Bookworm in Distress | The 6 Stages

Friday, January 30, 2015


Did you know that a bookworm in distress is in fact worse than a furious bookworm? Well, now you do. But what's even worse is a bookworm in distress who just finished a book and is feeling like their world has been turned inside out in the most unpleasant of ways. It happens to the best of us.

I think I stand correct when I say that the most common causes of a bookworm's distress are character deaths, sinking ships, and second book syndromes. For the time being, let's just go through the phases bookworms in distress (aka you and me all the time) go through.


Stage 1: Book hangover phase



When you finish a good book, there's just no way you can't be going through a book hangover, right? THE book hangover, in fact.

You're probably sleep deprived, but the more pressing matter is that you feel like you won't be able to move on from that particular book for a very long time to come. (Although we all know it's limited to a few days/hours).

You wish you could rid your brain of the terrible memories, just to experience it anew. Rereading doesn't seem to do the trick that well.

Stage 2: Put it on repeat

Just human nature at work here. At this stage, you're either done with the book hangover, or unlucky enough to still be in stage 1 (in which case,  *pats back*) and you cannot stop yourself from dwelling on the cause of your distress.

How can the world be so unfair?!

For more dramatic effect, consider curling up in a ball on the bed.

Stage 3: Tell everyone!
 (And almost forget to exclude the spoilers)


This is a gem of a book. A gem of a book that broke your heart, mangled it, and tore it into so many pieces that you've begun wondering whether you're literally heartless.

And of course, EVERYONE needs to read this frightfully depressing book.
 (Might have something to do with you being heartless, if you think about it).

There can't be anyone who hasn't read this book. You make bestfriends with GoodReads, Twitter, and other social media and rant and rave all day, all night. You tell your friends and even the strangers about the book, not bothering to spare even the smallest of details.

Plus point: You get to punch that one non-reader in a purely figmental way (no violence, guys) who points out that it's not even real. Why thank you, douchebag. I think your heart isn't real.


Stage 4: Fangirl




Telling everyone about the book no longer suffices you.

You fanfiction.net the heck out of that book and Tumblr is suddenly your partner in crime. Your life is basically a big ball of fanart, fanfiction, fan-videos, pictures, Tumblr posts, and reading/watching other people freak out about the book.

It's just so perfect that you can't even, and omg your feels are all over the place, AND YOU JUST CAN'T.


Stage 5: You think you're safe

A few days pass. You're probably reading some other book, making a temporary home in some other world you decided to enter. You still like that old book, but it's more like the ex you're friends with than the boyfriend.

At any cost, you're a 'normal' bookworm now. You've moved on.

Stage 6: ...or have you?

One day, you're just idly browsing the interwebs when you come across a reminder. Not just any reminder -- oh how I wish that would be so. It's none other than a reminder of the dark, terrible times when you dealt with the incredibly sad things in the ex-book.

Thus, you're once again tangled in the same old series of obsession and fangirling sessions. So you just accept that you're a part of the cult of fangirls who live off fanfiction to keep their sanity in check.

More books will come, and add to the pile of books that caused you distress.

It's like the necessary evil, and you can never get rid of it. And so, you will forever be a bookworm in distress.


You're welcome.




I haven't done a post like this ages, and this was so much fun.
How much of this do you relate with?
Is there anything you'd like to add?