Are You An Overthinking Reader?

Some of us just can’t get enough of bookish culture. We immerse ourselves in paperbacks, consume ebooks like they’re going out of fashion and find ourselves reaching out to other book lovers through book clubs and forums on a daily basis.

This article will make you think a little more about your own reading responses and realise just how engrossed you get into the books that furnish your bookshelves.

Are you in the habit of overthinking what goes on in the books that you read? Do you have sleepless nights spent worrying about the dilemmas that your favourite characters are going through?

I have answered each question myself and would love to know what your responses would be. Feel free to drop your thoughts in the comments below.

1) When a secondary character goes silent, do you find yourself itching to know what they’re up to?

This always bothers me. We all know that secondary characters are important but we don’t always need to know them quite as thoroughly as we’d often like. So it can be devastating to meet a secondary character and then see no trace of them for several chapters on end. I regularly find myself wondering what they are doing and if they are all right or not.

2) When you read a new scene that picks up a story later on, do you desperately need to know what happened in the intervening hours?

This one really irritates me because I am fairly nosey and want to know exactly what the characters got up to in between chapters. When a book says ‘Two days later…’ I think ‘What have they been doing all this time?’ Sometimes the plot is so exciting that I don’t have time to dwell on it but often I genuinely feel an urge to know if they went for fish and chips or simply sat around waiting for the next scene to be written.

3) Do you find yourself judging characters harshly?

This happens all the time when I’m reading stories. As soon as a character jumps in a car and starts driving while swigging alcohol, I find myself grimacing and wondering why the laws don’t seem to apply to them. Likewise, if a character smokes too much, I soon start to hold it against them, wondering why such a supposedly bright person could have such a tarnished habit. Yes, we all have our faults, but I can’t help but want to nag the characters, especially when I’m on their side and just want them to live long and prosper.

4) Do you jump up and down with excitement when you reach a climactic point in the story?

Absolutely! I can’t help but feel overjoyed when a story ends well or a character gets their own back on another. I may not leap up high, but a good outcome definitely gives me a spring in my step.

5) When characters enter a new house or building, do you start to wonder what the carpet is like and whether or not they have curtains or blinds?

As a visual reader, I always imagine I am in the same room as the characters. So when an author is vague about a location, I find myself filling in the gaps. I like to know the colours of the walls, the type of furniture and other such details. It probably comes back to me being a nosey person again.

6) Are you the kind of person who goes into mourning after finally finishing a good book?

If I enjoy a book then I always celebrate finishing it and tell my friends about how amazing it was. But then, after a few days I start to long for a sequel and miss spending my reading time with those particular characters. Mostly I can distract myself by starting another intriguing book.

This article was a bit of fun designed to get you to think about how much of a book lover you might be. If you enjoy my blog, perhaps consider following it as I love reading comments and interacting with everyone.