Words Off the Page: Am I a Robot? • On Character Deaths

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Am I a Robot? • On Character Deaths

Hello loves! I wanted to talk about character deaths today. I mean I hear people in the community talking about how they've cried over character deaths and clutched their books almost in denial and I really understand that but... I've hardly been able to feel that when reading books. I think so far there have only been two books that have moved me to tears over deaths (or anything, really).

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

and

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

These are honestly the two books that have ever made me cry over character deaths. Other than that, I've never felt pain over character deaths. I've always had this "oh man that happened" attitude and I was never really moved. Now character deaths in movies and TV shows, that might be a different story. I've straight up sat in shock at the end of The Grand Budapest Hotel and in the Korean Drama Iris. I have sat there and gone "No I'm NOT CRYING" while tears are just coming out in waves all over my face (lovely images, I know). However, I don't really remember having these kinds of moments while reading books.

What is it that makes me not feel this? Is it because I'm not as invested as I am in TV or movies? I hope not because then I've lost my fun in reading and that'd be awfully depressing. Maybe it's just something in those books that made me feel so deeply that I just couldn't help but cry. Actually, no I think I've figured it out. Maybe it's one of those things where I don't realize I'm completely invested until I'm in tears. That's probably what it is. I kind of find myself reading now a days with a really critical eye. So I'm not really letting myself go as much as I used to when I was reading in middle school. I look at everything with "how can this be different?" or "Hm.. that doesn't seem right"

I don't know. I probably just need to find more books that resonate more with me or books that I'm not so jaded against. Who knows. I just sometimes feel like I'm this unemotional robot because I'm not super attached to characters like a lot of people are.

Are you in the same boat? Do you feel a lack in character attachment as I do? Why do you think that is?

Comments (11)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

+1 Vote up Vote down

beautifulmessyme2016 16p · 479 weeks ago

I've never cried over a characters death. I have however gotten choked up over a few intense scenes in books, like the rape of a child in the book Swamplandia-gah, it still gets to me years later! Or in Goodnight Tweetheart, the surprise climax had me snotting all over the book because it was so darn deep, and at the time a family member was also going through something similar to what happened in the book. But those moments are rare for me, and I'm usually a pretty tough cookie reader :)
My recent post Reading Challenges-What Say Ye Bookish Peoples?

1 reply · active 479 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Alexa @ Off the Page 44p · 479 weeks ago

Oh yeah I totally understand that. I think certain topics have made me really, really mad but I haven't had a lot that have moved me to tears just yet. I just need more books that do that. It's so soothing to just cry sometimes.
My recent post Who Runs the World? (Girls) • Get Offa That Slump!

+1 Vote up Vote down

corrallingbooks 62p · 479 weeks ago

I usually don't - I feel like character deaths are pretty overdone nowadays. I haven't finished reading All The Bright Places...but I might if that might make me cry!
The Book Thief was also pretty tear-jerking omgg :(
Only with certain books, will I cry. Best example is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - not so much a YA novel - but it was SO SAD. Honestly - I cried for about 10minutes after reading that one - huge for someone who rarely cries!
Usually with TV and movies - I don't cry either - so we're in the same boat with that!
My recent post Why I rarely participate in Top Ten Tuesdays

1 reply · active 479 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Alexa @ Off the Page 44p · 479 weeks ago

Right? I feel that too! It's like everyone's trying to be Game of Thrones or something--but I also like that trend? Like heroes aren't immortal like they used to be? IDK it's an interesting thing. All The Bright Places is such a great novel, I really recommend it!

UgH I know the Book Thief just had me in tears at the end I couldn't stop.
My recent post Who Runs the World? (Girls) • Get Offa That Slump!

0 Vote up Vote down

darcy h. · 479 weeks ago

The last time I remember really crying over a character death was the death of character's pet when I was about 9, but there have been times when I get a little teary eyed. I'm not sure if it's because I don't get attached enough to the characters, or if it's because I'm a pretty speedy reader and during particularly intense parts, I read so fast that I don't have time to process all the emotions until later. I'm with you on TV shows and movies though, I'm way more likely to cry while watching those!
My recent post Six Romance Tropes (That Make Me Swoon) Pt. 1

1 reply · active 479 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Alexa @ Off the Page 44p · 479 weeks ago

Haha I totally get that. Sometimes I speed read too, but I remember I was reading Of Mice and Men (I JUSt remembered that this book also made me cry) and I actually wanted to speed through it because it was so PAINFUL I COULDNT, but I read so much slower and I was just in a teary mess.

But TV and movies have a way where I am so prepared to cry sometimes.
My recent post Who Runs the World? (Girls) • Get Offa That Slump!

+1 Vote up Vote down

whykristenburns 52p · 479 weeks ago

I also have never sobbed over a character death. Sometimes books will make me tear up, occasionally a tear or two will slip out. But usually the thing that affects my emotions when reading is the emotions of *other* characters. Like, how they react to the death. So if the death is sudden and other characters don't really react, especially whoever's perspective I'm in, I won't feel it much. But if I'm in a character's POV and someone they care about dies and they get all emotional about it, I'm far more likely to shed some tears because I'm feeling their pain through them, especially if I also liked the character.
My recent post Discussion: Ten Things that Turn Me Off in Book Blurbs

1 reply · active 479 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Alexa @ Off the Page 44p · 479 weeks ago

YES SAME. I always react more to the grieving period than the actual death! That's how it was for All the Bright Places, where in The Book Thief I cried at the actual deaths themselves because it was just so catastrophic and devastating.
My recent post Who Runs the World? (Girls) • Get Offa That Slump!

+1 Vote up Vote down

loonytuney 76p · 479 weeks ago

It takes me a lot to cry in ANY circumstance, and books/movies take even more. So I know what you're saying. And I definitely have to be in the right headspace to be affected enough to cry. I reread TFIOS a LOT and it's only made me cry twice out of all those times. Lots of variables, I guess :)
My recent post Loony Blurbs – the March edition

+1 Vote up Vote down

nicolahastings 6p · 477 weeks ago

I cry pretty frequently at character deaths. It's kind of embarrassing, because I can't help myself even in public, so I've found myself sitting on my lunch break at work sobbing into the pages with my nose running. Did I mention I'm a programmer and most of my coworkers are blokes? :P

I don't think it's necessarily an indication of particular investment in the book, though, because I'm just an easy crier in general. I mean, at the right time of the month I've been known to tear up at *commercials*.
My recent post Fantasy Worlds and Reader Assumptions

+1 Vote up Vote down

nmhewitt 98p · 476 weeks ago

I'm a crier, so if a character death DOESN'T make me cry, I find myself thinking, "What's wrong here?" But I do think I cry less at books than I used to - I agree that reading with a more critical eye has dampened my emotional responses somewhat.
My recent post Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry – Review & Giveaway

Words Off the Page

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Am I a Robot? • On Character Deaths

Forgot password?

Comments (11)

Post a new comment