These posts are meant to bring about some conversation, discussion, and perhaps even a debate. These discussion posts can occur at varying days of the week, mostly depending upon what's scheduled on the blog and what I feel like discussing.
If you know anything about me or if you talk to me on Twitter often, chances are, you'll know that I don't really participate in the whole book boyfriend thing. Why? I just don't see the appeal of it. Of course there are boys in books that I love to pieces. But I don't really do the whole book boyfriend thing.
But I get why others do. It's fun, and it's kinda cool. I may not understand it, per say, but I can see the appeal of doing it. I'll admit: the only time I was actually going to break from my no book boyfriends rule was for Matt Finch in Open Road Summer. I just...I had to ask. Unfortunately, he's already been taken (I mean, DUH). Why did I want to break my rule? I just REALLY loved Matt. Maybe people who regularly do the whole book boyfriend thing feel that way with their book boyfriends. Who knows?
Besides not seeing the appeal of book boyfriends, I also find that term or the concept to be a little strange. Firstly, are there book girlfriends? I don't know of many male and/or gay bloggers, but that'd be interesting to explore. Should we assume that all girls a) like boys and b) care about having a boyfriend (and no, I'm saying that wanting book boyfriends=wanting a boyfriend in real life)? Plus, I feel like, many times, it's as if people are trying to "claim" these book boys. Yes, the author has put their work out there, but to have this almost territorial claim over characters and boys is just strange. I wonder if people would view the term differently if book girlfriends were more common. Would we criticize that? I don't know.
EDIT: Thanks to Nova's comment, I wanted to clarify something. Basically, I'd love to have the chance to officially call a book character my book boyfriend, officially. But I think that once a book is out for people to read, the character becomes what the reader makes of him/her. People might love characters for different reasons. We shouldn't need someone to officially tell us that we can love/swoon over a bookish guy. We can just, you know, do it. We can love a character, and nobody can (or should be able to) tell us what we can do or think or say. If you like the idea of claiming book boyfriends, by all means, continue. I won't judge you, nor will I get in your way. I just won't partake in it officially. Feel free to talk about the characters, but you don't own the character any more than the rest of us.
But I get why others do. It's fun, and it's kinda cool. I may not understand it, per say, but I can see the appeal of doing it. I'll admit: the only time I was actually going to break from my no book boyfriends rule was for Matt Finch in Open Road Summer. I just...I had to ask. Unfortunately, he's already been taken (I mean, DUH). Why did I want to break my rule? I just REALLY loved Matt. Maybe people who regularly do the whole book boyfriend thing feel that way with their book boyfriends. Who knows?
Besides not seeing the appeal of book boyfriends, I also find that term or the concept to be a little strange. Firstly, are there book girlfriends? I don't know of many male and/or gay bloggers, but that'd be interesting to explore. Should we assume that all girls a) like boys and b) care about having a boyfriend (and no, I'm saying that wanting book boyfriends=wanting a boyfriend in real life)? Plus, I feel like, many times, it's as if people are trying to "claim" these book boys. Yes, the author has put their work out there, but to have this almost territorial claim over characters and boys is just strange. I wonder if people would view the term differently if book girlfriends were more common. Would we criticize that? I don't know.
EDIT: Thanks to Nova's comment, I wanted to clarify something. Basically, I'd love to have the chance to officially call a book character my book boyfriend, officially. But I think that once a book is out for people to read, the character becomes what the reader makes of him/her. People might love characters for different reasons. We shouldn't need someone to officially tell us that we can love/swoon over a bookish guy. We can just, you know, do it. We can love a character, and nobody can (or should be able to) tell us what we can do or think or say. If you like the idea of claiming book boyfriends, by all means, continue. I won't judge you, nor will I get in your way. I just won't partake in it officially. Feel free to talk about the characters, but you don't own the character any more than the rest of us.
So let me ask: Do you have any book boyfriends? Do you do the whole book boyfriend thing? Why/why not? Do you enjoy talking about them? (I understand wanting to talk about book boys but.)
I actually initially thought it was kind of childish to stake claim over a character. Like why not just have your own fantasy over a boy and let others have theirs. Why do people have to be so territorial about a character and not let any other reader enjoy it. Heck, in my head so and so could be my boyfriend and he isn't even a real person so who actually cares.
ReplyDeleteI don't see the appeal in it. I get to have whatever book boyfriend I want. I don't need a fancy contract. If I have read the book and I want the guy, he's mine. There are a bunch of copies of the books so there are a bunch of the same guy and that's just how I see it.
So true! I don't really understand the concept because I feel like readers make the characters their own. If I want to call someone my book boyfriend, then in my mind, he is. I probably should have made my stance on that a bit clearer in my post. Thanks for the comment, Nova!
DeleteI FEEL SO SPECIAL! You edited because of my comment eep! :D
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