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Monday, February 07, 2011

Stuck in a Book -- Susanna Carr

Over the weekend a teenage girl asked me, "Which book would you want to get stuck in?" In other words, if I could be part of any fictional story, what would be my choice?

That gave me some pause because I haven't really viewed a story or a series in that manner. First, I would be stuck, and who would ever want to wish themselves in that situation? Second, I would have no control over the events because I would be a character, not the author. And third, I would enter the world as myself, not the heroine of the story. (Unless I staged a coup, which I totally would.)

I think my choice would boil down to which is more important to me, the cast of characters or the world-building. For example, if I wanted to get stuck in Pride & Prejudice, stage a coup and get Darcy for myself, I would still have to deal with the likes of Mrs. Bennett and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. And if I had to deal with them for any length of time, I might be tempted to poison their tea. Considering how ill-suited I am for the Regency period, I would be the one who needed to approach tea time with caution.

If I made my choice through world-building, I would probably consider something like a Harry Potter book. Those stories are heavily populated so I could always meet someone new, and the rules of magic would keep me occupied. But, knowing my luck, I would probably be a Muggle. Everyone would have a special power but me. Or worse--I would be the character who dies horribly in order to show the gravity of the situation.

Basically, I would be the victim of a suspicious death in either scenario. I'd like to think that this isn't a commentary on my personality, but rather an indication that being a secondary character is hazardous to one's health. Until I find a book that offers me a pain-free yet adventurous life, I'm not going to make a choice.

Oh, and the teenage girl's choice? Vampire Diaries. Because she has a crush of Stefan. Clearly she hasn't thought this through.

Which book would you want to be stuck in?

5 comments:

ev said...

Either one of Robyn Carr's Virgin River series- because everyone ends up with a happy ending, or JD Robb's In Death so I could play with all the new technology. As long as I didn't end up on either side of one of her investigations. I could work for Roarke industries!

Mary Kirkland said...

Oh goodness, that's a hard question to answer. But I thin I would go with one of Diana Palmer's romance books, like... Once in Paris. They all had a happy ending which is what I would want.

Nas said...

OK, Ok, I'll go with the teenager and say The Vampire Diaries, I have a crush on Damian!

Michele L. said...

Awesome question! This is really tough because I read so many different genres. The Chandler brothers in Carly Phillips series sure sound handsome! Wouldn't mind being stuck in those books. There are some paranormal books like Jennifer Lyons Wing Slayer series where the guys sound so muscular and deliciously handsome! To hard to choose!

Pat Cochran said...

I'd love to be stuck in my fave
sports team's program/info book
because that's where my favorite
player's photos can be found! LOL