Like we learn in English, teen-novel stories that "tell the truth" of what people go through are excellent stories, because you feel like they could have happenned. My favourite type of fiction are stories lke these, but a bit more extreme. Things like Lord of the Rings seem extremely far-fetched, but when you look at it, change all of the creatures to modern war machines and you have a scene from Iraq. I lke to substitute things in even the most unrealistic fantasy novels, because I feel that it makes the story more interesting. From what I've heard, these types of books are quite popular.

Even books like The Silmarillion, which is like the bible of LOTR, feels like reading a history textbook. Do you think that every story has some strand of truth in it? I know I do. Every book I look at I see the things the author saw around them portrayed somehow; even if there aren't any characters that are even human to show it.

In my opinion, putting this reality into the things we read today is what makes a book so great to read. It makes the reader feel the characters emotions more, because imagining someone battling with stress is much more realistic in our minds than one battling an alien invasion. Personally, I think the more realistic a story can be, the more impact it has on the reader; to a certain point. After that certain point, stories feel like they've gone too far in showing every gruesome detail of what is the twisted world we live in. What do you guys think about the amount of realism in books? Good or bad?

I think it;s an OKAY thing.

It really dipends on what it;'s about.

If it's about a really stick subject, like race or religion, and it's changing it, then it's something that we all have to handel and read with care.

If it's about a City like New York with Magicians, Goblins and stuff, then that's all fun

Even in Harry Potter there are realistic things in it.
Like the people in it. JK Rowling said that Pansy and Malfoy were based on people in school that use to pick on her and others.
So, really, it seems that most books have a little hint of realism in them.
Be it the actual plot, or the people in the book.

I agree, a book that has some reality to it makes it easier to understand, and relate to. Reading a book about aliens on Mars, would kind of be like wtf? compared to reading a book on a teenager.
Especially books that take place in places we live in. If I read a book that takes place in Canada, it is a lot easier to relate to. You understand what the character (mostly a teen character) goes though. IMO, fictional reality is good because you can easily put yourself in the main character's shoes.

I agree, a completely foreign book even to this universe would be weird, but at the same time that characteristic is what would make it unique amongst the books that all include reality to whatever extent. But even in a book like that, someone would take it and say: "Oh, if this was earth wouldnt that be the same as how we..." and be able to make a connection. it's almost impossible to avoid our society being into a book completely, because it takes too much effort to make a list of all of mankind and make sure none of it enters your book

Yeah, no matter what, a book will be compared to the real world.
And it's true, even a book about aliens travelling the universe can be related to the real world. (Aliens = humans; universe = the world)
There's no way to not be attached to the world.


There was this one really weird book I read (I forgot what it was called) but it was about these people that all live in a giant castle (and are cut off from everyone else) and they use gems that shoot out light to do things. It was one of the most confusing things I had ever read, because the people in the book were so weird, and in the short span of a book (it was pretty tiny), you have to learn the customs of these people.
That's why I like fictional reality, when it takes place close to home. It all makes sense, and you don't have to learn things like who the police are.
(Of course, the weirder books can be good, like harry potter)

I actually don't like Canadian-based books a whole lot. Like, it's cool when you can see the character talking about going down Yonge street and you can know exactly what that's life/what they're talking about. But, I just like the fact that in a lot of books the place doesn't matter at all, or that it's a place I've never been. 'Cause then I can learn something new about it, or picture whatever kind of place I want. I like how in stories you can fill in certain things about the book. Like, the location or what your characters look like.

Yeah, I understand that. After reading a couple books that are ALL set in Canada, it's kind of like okay, I want to read about a new place. Picture different scenery. While reading about places you know is fun, reading about new places is fun too

Like, I read this one book about a girl in Korea. It was really interesting. (but then they moved to America......)

haha xD

There was this really good book on the White Pine reading list this year. It was about these two girls in China and about how they wanted to leave their homes to find a better life. I didn't know it was based on the times right now until that talked about the 2008 Beijing games. xD

It was a really good book, and should what China is still like. It's called Mountain Girl, River Girl. ^___^

I don't like books based on real places (i.e Canada) because since we learn all about them in geography, it's annoying to think "Why would you go there? The stock market just crashed!" and other random biases that come because of our prior knowledge to the setting. Having the location unknown makes it so that everything the characters feel, do, and say is true. If you set it somewhere real, they have to follow what actually would happen in that place or else people are ike "Wtf, that would never happen!"

Made up locations > Pre-existing ones

I like books that use "real" made up places, like to kill a mockingbrid cause it's not a real place but, it is realistic and it's also in a real place. Eg. Kingville, about 2h north of toronto, not real but it could be.

And brett, I do like that kind of book alot but it's diffrent. If you have a violent fantisy book, where he slayed the dragon, it's like wat evs, good beats evil V.S. OMG!!! he killed someone, and you hate the hero. But if the hero kills the dragon in a drunk driving accident, you can't take it serousely.

In short.
"Fake" Fiction = A false happy, perfect world
"Real" Fiction = real powerful emotion

Both can be good but I prefer the latter of the two.


PS sorry the the long ass paragraph

Just wanted to put this example in, since we're still on the topic of realistic places that aren't real:

Hogwarts! It's a great example. It's like a typical boarding school, except for things like, the staircases move, food is made by houseelves, you know

-Just bringing some life back to old topics-