I am “generation Harry Potter” (and please, I really do not wish to discuss JK Rowling right now). What I mean is that I was just the right age when the books where first published and I grew up with them being a few years younger than the protagonists.
Now I did not have the most ideal childhood. My home situation was complicated and I was home alone a lot. I also was a sickly child and had to stay home from school often. I did not get much but I wish for a new book every now and then and when I was home alone because of a tonsilitis my mom bought me Harry Potter. I was 9.
Since then HP somehow became my comfort zone, my safe space. Whenever I felt like shit I would hole up in my room and read through the HP books. As a teen I never told anyone since I already understood it was weird to read a book again and again to flee from reality. But I figured it will phase out once I am an adult and “figured stuff out”.
Well, it didn’t. You can guess how old I am given the above information and through all my 20’s and then 30’s til now I kept turning to the HP books whenever something bad happened. Especially something grief and death related.
Yesterday my grandmother died completely unexpectedly (I mean, she was old but she was relatively well until now and she was out for a coffe and cake and then dinner the day before yesterday with my parents even. Sudden fatal heart attack not even 24 hours later. I missed the chance to see her again after months of not visiting. We had planned a day together on Dec 1st. I am incredibly sad and full of guilt).
I took off of work today and now I am at home, sudden crying outbursts all the time and it’s like my whole body and mind scream for my personal method of “relief”: Lay in bed with a hot cup of tea and HP and the sorcerers stone and just nope out of real life. I know this is not healthy and a little weird but it helps me so much.
I just wanted to know if others know this feeling as well… and what your comfort book and story is.
Sounds like you’ve had a bad time of it. Hope things get better.
But, it’s not ‘weird to read a book again and again to flee from reality.’ That’s what summer books are for. Some of thing are like an evening seeing an old friend and entire you’re reading it, it’s all good.
And for me, a children’s book with adult ideas - Wind in the Willows. The book itself is nostalgic for an earlier time. I first read it when I was sick as a child. I last read when I was sick as a 55 year old adult.
Heartily agree “a children’s book with adult ideas”. WitW is also one of my comfort books, as are those in the NARNIA series. Wrinkle in Time, ohhhhh.
I still have my well-preserved paperbacks of the Narnia series. In high school, I was stunned to do a research paper on CS Lewis. Had no idea as a kid that this was very much a religious endeavor for him, but looking back at the final one in particular, it makes total sense. And although I don’t participate in organized religion (though most of my friends do), I STILL very much want heaven to be like Narnia.
C.S. Lewis pursued theology/spirituality deeply and sincerely. After the death of his wife he wrote a fairly brief contemplative emotional and spiritual journey of his grief, “A Grief Observed”, which helped him ( and many of his readers) cope with the impact of the occasion. He wrote several other meditations as well.
I know about the tragedy of his wife, but I didn’t recall this book. Thank you!
Oh I love Wind in the Willows. Adore it! I tried the Brambly Hedge series because they’d been mentioned so many times, hoping it would be the same, but… not quite. Sigh.