are her killers just so sick, but her running characters are all such miserable people. And while I liked some things about Richard Laymon's books - he can definitely build suspense - the ones I read were just so sexually twisted I felt kind of sick reading them. I dont' think that it is necessarily age that makes us feel that way (I only graduated about 35 yrs ago, but we have seen "real life" get darker & sicker as time has passed. Not sure we need to read about it too. And while I am against censorship per se, I'm not sure whether books, movies & TV are just reflecting our sicker society, or are influencing it. I guess what I am is a believer in self-censorship. Just because you CAN show these things doesn't always mean you SHOULD.

Liz

Liz

Avatar for scrappy_ams
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Thu, 10-13-2005 - 7:33pm

Hi Dee! I definitely don't think it's your age that is affecting what you're reading, but more your state of mind. I think at different stages in our lives, different types of books appeal to us. Reading is our form of escape (for us bookaholics), and when things going on around us are upsetting, it's hard to escape into a disturbing book. I just went through a similar phase for a different reason. When I developed that bloodclot in my leg, it took me several weeks to be able to even concentrate on a book. Then I only looked for light reads (Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes). Now that I'm feeling better and adjusting to what happened, I'm reading a larger variety of books again. I've also noticed that after having children, I don't enjoy watching scary movies anymore. I think events around us really affect what we choose to read. As Teri and Maggie have said, please share with us the light reading that you've been doing. We all like to hear about that:)

Scrappy

Scrappy
Avatar for arizonagal
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 10-13-2005 - 9:02pm

I've never been able to handle psychological thrillers by writers like Cornwall, Kellerman, etc. Too much gore, too explicit detail in things like autopsies and crime scenes...it's just too much information than I need. Can just read so much detail and then want to move on. As for the real world, I do watch the news on tv off and on during the week, but prefer listening to National Public Radio on the drive to/from work. They have a way of reporting from wherever they are in the world so listeners can hear the background of everyday life of other countries, or the wars/tragic events taking place. They talk with leaders, politicians, military personnel, but for me the real story is when they interview ordinary people. From them you get to understand what's happening and how it's effecting them. So in fiction, writers like Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, Sue Grafton suit my reading just fine. It's something the mind can deal with.

Donna

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Fri, 10-14-2005 - 6:27pm
Liz: I'm convinced that power & money run our lives unless we are vigilant. dee
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Fri, 10-14-2005 - 6:33pm
I just got hooked on NPR after my DD told me that's all she listens to. There's a gal on from 10 am to Noon by the name of Diane Riehm out of Wash. DC. She is wonderful & her guests are terrific. I found the NPR website for her show. Very interesting lady. They post her guests online so if it's something interesting I make sure that I tune in. It's easier for me since I'm retired. On Sat. am (I think) there is some nutty guy....very corny who is "old-fashioned" funny. I had him on last week while I was ironing & I kept chuckling out loud. Haven't done that in awhile. Then there's Lake Wobegone on Sat. around 2pm from Detroit. Such good fare. dee

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