There is such a distinct grief that accompanies the final page of a truly extraordinary novel. The sudden realization that you can’t read those pages for the first time again stops you in your thoughts. You end up staring at a wall or ceiling, thinking and absorbing all you read and went through while missing the other world you are forced to move on from. You’ve entered a literary hangover.
I know this feeling all too well. In my experience, literary hangovers can last days, weeks, and in some cases months. The length of time really depends on how attached you were to the world you were reading about.
The dangerous part of the literary hangover is the book slump that follows. Book slumps can also be described as a loss of motivation to read other literature. We tend to treat reading almost like rebounding from a relationship. We gravitate towards books hoping they will give us the same high or excitement, demanding that it will make us forget the old one. A new story can’t win this uphill battle, but it will feel like a poor imitation. You will constantly be thinking and comparing prose, character development, and even writing styles between the old and new book, leaving you in a more frustrating place in your reading slump.
I have found it helpful to not fight literary hangovers. As tempting as it is, you need to allow yourself to feel sadness and even grief. Some think it is silly or crazy to feel so connected to people who aren’t even real, but to read is to feel.
First, you need to revisit your former lover, the book that carved a place inside of your soul. I enjoy looking at different social media posts about it, looking through Goodreads at what other people are saying about it, and even going through Pinterest and browsing fan made vision boards. Seeing visual reminders of the world you fell in love with not only brings joy, but can also bring a sense of closure.
If you are trying to move on to another book, after the mourning period is over, it may help to pick a book that has little to no similarities to what you previously read. For example, if you finished a heartbreaking romance novel you could try something like fantasy or science fiction. This method provides a little more assurance that you won’t be in a constant state of comparison.
Like a toxic ex, the book that gave you a literary hangover can haunt you even if it is in the same room. Simply looking at the cover can bring back all of those feelings and memories you experienced while reading. As funny as it sounds, the “out of sight, out of mind” trick does work. You can’t keep looking at it, wishing to go back and experience it again.
The important thing to remember when managing a literary hangover, is to never get angry that you have one in the first place. Getting the ability to experience such a stark hangover is something that not everyone will achieve. Instead of getting frustrated, celebrate the great literature that brought out so many feelings. Be grateful for the experience, and know in your heart it won’t be the last.