As a reader, which written emotions affect you most?

I have always found that the greatest novels find a way to affect you emotionally somehow. There are a huge pool of emotions for writers to use with their characters, but there are usually the select few that affect people the most. I am sure that this varies from person to person. But what display of emotion, when you read it, gives you that shiver down your back or makes you blink back tears or even puts a big grin on your face. I know for me it's any kinds of personal sacrifices or displays of pride. How about you?

 

For me it's personal sacrifice and/or the death of someone who you have gotten to know through the book.

The scene that has probably had the greatest emotional affect on me was either Anakin's death in Star by Star because of just the sheer magnitude of his passing and the shock of it. Or when Han realizes after Chewie's death that nobody who was in the "protective bubble" was safe anymore and that they could possibly, and very likely die.

 

Now, as most of you know, my fave authors tend to run towards the Troy Denning, Matt Stover, Aaron Allston side of things -- I like my Star Wars action packed, character driven and humorous.

BUT! The trait that I MOST love about a book, typically in a series that's gone on for a while, is a great book that provides great continuity and then provides a big 'ol "**** YOU" as a twist near the end of the book to one of the characters (or, occasionally, the reader).

None other than Michael A. Stackpole is the best of this that I've ever seen. Anyone that's read his BattleTech novels knows what I'm talking about, right? Right?

I just love for a whole book to go by with pieces just falling together left and right and then BAM! a twist to change what we and/or the antagonist thought would happen...

Usually gives me chills!

 

Oh! I must agree with you on that one. Any novel that has a great twist at the end is generally put onto my favourites list. I love action and adventure, aswell as humor and the occasional love fling, lol. Sometimes though, when I get to know a character, I find it disturbing to read the page they die on (sometimes i find i have to skip it, lol) and often have a little private "memorial" for them.

Do you know how many action figures I've burried in the past few years?

 

I'd have to say heartbreak is the one that gets me most, as Bria's letter at the end of Paradise Snare was the only time I've ever shed tears thanks to a SW book.

 

I like when the authors suprise you with how attached you were to a character, like Ganner or Phanan.

 

I love it when the author makes you care about someone you really think you
wouldn't care about, like someone as irritating and smart-aleck-ish as Phanan, or others. Everything that happens to them just seems so much more dramatic then, because it pulls that emotion out of you, rather than just killing someone and expecting you to care. I cried when Phanan died, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. It was the first time I'd ever cried over a SW novel.

 

Phanan I'm a male and even I'll admit to having tears in my eyes over Phanan's death.

Although I am a Cancerian, so I'm a bit of a softy.

 

I think, if anticipation for a battle can be considered an emotion, then it is one that usually gets me going.

 

The ones which affect me the most are likely the self-sacrifice and los emotions. Sorrow and Grief...

The ones that I PREFER however, are the lighter more comical emotions that are found in the X-wing series...

 

Hope and self sacrifice.

When things look grim, and someone makes a final stand against impossible numbers to provide the hero with the time he needs, that leaves an impression.

 

I like the emotions running wild in the heat of battle. Whether fighting for a good or bad cause, in space or on ground, a war or just one on one, I love when an author explains what the different sides are thinking. One reason why I like the NJO (except recently its getting boring) and the X-Wing series so much. I love battle.

 

Lost love. Like Tahiri, after Anakin's death. And there's the most moving example of this I've ever read at the end of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, which are an awesome read anyway.

-Paul

 

"When things look grim, and someone makes a final stand against impossible numbers"

Gandolf said it best.

 

For more its just a well written scene that really makes you like a character.

For me when Ton Phanan died in Iron Fist, I shed a tear, even when I reread the book, i still do.

 

not death scenes, but the aftermath.

 

Anticipation! Sometimes I read so fast, I'll have to go back and re-read those sections (to make sure I didn't miss anything )after I get through them the first time, because I can't make myself read any slower.

 

I do that a lot too! I try to get to the climax of the action as fast as possible, even though I'm sure it would be that much better if I just read everything right up to it.

 

Two things. One, heroism. Two, not really an emotion, gritty realism.

 

One thing that really got me in the Wraith books was Wedge's loneliness, especially the time he saw Tyria kiss Kell. He found that he was jealous. The way he worked through that in the mess hall was heart wrenching. And then when the ball was beginning:

Janson turned to Dia. "Shall we, wingmate?"
She looked startled. "I don't know how."
"I thought you were a dancer."
"Not that kind. I have never danced with anyone. Just for them."
"Time to learn." He led her out on to the floor.
Leaving Wedge alone.

Cut me to the core.

 

I don't tend to get emotionally involved in books. I read too many to do that. But the closest I've come to crying in a SW book was when Wedge "knew he was dead" toward the end of RS. That hurt.