Last post I talked about some weird and wonderful books I love- so today I’m talking more about why I’m consistently drawn to unusual stories. From Alice in Wonderland to Endgame, these are the stories with staying power. I’m drawn to them for some inexplicable reasons… and some reasons I’m going to try and explain right now! Here’s why I enjoy some wacky stories…
They’re unexpected! And who doesn’t love *surprises*! (okay, I don’t always love surprises, but they can sometimes be a good thing- like a surprise puppy or a book you didn’t expect to be quite that good rocking your world).
Because they’re so different and stand out from the crowd, they’re all the more memorable. I read plenty of books I can’t place and don’t remember all that well- but unusual stories stick in my mind more (hopefully for a good reason 😉).
They take you out of this world- and isn’t that half the point of losing yourself in a book? One of the things I love about absurd or weird or strange books is how they force you to lose yourself in a truly fantastical reality. You have to forget what you know- or what you think you know- and accept the world the author is presenting you with.
And because of that, they make you see things from an entirely new perspective. When books are different, it’s a special opportunity to see the world from a whole new angle. It’s an opportunity to think and reflect on our own reality.
All this gives us greater clarity about the world we live in. Sometimes it takes seeing our world from the strangest of viewpoints to fully understand what’s going on around us (and then we realise everything’s just a bit nuts!)
But what do you think? Do you enjoy absurd stories? Or are they not for you? Let me know in the comments!
the orang-utan librarian 
I don’t really like absurd. I’m a logic freak, so they get me…
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Over the pass year I been drawn to weird and absurd stores. It comes from wanting to see authors used their own talent to write something that total their own unique work.
You should give Xenofiction books a try. It a weird genre that is hard to write but when done well it can give a unique perspective. Sadly books with non-human characters are seen as something for kids. Watership Down is the only book that is respective as something for mature readers. There are many Xenofiction books that are on the level of Watership Down.
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I can enjoy an absurd story once in a while. I have to be in the mood.
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I can’t say that I remember reading anything too absurd before.. but I do agree with every point you gave!
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Absurdity can encourage the mind to think of different possibilities. It is something that can either make love a book or repel you from it.
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Absurdity can encourage the mind to think of different possibilities. It’s something I try incorporate into my posts to exercise the mind of the reader.
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as always, your expression was spot on for me! i’m not big into absurd stories as a general rule, but for Every Once In Awhile. though i agree, wholeheartedly, with all of your reasons, a fresh perspective is my favourite x
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I love weird stories. I think the best ones make us question things that we accept as a norm that maybe we shouldn’t.
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Like you, I am drawn to weird stuff … but how I like the end result depends upon what is being changed. I’ve learned from experience that I don’t much enjoy sci-fi stories that try to portray human nature as infinitely malleable, for example, or as different than what it is actually is. They become hard to relate to. I like it when the settings and events are weird, but the people are recognizably people.
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Greebo!! What a great choice!
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