Post book depression

Submitted by bertiewoooster t3_124f4e2 in books

Anybody else have that feeling where you just finish a really good book and relate with the characters so much that when it all ends, you feel really empty and the whole world you were inside for a long time comes crashing down on you? Not just that but I sometimes also tend to relate my personal life to the life of the protagonist and dwell on the shortcomings of my life compared to the wonderful perfect ideal life the protagonist has. I’ve had this happen way too many times and it takes me a while to open another book and start reading. I was wondering if any of you have had this feeling before and how you get rid of this as fast as you can.

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Aurora1717 t1_jdza7ug wrote

I call it a book hangover. The best thing is to start a new engaging story.

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Flgardenguy t1_je072er wrote

The worst thing, though, is when you can’t find a good engaging story to fill that void.

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volecoffee t1_je07z1g wrote

Instead of immediately searching for the next great thing (because you will always be disappointed), I've started reading short books that I already know that I like that don't require much thinking. I can look forward to it because I enjoy it, and it allows me to reset

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Twiggimmapig t1_je0et0h wrote

My husband calls it the "rebound read" every time he catches me reading Memoirs of a Geisha or Jurassic Park. He's not wrong lol

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nervousengrish t1_je0bqpm wrote

Yes! This is what I’ve been doing this year. I alternate between a short 70-150 page novella and a bigger book. It’s so refreshing.

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Mkayin t1_je0kcwh wrote

I like to read a couple Philip K Dick short stories between books. Also comic books are a nice palate cleanser between meatier books

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anachronic t1_je2hizy wrote

I do something similar where I'll always have a big history tome "in progress" so that I can flip over to that and read that for a couple days after I finish a good fiction book, to "cleanse the palate" before I start a new fiction book.

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didntmeananything t1_je4n4nk wrote

I do a similar thing, always have a book of essays that I read slowly so I can wean off of a really good fiction book. If I just start another novel, I know I won’t like it as much because I’ll just be comparing them.

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Rhet0r1cally t1_je2gnlw wrote

I've been rereading a fun, very long series I loved in elementary school with my old college buddies (like a book club but we're all just reading and discussing at our own pace) and it's a really fun way to fill the time in between truly stellar books

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froufrou1 t1_je3or5v wrote

I love this! Which series?

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Rhet0r1cally t1_je4cymw wrote

Warriors by Erin hunter, it's kind of infamous among people who were young in the 2000s LOL its about a society of cats living and fighting in the forest. So much drama and violence

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hogw33d t1_je28ius wrote

I've seen this recommendation before and I find it so interesting because I know it wouldn't work for me personally. I am not a re-reader generally, and the thought of re-reading something (even something I know I liked) when in a mood like that makes me feel so bored and impatient.

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volecoffee t1_je2hjtc wrote

One thing you can do is grab a light-hearted, easy series and just read the next book every time you need a pallet cleanser.

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King_lords t1_je0tb8w wrote

And that is why I start reading with bad books, the void is already very small, but it gets bigger by time

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Eviejo2020 t1_jdzanve wrote

Book Hangover, one of the very few cons of loving to read

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__kingslayer_ t1_je0kzvp wrote

Speaking for myself, it's not a con. I enjoy the hangover as much as the actual reading.

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SabbyRinna t1_je0pf1f wrote

I do too, actually. It's bittersweet but so satisfying at the same time. For me it means the book left such an impression and informs a small part of myself from then on. Then it becomes a part of my permanent collection so I can continue to revisit it over the years or possibly share it with a friend with similar taste.

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Boomer_766 t1_je432ae wrote

Well said, you described exactly how I feel after finishing a wonderful book. I want to stay in that world and need some time to process and decompress before I can think of starting another.

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arctictrav t1_je1minu wrote

Also, it's a con either way.

I was somewhat relieved when I finished Life and Times of Michael K because it's consistently harrowing, with not a single pleasant thing taking place. But flashes from the book kept coming back even when I started another nook immediately. It's a brilliant book, BTW.

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D0GAMA1 t1_jdzmght wrote

The worst thing is, after you've done with the story, you start to look for similar books only to realize that the series that you finished is one of a kind and there are no similar stories or if there are they are not as good.

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Kingkongcrapper t1_je097bf wrote

Never found another Hitchhikers Guide.

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Ringosis t1_je0qh4z wrote

Terry Pratchett? If you don't need it to be sci-fi he has a really similar style and sense of humour. He frequently writes with that exact same dramatic irony back and forth between the narrator and the characters that is so good in Hitchhikers.

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sleepingnow t1_je1e5a5 wrote

I love Pratchett so much. I have never found anything to replace his writing.

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Ringosis t1_je1gbkv wrote

Douglas Adams? If you don't need it to be fantasy he has a really similar style and sense of humour. He frequently writes with that exact same dramatic irony back and forth between the narrator and the characters that is so good in Discworld.

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sleepingnow t1_je1o7rt wrote

I have read his works, but it has been decades. Time for a re-read.

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Ringosis t1_je36m9w wrote

As a less flippant suggestion for you and u/Kingkongcrapper...if you are on board with sci-fi and like that sense of humour, I could not recommend The Culture series by Iain Banks more.

It's much less explicitly comedy than Pratchett or Adams. It tends to lean more towards hard science fiction...but the series has a really similar sense of humour. The crux of the setting is a society that has become so advanced that AI run everything. Humans simply think too slowly to have meaningful input.

A lot of the plot across the series is told from the point of view of sentient AI space ships that see humans effectively as children they are morally obligated to look after. The interaction between the god like AI and the comparatively stupid organic life leads to a really similar style of humour to the narrator/character dynamic of Prachett and Adams. But rather than being a comedy space opera like Hitchhiker's Guide, it's more like a space opera that's comedic.

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anachronic t1_je2i407 wrote

Have you read the Illuminatus trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson?

It's different, but I remember it feeling like it was in the same oddball satirical ballpark.

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armor3r t1_je3oju2 wrote

The first law trilogy for me, nothing seems to reach it.

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CptPope t1_je3p8ro wrote

Funny, the very first book that ever truly got it’s hooks into me when I was in 5th grade was The Hobbit. I voraciously read through the 300ish pages and when I finished I had this very same hangover and thought, I sure hope there is another book like this somewhere.

Imagine my delight in discovering that Hobbit was merely the prequel to LotR. That said, I recall being disappointed that Frodo replaced Bilbo as the protagonist for the series.

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Relative-Gas-9995 t1_je99gws wrote

I knoooow! I was bored one time and i found a book called Entwined, and i was literally smitten with it. But when i finished, i started looking for other books like it and there really were none. I think THAT made me depressed a bit, but also happy. It's weird. But i felt that way after Harry Potter, Eragon etc., etc.. 😁

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SherlockFrankenstein t1_jdz5rez wrote

When i finished the millennium trilogy (girl with a dragon tattoo, the girl who played with fire, the girl who kicked the hornet's nest) knowing that the author had passed away after he finished them i got depressed knowing that these characters wouldn't be coming back because of that. Also, because Stieg Larsson didn't live to see what a big success his books would be.

I know that recently other authors have written sequels to the trilogy but i haven't read them.

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Camreth t1_je0y44p wrote

I read the first sequel and it was trailer trash bad, the characters where changed massively and the story made very little sense. I loved the original three so much that they are the only books I have ever read in the original Swedish (i had already read through in Norwegian once and the language is close enough that i could read without too many problems). I would heartily recommend not reading those so as to preserve the memory of the originals.

The sad part is that Larsson apparently almost finished a book 4 but due to family drama surrounding his death the draft seems to be stuck in limbo.

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SherlockFrankenstein t1_je2vcl6 wrote

I have no problem with other writers taking over characters & writing duties, it's just that sometimes that doesn't work out.

You just need to find somebody who is a fan of the original and understands the characters and respects both.

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Camreth t1_je465y5 wrote

Agree 100% My best example of that is Sanderson aking over the Wheel of Time after Jordan's passing. It was not perfect, especially in the earlier parts, but he respected the characters, understood them and genuinely wanted to complete Jordan's story and it shows.

Sadly Millennium 4 did not get this same treatment.

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SherlockFrankenstein t1_je6jzdr wrote

Problem is there's too much of that today, people taking over franchises that have no respect for it.

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Ohwhatagoose t1_je6kmdy wrote

I loved that trilogy! Lisbeth Salander was my favorite character.

I did try to get into the sequel “The Girl In The Spider’s Web” by David Lagercrantz but in my opinion it wasn’t that good. Something was missing.

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SherlockFrankenstein t1_je6w366 wrote

I know what you mean, "Something is missing," like the spark that was there in the original is gone.

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SeaAnything8 t1_je8lkpc wrote

There’s also a hollowness that comes from knowing it’s not the original author. Even if other writers can mimic it, it’s not the same.

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lakevalerie t1_jdzthyt wrote

When I was maybe 12 I read all the Little House on the Prairie books and had a complete meltdown when I finished

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robotatomica t1_je1x9kk wrote

I found an old journal from when I was 10 and every few entries I go TO PIECES bc I finished a book that I really loved. Like, mourning it like a lost loved one, hand-copying the whole last several pages, vowing to cherish the boom forever, and just absolutely despondent lol.

I do still get that feeling in the pit of my stomach and chest when I finish a great book or movie - sometimes it makes me hold off finishing a tv series.

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anachronic t1_je2httq wrote

I felt that way after I finished Game Of Thrones, and also the Otherland series by Tad Williams.

After you get sucked into thousands of pages of immersive storyline, it's hard when it's over :(

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CptPope t1_je3ovpz wrote

But we still have two books to go in ASOIAF (assuming George ever finishes it)

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SeaAnything8 t1_je8lpf0 wrote

My first book hangover was from The Series of Unfortunate Events. I didn’t want it to end.

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rougejanuary t1_jdz20m9 wrote

YES!!! Even if the protagonist doesn't have the most ideal life or circumstances I just want them to be my friend...like, I often felt like this after reading Sally Rooney or books that are very character-driven. It's like I MISS THEM

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dangitmelkor t1_jdz5h99 wrote

I know, right? I'm still recovering from Normal People.

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Little_Tasha t1_jdza1z3 wrote

I had the feeling that i'm not normal because i'm really sad when i finish a book. But thanks, i'm not feeling alone or weird anymore !

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manateeflips t1_je061e7 wrote

I read Enders Game in junior high and had this exact feeling when I finished it. One of my favorite memories of my dad was telling him I was sad I wasn’t in that world anymore. His eyes lit up and he said - it’s not over yet! And gave me the next book in the series. He died last year and I’ve thought about this moment often. He was the biggest reader I’ve ever known, even to the very end. Awesome man. Anyway, yeah, I know that feeling. I hope you find another world to dive in to soon!

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ACardAttack t1_jdzekms wrote

Not to your level, but I do get book hang over where I cant find anything good to read and put down books after a few pages

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Yul_Canter t1_je008dc wrote

I'm the same way. I'm not sad the book is over, but for some reason it's hard to just get into something new.

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Candelestine t1_je09pe7 wrote

In real life, stories don't end, so our subconscious doesn't really approve. On occasion I've been known to save the last few chapters of something I love just to avoid that sensation of completion. This has the side benefit that when it finally comes time to read those last chapters, I've forgotten enough that I need to re-read back up to that point, whereupon I get to make the same choice again. So far I've always finished the second time, but someday eventually I'll probably go for a round 3.

I do this with tv series too sometimes.

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robotatomica t1_je1xl6f wrote

There are multiple series that I never watched the final episode of or whole final season. I mean to. I want to. But I guess I’ll need to feel especially emotionally prepared for it.

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AngstyTeen_1 t1_jdztjle wrote

What are some good books that will make me feel this way, lately i just cant find some interesting books that really touch me and stand out to me

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dawgster99 t1_je0m03h wrote

This. But to name a couple from me it’s: All the light we cannot see; Project Hail Mary

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Sirius_55_Polaris t1_jdzhph1 wrote

The most recent book to do this to me was Stoner

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BethsBeautifulBottom t1_je0oto2 wrote

The George RR Martin quote never felt more relevant than after finishing Stoner.

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one".

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Here-for-the-rants t1_jdzo1ow wrote

Yes!! I never knew that others deal with this too! I just finished a series and I was so sad afterward, I tried to start another book but it was like walking in mud, it just didn’t satisfy the same. It felt bleak, I considered just starting the series over. I took a break from the new book and I am just giving it a little time before I take a crack at it again.

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EternallyLobotomized t1_je01lz3 wrote

Felt this way after my 14 book The Wheel of Time series ended. Been with those characters for so long I was happy I made it through such a riveting journey, but sad I had to say goodbye....until the next time ;)

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theequallyunique t1_je0bf0u wrote

I’ve read that tv show finales are often leaving viewers in similar states as breakups. So the same can surely be said for books. You build a relationship to the protagonist and environment and lose all of that in a short time, so it’s understandable.

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upforgrabs21 t1_jdzro27 wrote

Yes. Especially if you love the book, and it's part of a series, and you don't have the next book!

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pikpikachuu t1_jdzchml wrote

I'm in the same situation right now.Just because of that i came here to check the comments ands others comments🫠

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oxford-fumble t1_jdzdhjv wrote

Yes, absolutely.

The best way I’ve found to deal with it, is to give some space to parse your thoughts on the amazing story you’ve just read, and then start another book :)

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Timely_Question_7727 t1_jdzweal wrote

I start having a reading slump because nothing fits or makes me feel the way the previous book did, the one that left me so empty.

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HighlordDerp t1_jdzxs5z wrote

Finishing the Wheel of Time left me this way. Several of the Malazan books, too.

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Yul_Canter t1_jdzzmw9 wrote

No, I don't feel this way, but I guess I must have at some point in the past because I know exactly what you're describing and what it feels like. These days I mostly just feel annoyed when I finish a good book, because I know from experience that it can take me a while to select a new book and get wrapped back up into it. Lately I've been known to just start reading the same book over again, just so I don't have to think about what to read next.

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RhythmBlue t1_je00lqd wrote

i suppose i've had something like this with a few shows and videogames

something about them being such beautiful worlds/scenarios, with intense emotion and powerful social connections

and then i instantly slam back into the world of my dumb job, stupid conversations that dont mean anything...

and it's accompanied by like a flushing of the face at times, and maybe even a lump in the throat as i process the stark contrast of meaning between the fictional world and my local one, and then i gradually process it and it eventually fades away along with my frustration and sadness

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mtbmn19 t1_je01k6x wrote

Yes!! Things that helps me are switching to a nonfiction book for a bit, or focusing on an entirely different hobby for a while until the urge to read comes back.

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rainbow_creampuff t1_je05q8z wrote

Oh yeah. I just finished listening to lord of the rings trilogy (for the first time!). And it was actually very sad! I kinda wanted to cry. They kept me such good company when I was running. Luckily I'm now onto game of thrones 😅 need something to fill the void. Something long.

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robotatomica t1_je1xv0g wrote

watching the end of the trilogy or finishing the movie always makes me feel actually sick to my stomach with sadness lol. I get over it of course but it always makes me feel so dramatic. This comment section is very validating.

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volecoffee t1_je07u0p wrote

I have happy little books that i use for the comedown. Palate cleansers between heavy series

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verdell82 t1_je099v6 wrote

Im currently in a book hangover. Usually rereading a book I’ve enjoyed in the past helps.

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TheDonnerPartysChef t1_je0lay5 wrote

I actually love this feeling even though it's sadness. Because it is evidence that I really enjoyed the story, the world the author created, and the interesting people inhabiting it.

While this feeling is sad and a bit depressing, the antidote, for me anyway, is to crack open another book in search of that next comfortable world which I can snuggle into safely.

I think it beats the alternative: finding yourself in a world you don't really want to be in (real or fictional).

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p-d-ball t1_jdzmcdw wrote

I very much do. If the writer is good, you get immersed in the characters. And then the party is over and you're forced to part ways.

As an author, I get these especially when I finally finish writing a book, too.

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shauneok t1_jdzmeo7 wrote

You need to line up more books, simple!

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TheWiseDevil t1_jdzoyhd wrote

This happens every time I finish a good story. The only solution, for me, is to start a new book the moment I finish the last book.

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MonikaMTA t1_jdzwbxs wrote

This happens to me when I finish a TV series, book, or university semester. I am not wholly sure how to combat it in a secular way.

God Bless 😊

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Shmogt t1_je03cee wrote

Ya, that's a dopamine crash. Happens whenever something good is going on and ends. Our dopamine levels drop a lot, but slowly rise back to normal later on

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DomSchu t1_je04yzd wrote

Happened to me with many of the fantasy series I've read. I just enjoy immersing myself in a different world and letting the story unfold knowing nothing. Unfortunately they almost always have an extremely disappointing and swift ending compared to the rest of the saga. The frequent main character moves to the wilderness to live out the rest of their days as a hermit ending is overdone and always feels rushed.

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anonymouslywise t1_je05z41 wrote

Book hangover!! I definitely experience that

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MacDaddy555 t1_je06k6o wrote

Yes. I listened to the latest Dresden files book while we were in a different city to see a team of specialists for my youngest son, a newborn at the time, who was dealing with some incredibly rare and very deadly medical issues. What should have been a very happy time was one of the scariest most stressful times of my life.

I won’t spoil the book, but I’ll say as a long time fan of the series, it was a very bad mistake to finish that book at that time.

Edit: I realize my answer wasn’t really what you were asking but it’s what came to mind

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LylethLunastre t1_je07j8i wrote

Still recovering from Flowers for Algernon. And I've finished it since last month.

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cactuspete20 t1_je0azxh wrote

Cries in “The Name of the Wind”!

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forgetme-nots t1_je0c1lw wrote

To me it's like a portal to another world just closed and you'll never see those characters again, like saying goodbye to some good friends. Of course you can reread the book but it's not the same. Going back to that world is no longer possible...

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xyrt123 t1_je0dwkj wrote

I often never finish a book or a game if I like it too much. It's probably because of the reason you mentioned.

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CarbonSteklo t1_je0e6wj wrote

Sometimes I try to slow myself from reading because I don't want it to end.

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nateatenate t1_je0ezq5 wrote

Did you read A Little Life too?

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Stickyfynger t1_je0fzet wrote

When I read Catcher in the Rye it started to affect my mood. I think I could have been taking on Caulfield’s character….it’s really the magic of books that can affect us in some way.

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MAJORMETAL84 t1_je0god7 wrote

It's the same feeling as watching the last episode of your favorite tv shows.

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Clearly_Ryan t1_je0i549 wrote

Yep, got that with Diamond Age. I related to Nell so much, I looked up to her as a model getting my CS degree in college. I considered acing each class as getting the jewel encrusted keys that Nell worked so tirelessly to obtain.

No challenge was too hard for Nell to make her give up. No CS exam or problem was too difficult for me to figure out. I graduated with 4 consecutive semesters on the deanslist.

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2662Sunny t1_je0i98o wrote

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”

― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

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thebreakingmuse t1_je0jute wrote

i had this with almost all of Tom Robbins' books :{

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Character_Vapor t1_je0xgwy wrote

You pick another book to read. I find that the most useful way to do this is to take a hard swerve. Last year, I read Greg Egan's Diaspora, which is a super-heady, diamond-hard sci-fi novel that blew my brain apart. I followed it up with W.G. Sebald's The Rings of Saturn, which is pretty much the polar opposite kind of book. I'm not trying to chase the same high, I'm just trying to feel something new.

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emerg_remerg t1_je125g6 wrote

I get this too! My mom does too, I remember as a teen I had to tell her to stop reading romance novels because it was making her super snarky to dad.

I have to be careful what I read and what I watch, I will adopt the mood of the story and it will legit impact my ways of interacting with people around me.

I found the crash after finishing the Silo series pretty rough. It was 2 or 3 years ago and I haven't read really anything since.

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idekk_ha t1_je39so8 wrote

Yes! & whenever I share this feeling with others they look at me like I’m crazy. If the book is really good, it’s like I grieve that storyline. Book hangover but wanting to experience the book for the first time again.

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allmilhouse t1_jdzxuo1 wrote

I know this is one of this sub's favorite topics, but no. There's too many books I want to read and I never have a problem quickly moving on to the next one.

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RedditVince t1_je0578s wrote

I like reading series so yes when the series ends I may have been with it for 6 months or more as I only read a little every night. The book Hangover is real, I have tried picking up another series similar to the last one and this leads to realizing that I needed something new, not an old substitute.

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Low_Educator_6510 t1_je0crwi wrote

I finished 'The left hand of darkness' last week and I think I'm still stuck in that novel with Genly AI on the planet Gethen.

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Twiggimmapig t1_je0eczq wrote

Whenever I encounter this, I read one of my rebound books. They snap me out of the blues until I find a new world I'm willing to invest in.

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robotatomica t1_je1y4f3 wrote

oh, that’s a smart technique! Any recommendations for a good rebound book?

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Twiggimmapig t1_je2j8s3 wrote

Oooh that's a hard one because it's so different for all readers! I always bounce between books I can easily consume and practically have memorized, so for me those would be Memoirs of a Geisha, Jurassic Park, or Interview with the Vampire. And depending on how viciously I need to come out of a deeper book, I'll reread an entire series from my younger days like Animorphs or hunger games 😂

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robotatomica t1_je2mc2g wrote

I love it! I’m going to make a lil list of candidates for myself 💚

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Matricia9 t1_je0gjsm wrote

Happened to me after reading Cain by José Saramago

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jaKz9 t1_je0hwmm wrote

Absolutely, although I've never had this feeling with a book, but only with videogames and movies/tv shows. Couldn't say why. As others have pointed out, the best way to get over it is to engage with something else and in time it'll pass :)

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neonfuzzball t1_je0ix1y wrote

yep, book hangover is real. I have it with some movies too.

Best thing I've found is finding something else to really occupy your brain. Other engaging hobbies, not just another book or movie. Puzzles work for me.

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PangeanPrawn t1_je0j95q wrote

I remember getting this really hard for His Dark Materials as a kid. I had developed a huge crush on Lyra, finishing the books was like a break up

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BestCatEva t1_je0jbrp wrote

And at the end of a series — and the author died. Just…ugh. This happened to me after finishing Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s Labyrinth of the Spirits (book 4). He died of colon cancer in late 2020 at age 55.

I also found Robertson Davies 1 year after he died.

And Richard Brautigan 3 years after he passed.

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Bouncy_Tiramisu t1_je0juhl wrote

Yesssss!!!! Sometimes I even wait to finish the book so I can drag it out a bit longer before I loose my new world.

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Reel_Account t1_je0myts wrote

I'm pretty sure that Plato said the best way to get over a book is to get under a new one. Works for me.

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InterviewCrafty1229 t1_je0n379 wrote

Yes book hangover kind of turns you off of books and makes you feel like nevervreaxing again

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papadukesilver t1_je0n9o5 wrote

As other said, start another book! It's even worse when you finish a series. I was depressed for a week after I finished all 17,001 Dune books :)

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BoysOnTheRoof t1_je0ndoa wrote

Read Jorge Amado! Whenever you pickup a new book of his, it feels like you're back in the old ones. Reading his stuff makes it feel like you're home

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fn0000rd t1_je0np3g wrote

This is why i read on an ipad -- when I finish a book i can jump into the bookstore and instantly grab something new. I usually start researching what I want to read next a week or so before i complete a book, and often have it sitting there, ready to roll.

I've also been known to just start the book or trilogy over again. Broken Earth was like that for me.

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LightningRaven t1_je0nqc0 wrote

I've had this many times. The answer is always the same: Trying out different series/books to get a different experience.

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Tattycakes t1_je0pa6q wrote

It took me actual time to remember who and where I was when I was done with the whole Narnia series

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ReadWriteHikeRepeat t1_je0pfh5 wrote

This happens to me not only when I read but when I write a book. When I'm reading, I take a break from the genre for a while. When I'm writing, there is nothing to do but write the next one. If I'm anxious about the characters, the next book has to be about the same people. Once I started the next book literally the same day I finished writing the previous one.

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Reaperzeus t1_je0puhy wrote

I get that with a few types of media (books, anime, some shows and video games) so I tend to call it Post Series Depression (PSD)

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Horseheel t1_je0r98z wrote

Generally good post, but I ask that in the future you don't refer to temporary emotions as some form of depression, so as not to minimize the significance of medical depression.

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dejoblue t1_je0tbkm wrote

It's like friendship IRL. It takes a lot of exposition to get into their world and even more to let go and accept them for who they are.

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Ringosis t1_je0tbxl wrote

The author of my favourite book series that had been my favourite for three decades died a while back. When I finished the last book I cried for quite a long time. It was genuine grief, like a friend had died.

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Zeeaycee t1_je0uf8a wrote

Omg this is such a thing! My most recent experience with thus was when I finished up a novel called Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. It literally felt like I had been cut off from a group of friends and I was SAD! As others have said, one if the few negatives that I experience as a reader.

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planetheck t1_je0v7wk wrote

The most strongly I've felt this was when I read Anne of Green Gables in like three days as a kid.

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BlackHand655 t1_je135j1 wrote

Honestly I go to a completely different medium. Be it writing about it, watching something, playing something, reading a manga or comic.

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MicheleKO t1_je15xxm wrote

I’ve been reading for a few decades and have had that book hangover more than a few times. Dune series as a teenager, Night Circus, Pillars of the Earth and one that stuck with me for a long time after reading was Water for Elephants. Reading Jaws while laying on the beach or being scared of things that go bump in the night while reading Salems Lot. Or sitting in your backyard reading Dean Koontz book Watchers, as it takes place where you live. Nothing like a good book. Read on!

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HumpieDouglas t1_je1gbmv wrote

It happened to me after I read The Looking Glass Wars series by Frank Beddor. I'm a huge Alice in Wonderland fan and I loved Beddor's retelling of it. After I was done reading the series I was a little sad it was over.

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minisaurus12 t1_je1q4bp wrote

The reason I’ve been avoiding dystopian books for a while now.

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steveroxy3 t1_je1smgo wrote

Do you know it’s amazing! Just finished ‘Lean on Me’ by Serge Joncour and have been ‘visibly’ happy with enjoyment reading this: actually smiling and laughing and feeling good with each chapter. I kept looking how much of the book was left each night as I put the book down. I haven’t had this deep enjoyment for as long as I can remember and am frantically looking around for similar type books. I don’t know really under what sub heading this book comes under. Obviously ‘Fiction’ but I’d love to find more like this. I’m not a young fella and usually read thrillers or mysteries. But ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK....and do feel low and empty now It’s finished...

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_Taecat_ t1_je1syst wrote

I feel this every time. It’s so intense that it does take me a while to get out of. Not just books, but I experience it with some very good tv shows as well

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Outrageous_Resort663 t1_je1vkdy wrote

I start a new book pretty soon after, sometimes same day, but I make sure it’s something light and easy yet satisfying, sort of a palate cleanser to perk me back up. I use discworld books for this, they’re short and make me laugh but good enough to actually keep me invested, and there’s a lot of them, so I can keep doing this for a while and I get excited about collecting all of them.

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jigojitoku t1_je1wn9g wrote

Have you ever read a book that resonated with you so little that it put you off reading and you went a couple of months before picking up another book?

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Todayjunyer t1_je27fto wrote

After i finished all of arthur c clarkes books i had anxiety. Like really there’s no more? Also, This is why I’ve read like 20 drizzt do’urden books

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voivod1989 t1_je28en7 wrote

I’m still sad ghost story by Peter straub is over. I finished that years ago.

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Trick-Two497 t1_je2aa33 wrote

Try reading several books at once to avoid this.

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1961tracy t1_je2chdm wrote

Yep. It’s like a breakup, no one else is as good sniffle, sniffle.

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Rhet0r1cally t1_je2gi0w wrote

Yep. And the period between finding great books that just click where you're just reading a bunch of stuff you don't care about is torture 😢

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RebeccaBuckisTanked t1_je2gizc wrote

Every time I finish a book in the John Dies at the End series I feel like my best friends just went back to another state and I have to wait to see them again

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anachronic t1_je2h0lu wrote

All the time.

I always have a bit of a "come down" like "OMG that book was SO SO good, how am I ever going to read anything better!?", and it can sometimes cause me to spin my wheels for an hour or a day when trying to choose the next book I want to read, because I over-analyze the stuff on my "want to read" list to find something that's going to be equally amazing and not feel like a relative let-down lol.

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kissingbooklover t1_je2nf1m wrote

Yes, it’s definitely a book hangover. I usually get one after an emotionally wrenching book. You finish it, stare off into space, think about the characters, think about how, in my case, fictional characters could impact me so profoundly. I usually take a day or two off from reading just to process my emotions from the book, then I’ll read an old favourite to put me back in the mindset for a new book!

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BullguerPepper98 t1_je332bp wrote

When I was little, I literally cried because of this feeling. When I finished Harry Potter, I cried because I could never see MORE of that world, of those characters. Seriously, how our minds make us care so much about things that don't really exist? I cried because I feel longing for something that never existed. This is crazy.

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nah-knee t1_je33ji2 wrote

Yeah happened to me a lot when I was younger, I just went and only watched tv for a few weeks or months

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HarryFlashman01 t1_je35gks wrote

This is so real. And for so reason I'm always a little disappointed in the next three or four books I read.

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e_ink_drinker t1_je36by1 wrote

When you’ve recovered…You need a palate cleanser. Something very different. Graphic novel. Short story. Nonfiction. You get it.

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mightyjor t1_je3a184 wrote

For me I usually have a feeling like thank goodness that’s over, I can finally get my chores done.

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RollTideMeg t1_je3edm1 wrote

Yep, it's a great and horrible feeling at the same time. I do short stories/articles until the feeling passes. Or a different type of literature--for me (a fiction fan) a biography or self help will get me out of the funk in a few chapters.

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Eburg78 t1_je3l4ob wrote

I have re-read A Prayer For Owen Meany 5x over the years. Love it. Find new provocations/ reflectios each read.

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sixandsevens67 t1_je3pp7c wrote

I sometimes will go into a deep dive of the author or characters/ subject just to keep the buzz. After reading the Terror by Dan Simmons, I went after the whole Northwest Passage history.

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adamhanson t1_je3w13w wrote

That’s why you start long series like Wheel of Time. You can read forever and then just slow down and stop never finishing it ever.

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Maxzuo88 t1_je3xrs8 wrote

Yes, I have similar feelings too. Even when I watch a favorite TV show, I feel that way.

Therefore, when encountering such a situation, I will find more relevant materials to read, or find some people who have also read this book to chat with and discuss each other's feelings about this book.Maybe that's one of the reason I joined this community.

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fulloffantasies t1_je4bl0t wrote

I just cry it all out lol. Best way out is through, the sooner you let it out and just feel/embrace it, the sooner you can experience it all again :)

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meowkitty84 t1_je4dkw7 wrote

It 8s depressing finishing a great book and you want to stay in that world forever. It makes me so happy when it's part of a series and I have heaps of more books that will continue on the story

But if not I will try to find a new book straight away. I'll usually read a few samples before I find one I'm totally absorbed in again. Sometimes I'll think I've reached a point where Ive run out of books to read. But then a new book will show up on my reccommended and I'll discover a bunch of authors I didn't know about. I find Kobo is really good at reccomending books. Google books keeps reccomending me books that I already have in my library for some reason.

I just discovered the author Shanora Williams. The Perfect Ruin was so good. I'm reading The Wife Before next. I don't get why she never showed up in my reccommended sooner. Her style is right up my alley

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SilverLie4684 t1_je4hjb7 wrote

Don’t have time for that. Onto the next.

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Mtanic t1_je4hwmi wrote

I have it every time, I even wrote an opinion piece on it for a book blog I write for.

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Hello_dreamers t1_je4i8ut wrote

Finding a great author or series can help but I agree finishing that rare book that really stays with you can be hard to match !

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thinlinerider t1_je4mlzu wrote

So many great and thoughtful responses. This week, a post with a similar sentiment was posted in the running thread. After training for months for a big race, the feeling you describe is felt deeply after the marathon. My response hopefully adds to the others.

I love that you open with the equivalent of a Quaker feeling compelled to speak in a meeting. Sadness seems like the right feeling. Endings help us understand the meaning of the story- and when we do understand it… the sudden absence of a direct line between our effort and the outcome can be a poignant reminder of how complex, chaotic, and out of control our independent, non-running lives actually are. So we see you… and we understand. In terms of what to do? You’re doing it. You’ve felt the urge to speak, you’ve spoken- and your community is responding.

Most runners also said, “find another race.”

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debsim t1_je4wqnx wrote

I don’t even have that with just books. I have that a lot of any kind of media that I enjoy.

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Seby0815 t1_je51tj5 wrote

I get that feeling too. I think its pretty normal with a great story (for me that also includes series, movies or games). But I must admit, that I kinda like that feeling.

I often take an intentional break for a few days (sometimes even weeks) when that feeling happens and dwell a little more on the story. I guess that feeling means that the book has touched you in some way and is now a part of you. And THAT is what I want actually.

But you asked for tips so here is mine:

To cope with that feeling, I often write about the book in my journal. Why I think it has impacted me so much, learnings that I withdraw from it etc. You said you compare the protagonists life with yours and that makes you sad, because their life is "perfect" compared to yours. Well that means you admire something about them. Find out what that is. And try to implement that in your own life. I know that sounds cheesy or like life-guru bullshit but it hepls a lot to reflect while writing. And it helps to get rid of that feeling quicker, like you want it :)

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Nerdgasm1001 t1_je5xsos wrote

Yep! I always try and jump straight into another book… but end up starting and stopping loads before I find one that hooks me in as well as the last so end up not reading for weeks 🤦🏻‍♀️

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alwaysrunningerrands t1_je6fzf9 wrote

I wouldn’t call it depression, but yes, it happens. I gravitate mostly toward memoirs and as you can imagine, many memoirs have in-depth ups and downs. Sometimes some of the content hits me right in the heart and I end up spending a whole day in a somewhat somber mood. It’s part of the reading experience.

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Ohwhatagoose t1_je6nlsy wrote

A good palate cleanser for me was “The White Darkness” by David Grann. It’s a small book, more like a novella, you can read it in a day. It's a true story about the author’s passion to walk across Antarctica. Quite a story! Also beautiful photos to give you the sense of starkness and beauty of that part of the world.

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Glagnars_Human_Rinds t1_je7bma1 wrote

I think it goes well with life. What will we all feel when it’s over? What will we feel when we watch a loved ones book close on them? Probably feel empty

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No_Contest_7670 t1_je8tody wrote

When I was maybe 12 I read all the Little House on the Prairie books and had a complete meltdown when I finished

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ObviousWorking783 t1_jedyvwx wrote

All The Bright Places did this to me. I'm still in a book hangover but at the same time it's now my favorite book by far and is HEAVILY annotated so Idk what that says about me.

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preachitbrotha1 t1_je10b5m wrote

I feel you man, had the same shit happen to me with some good ass anime.

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