Wednesday 26 August 2015

Paperback's Pondering's: My Problems With Fantasy Books


Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is all about why I shy away from fantasy books.

I used to live for fantasy books. Harry Potter and Percy Jackson were the only things I read, and I loved the mystical aspects. But since I got into YA fiction, I have not read a single strictly fantasy book. It seems as if I'm kind of scared of them.

This all started two years ago when I started reading The Hobbit. I absolutely hated how overly descriptive it was, and I didn't even finish it. I thought that it was the most boring book I have ever read. Since then, I have not picked up a fantasy for the same reason: fantasies can be overly descriptive.

Now I shouldn't be thinking that all fantasy books are the same. I know that there are some great ones out there, that are just waiting to be read by yours truly. So why have I put such a bad label on them?

I've realised that I connect more to fantasy books that contain human-like characters. For example, Harry Potter came from the human world. Percy Jackson takes place in modern New York. It's books that are strictly in a magical world that makes me turn off.

I think this stems from the fact that more description is added to the made-up world. More things need to be explained, and sometimes, it is not done well. I've seen so many fantasy books that everyone raves over, but I just can't seem to pick them up because I don't want to take a gamble.

I really want to get back into fantasy. Books like The Throne of Glass series, which seems like it has no haters, really makes me curious. I think that I need to bite the bullet, and just give it a try. I shouldn't put a label on a book I haven't even read yet.

Do you have a specific genre that you have shyed away from, and you want to get back into? Or, do you have any good fantasy recommendations? I'd love to know!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

8 comments:

  1. I totally second this. Some fantasy scares me because it is just way too much.

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  2. I feel almost the same way! I like low-key fantasy books, like when the book is made up of lots of different genres and fantasy is one of them, but it isn't the main genre. I like the plot of The Hobbit but thought it was a little tiring to read. (I finished it anyway but I think the movie adaptations are a lot more interesting!) The book series that made me sort of avoid fantasy is The Mortal Instruments. It's just too high-fantasy for me, and I'm a bit disappointed that I dislike it even though it's really popular for other people. :(

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    1. I didn't like The Mortal Instruments either! Again, I felt
      Ike there was too much detail and not enough modern aspects :(

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  3. I love fantasy books! I know what you mean by some of them being overly descriptive, but there are some really great ones too. I recently read Throne Of Glass and loved it! It's fantasy but it wasn't too over the top, and it also had a sort of dystopian feel to it, so if you are looking for a new fantasy book, I think Throne Of Glass would be a great choice! :) As for me, I usually stay clear of any books dealing with time travel. All the books that I have picked up regarding this topic just fell flat for me, so I just stay away from those books now. I guess I am just not into books with different time periods and stuff.

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    1. I do love dystopia, so maybe I will give Throne of Glass a try! As for time travel, the only one I've read is A a Thousand Pieces of You by: Claudia Gray. That one was pretty cool, and had a different take on time differences. I do kind of like the historical references in these kinds of books :)

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  4. By the sounds of it, you like more urban fantasy (think The Mortal Instruments, set in the normal world but with fantastical elements). Young adult and children's fantasy can be a great place to start if you want to give it ago, because it's easy and familiar. :)

    As for me, I shy away from science fiction because I'm not a fan of space and technology, and romance purely because I can't stand it and find it to be so unrealistic. I hope you find a fantasy book you can rally get into! And if it helps, Throne of Glass is considered 'fantasy-lite' ;) (also try The Kiss of Deception, that's very easy going)

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    1. Thanks for the recommendations! Yes, I think urban fantasy is the way to go because it will probably be the easiest to understand. I'm not the biggest fan of science fiction either, it can be so confusing!

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