Immersive Fiction

[Shaun]

When you read, do you find that you can't read something if it doesn't immerse you, or can you stand not being immersed?

For me, I find that I can read both, but immersive works tend to keep me interested for a lot longer. I'm currently reading The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller and it is quite immersive. Immersive fiction tends to make me forget I'm even reading. So I wonder, how important do you think immersion really is?

[Rafael Domination]

I'm a bit of a picky reader...

If the blurb on the back, or the front cover, or the first few pages doesn't interest me, I drop the book right away...

[Quietus]

It has to be completely imperative that I'm immersed into the book. If not, then I could easily lose focus in it. I love books that I'm lost in, to where it ends up that I'm more... watching a movie than reading.

[Nyx]

Well, if a book isn't immersive it has to be pretty darn good to keep me reading.

[Shaun]

That's a good point Raf. I will drop a book if I can't stand it. Sometimes it happens. I find that if the book is still interesting, though, I'll read it to the end, even if it isn't immersive. But I agree with all here, I am keen on immersive fiction. Like Quietus said, if I feel like I'm watching a movie, then it's all good!

[Rafael Domination]

Watching a movie! :D

Yeah...that's the feel. There should also be a nice, 'cool' feel about the book. Some authors manage to lace some kind of 'awkwardness' in their novels which diffuses from the pages that I can't explain and just detest...

[jordanisonfire]

I get that feeling with almost every book I've read, especially with LotR, seeing as there's a lot of description in it (maybe too much, sometimes :D). I'm hoping I can do the same with my books. :) But, yeah, it is like watching a movie, and it's a good feeling.

[Carraka]

I can read non-immersive books and even enjoy them, but immersive books are better. Then again, I've been really immersed in books that turn out to be not that great. I guess the immersion helps me to continue reading, but doesn't really determine the impression I get when I turn the last page.

[Rafael Domination]

I tend to favor books that have the ability to 'haunt' me afterwards! :D

I mean, there's just something so cool about those...

[Nyx]

Ooh yes I love those. Book that I can't stop thinking about...like the KiteRunner, that book hasn't stopped haunting me yet:P

[Alex]

I am a naturally a very lazy person and if it feels like a chore to be reading a book that doesn't have me capitaved in one of two ways. Those two ways are literary style ((a book like Steinebck's Grapes Of Wrath which is on a subject that doesn't interest me at all but I read it because it was just done SOOO well)) or it has to be compleltey interesting to me like ((Night by Elie Weisel, admitedly I read so many Holocaust books last year I've become bored of the subject but this book was so worth it)).

Neither of these books had me immersed completley persay ((Night did a little bit more)) although I enjoyed them both. I think that proves that a book doesn't need an immersion factor to be interesting to certain readers, and especially famous novels that lack an immersion factor are still read because, although they lack it, are still great.

Maybe a better example is that of LOTF... I know I sound wierd for saying this but I did not feel immersed into LOTF one bit, even though everybody finds some connection with it, but thats a discussion for another time, the point is that even though I didn't feel immersed I thought it was a great book because of the way Golding portrayed the ideas of archetypal instinct and heart of darkness.

What I'm trying to say is that although in most cases, for most readers, especially younger readers, an immerision factor is key in drawing in an audience but not necessary.

[Shaun]

I hated LOTF :S. Although, I feel much the same way about LOTR. Great books, but I just couldn't get into them...