Things I don’t understand in books. #1
There are things that happen in books that I just don’t understand. Here’s the first one.
A character cries and doesn’t realize it until they feel their damp cheek.
Am I the only one who’s WELL AWARE when they start crying? Who are these people? Is this kind of like peeing your pants and not realizing it until someone looks at the wet spot on your pants? Or laughing hysterically but having no idea what you’re doing until someone asks what you’re laughing at? “Was I laughing? I didn’t even realize…”
November 10th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Ha! I also get annoyed when someone cries a single lonely tear, actually. It’s unrealistic, and it’s really just saying “this person is really upset (but still attractive)” and that irritates me. Crying people aren’t beautiful (unless they’re actors, I guess).
Crying without noticing it seems less irritating to me, if only because I assume that person was so upset their face went numb and they didn’t notice the tears starting. It’s sort of more powerful than the single lonely tear? Or maybe I just haven’t read enough books with people crying in them yet, and it hasn’t had time to pick away at me.
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November 10th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Now I can’t wait to see what’s coming next
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November 10th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Oh my, no kidding! Far more believable are the ones that graphically describe the tears along with the snot running down their face. That is something that a reader can identify with.
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November 10th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
I so agree with you on this, and I’m starting to notice it more frequently in books. I don’t think I’ve ever cried and not realized it. Or maybe I did, but just NEVER realized it
Can’t wait to hear the rest!
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November 10th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
This is hilarious. That’s bothered me everytime I’ve ever read it in a book. Really, you can’t tell that you’re crying? You must be one sweaty person to be used to liquid dripping down your face.
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November 10th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Lol. What gets me is when the MC will not realize they are biting their lip/cheek until they taste blood. Yeah, right.
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November 10th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
I love it! I can’t wait for more of these…
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November 10th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Maybe they were so distracted by the contrived plot they didn’t realize they were crying? Haha.
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Jen - Devourer of Books Reply:
November 11th, 2010 at 9:02 am
For the win!
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November 10th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
I see this all the time in books. I’ve wondered too, and yet, JUST TODAY, my husband asked me what was that blood all over my face, and it turned out my nose was bleeding and I didn’t know! (Actually, the REAL miracle is that HE noticed!) So apparently these facial emissions can happen without the person owning the face being aware of them.
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November 10th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Perhaps they are so distracted by the awful event they don’t know they are reacting to it by crying….or they are robots.
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November 10th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
You! Are hilarious. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the list holds in store.
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November 10th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
I’m with you on this one! Greatly funny post btw.
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November 10th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
I like the robot idea! “Gladys felt a single tear crawl down her cheek. She gently wiped it and realized she was an android….”
Looking forward to #2 on the list!
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November 10th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
I know! I am always WELL aware of crying. As is the rest of the world, thanks to my spontaneously runny nose and red eyes. I’m lovely, I’m telling you
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November 10th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
I love your witty humor and insight!
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Veens Reply:
November 10th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Me too! And well I can’t wait for more insights
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November 10th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Hehe, I don’t understand that either….
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November 10th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Ha! This is great. Please post more of these. Soon.
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November 10th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
haha, I don’t get that either. I know when I’m crying and I know when I’m not!
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November 10th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
HAHA!!!! Love this post … it’s hilarious!
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November 10th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
So true! I definitely know when I’m crying!
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November 10th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
I am so glad I’m not the only one who thinks that is weird!
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November 10th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
I have often thought the same thing! I always wonder if there are situations that I’ve never experienced where that would happen, but I doubt it.
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November 11th, 2010 at 3:55 am
LOL! I’ve never really given any of those questions thought.
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November 11th, 2010 at 6:46 am
I don’t get this either. When normal people cry, their eyes well up, making it difficult to see anything around them because of the tears filling up. So I don’t really believe this happens, ever. I am glad you brought this up!
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November 11th, 2010 at 7:16 am
This is sublime!
I don’t read romance novels, but my mother-in-law tells me that in some of them a strange man is in a woman’s bedroom and she is not afraid, freaked out, or running to call 911. Forget crying, but I would be a wee bit leery of a man standing behind the curtains, gazing seductively across the four-poster bed. Just sayin.’
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November 11th, 2010 at 8:20 am
YES! I thought I was the only one who noticed this a lot lately in books.
They always cry but apparently they don’t notice it. Is that supposed to be more traumatic, so upset I can’t tell I’m crying. …or breathing probably too. Thanks for the smile this morning.
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November 11th, 2010 at 8:56 am
This is hilarious! I will try not to make these mistakes in my writing. I hope there are more on this list! Frankly, I’m sick of people never having to go to the bathroom in books. They have unbelievable bladders.
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November 11th, 2010 at 9:04 am
I’ve got one for you that I was complaining about on Twitter yesterday: the extreme reaction to a half-heard and completely misunderstood conversation. Were it me I would over-analyze everything, but the characters always seem to jump to the worst possible conclusion and dig in as if no other possibilities exist.
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November 11th, 2010 at 10:29 am
That’s a good one Trish and I wholeheartedly agree!
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November 11th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
LOL that’s a good one! I can’t handle the “I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding” I swear it’s in 98% of the books I’ve read, drives me nuts.
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November 13th, 2010 at 5:10 am
Too funny. I have several of these pet peeves.
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November 13th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
[...] ~ Trish at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’? gives us Things I don’t understand in books #1. [...]
November 14th, 2010 at 11:29 am
Okay, I always know when I start crying, but I have cried single tears before. I don’t like crying in front of people! When I am trying not to cry, I am not always wholly successful, and in such cases, I have been known to cry one tear on each side of my face. The better to not mess up my mascara. :p
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November 19th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Gah! I so feel you. Another thing that falls into this category for me is Love at First Sight. She turns her head and sees him and that’s it, for the rest of the book she just loooooves him and that’s simply all it took. Really, authors? Really? And I’m not even talking about romance novels here, I’m talking literary fiction: see Purge (Oksanen).
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December 9th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
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