I know when most people talk about this, they're referring to fantastic elements, but I'm talking mysteries. I watched a wonderful episode of McDonald and Dodds last night, season 3, episode 3. And if I'd have stopped to think about things that happened in the story, I'd have been dubious. Same with the last Hercule Poirot I watched. The improbable was REALLY improbable, but I was happy to go along with each development because it was so clever and fun to watch.
In Poirot, the harried protagonist didn't recognize her own sister. Yes, they hadn't seen each other for a long time, but... And (sorry, this is giving away a big clue), but the man who claimed to be her father returning from Australia, wasn't. And only one person seemed to notice. I know time changes people, but who knows how much changed? Was her dad tall with dark hair? Short and stocky? We never knew. We just took the characters at their word and went along for the ride. And it didn't even slow me down, because I was too busy adding up clues and enjoying the show. That, to me, is suspension of disbelief. I never stopped to think about how much the story stretched credulity until the entire show was over.
Same with McDonald and Dodds. Every incredible clue was SO clever, it would never happen in real life. Did I care? Not a fig! It made for a wickedly fun and clever story.
In my Jazzi novels, Jazzi and her friends start renovating a house in the first chapter and have it finished by the end of the book. Would that really happen? Not very often. But I wanted the books to have closure on the plot AND the subplots, so I hurried things. It bothered a few readers, but it was fun to see the finished house before the last page.
If I'm enjoying a book or TV show or movie, I'm willing to bend as long as nothing knocks me out of the zone. That happens once in a while but not often. It takes something jarring to make me stop and say, "Would that really happen? Does it ring true?"
I watched Carnival Row and never stopped to wonder about the fantasy characters, the spells and magic, because the characters and the story bespelled me. That's all it takes, and I'm off to see what happens next. C.S. Boyack's latest novel, Once Upon a Time in the Swamp, never knocked me out of the post-apocalyptic world Mari lived in. I never thought I could fall in love with a stubborn ox and a ditzy dog, but I did. And even though I didn't think Mari had a chance to get revenge and live, I wanted her to. So, I kept turning pages.
I hope you've found lots and lots of books that pull you in and don't let you go, books that don't bounce you out of the story when something doesn't strike you right. So happy reading and watching! I'll be doing the same.
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