I know this may sound dumb, but have you ever felt ashamed by saying to society that you like reading fantasy books in your 20 or 30s? I have, and I hope I'm not the only one.
“We don't create a fantasy world to escape reality. We create it to be able to stay.”
–Lynda Barry
Many of us have been readers for a while. Maybe some of you for years. Probably others since childhood. I have been a reader since I can remember. I was the girl who waited all year long for the book fair to happen. The one who asks for books instead of dresses and such. I was the girl who not only read but also lived in a fantasy world.
I used to be so ashamed and embarrassed that I had invisible friends. I had way too much imagination for an 8-year-old girl. I was the weirdo because she believed in magic all around her. And guess what? I still do. I believe we live in a magical world.
And you're thinking, what does the reality of fantastic books have to do with what's written above. Well, when as a kid you are asked what you want to be as a grown-up, it's cute when the kid answers a princess or a wizard. Adults may think: "oh how cute. S/he is a fan of Harry Potter or LOTR."
But what happens that kid grows up to their mid 20's and is still into that? Society tends to see those people (us. Yeah, you and me) as outsiders. As the black sheep of the family. But why? Why are adults terrified of believing that it's wrong to like books/movies/etc. that have magic in them?
I've said it a million times: books are more than just printed words on paper. Fiction books are a way for us to escape the reality we live in. To ignore our responsibilities. And enjoy some drama that doesn't involve us. It is a necessity for our minds.
Books Are a Get Away From Reality
Humans need to have some fantasy in their lives. An article said fantasy helps the process in which a kid can "fill the gaps between knowledge, reality, and experience, and becomes a vital adult coping mechanism" (The Guardian, 2007)
One example of this is when one was young and afraid of the dark. As kids, we could've thought that monsters lay under the bed. Because we didn't understand the reality behind it. So, the brain has to fill in the gaps and create a "reasonable" explication of why there are sounds under the bed. As we grow up, we still use fantasy to be able to explain and explore irrational things and emotions. We all love Disney movies. Beyond loving the funny characters and wishing for happy endings. These movies are specialists in giving life lessons in a way that is not too obvious, all through fantasy. It encourages emotional development to open up to real life.
All types/genres of fantasy are a great way to sneak some life lessons. Hoping the reader will catch them and become a better person. Writers have the magic to give purpose to their writing. Intertwining real-life problems and their solutions through the veil of fantasy. This is something that maybe not all readers are aware of. But, how many times your actions are words have changed because of the way a character acted or responded? How many times have you wished to be more like an A or B character?
That is the beauty of books. All the tropes we love are meant to teach us something. Yes. Even the ones as enemies to lovers. We may not fully grasp the meaning behind them. But they are there with a purpose.
So why when an adult is reading fantasy is weird or wrong? Society works in strange ways. It accepts what suits it. If the majority of people believe in one thing, then ALL humans must act and accept that thought. How boring. We are diverse for a reason. Each human is unique. Each and every one of us is different. We should be glad of that. We shouldn't try to dictate what it's acceptable and what is not. Life doesn't work that way.
I'm tired of being ashamed of my love for books. Of having to "hide" the name of the book I'm reading because it's not something "intellectual" that will make me smarter. We will read what we like. What fills our voids and souls.
Fantasy books teach us a lot of things, as much as real life. Sometimes even more directly and understandably.
We read fantasy because we like it. Because it makes us happy. Fantasy books have made Bookstagram an amazing place. Where "weird" people like us can rant and vent about magical words and about how much we like them. Because in the end, we are not a bookworm. We are book dragons.
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