Have we lost the magic in the world?

When we are young, we learn that animals can talk, witches fly on broomsticks and make potions in their big cauldrons, and dragons are real. The older we become, the less magical and happy the reading materials become.

I don’t remember what books were read to me; I don’t think there were many beyond a book of bedtime stories, and I think it involved bears. I do remember when I was around 10 that I used to listen to fairy tales like Rumplestiltskin on CD. Around that age, I was already reading a lot. The works of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, and Monica Furlong were among the books I enjoyed as a child.

Although I have read a fair amount of contemporary and historical fiction by Dutch authors, such as Carry Slee and Thea Beckman. Even then, I loved books with witches and other unworldly creatures better than other genres. I remember when Harry Potter came out; I remember how much I enjoyed reading the series. I think those books and those of Monica Furlong were the foundation of my love for the fantasy genre. A genre that is highly underrated in Dutch society.

Since April this year, I have been working in my local library, so I have a sense of the books that are being read in this part of the Netherlands. The best-visited section of the library is the children’s books, for the age range 0 up to 12 years old. Parental reasoning is often that my child's reading is important for their education. I am not always sure if the kids actually enjoy reading, but at least they know books. There are some bookworms, but they are rare.

This section of books is filled with fantasy and science fiction; it is where you will find the most books in these genres. And that is my point: as we move from children’s books to young adult, the amount of fantasy has decreased by 50%. In the young adult section, there is a lot of literature, romance, thrillers, and war-related books. The topics become more serious. Also, those are the books that are borrowed the most.

Every time I walk through the library, I think to myself, have we lost touch with our imagination? Why can’t we enjoy more cozy books that make us feel good, instead of murder, warfare, and thrillers? Have we become so bleak a society that we need to fill our heads with such negativity?

This sounds like looking down on people for their reading taste. Please know that I am happy that people are reading. To me, it does not matter what you read as long as you are enjoying yourself. What I am trying to grasp is why a lot of people enjoy books that are centered around murder, war, and trauma. And can repeat this cycle over and over without a break.

Of course, not all fantasy is cheerful either, but at least it is not reality. You can easily disengage from the world that you know is not your own. Thrillers, war books, and even historical fiction make it more difficult to disengage yourself from that world. Another well-read part of the library is true stories; it does not matter what topic they are about, there is a large variety. If you can read these kinds of stories, good for you, much respect. A large part of these stories also deals with heavy topics, something I just can't read about anymore.

Non-fiction is something I read alongside fiction books; these are mostly books I read to learn something new, business, mental health, self-help, history, and mythology are favourite genres of mine. Books in the mental health and self-help department, I can only handle small amounts of these books at a time. Which means it will take me months to finish such books. I read these books as part of my healing journey, so sometimes they hit home. I stop right there and take the time to process my feelings, and continue reading something lighter.

Another example of how I switch up my reading is the following. When I have finished a book that left me sad or was just really hard, like for example The Hunger Games. I tend to read something lighter afterwards, too. In case you do not know, The Hunger Games deals with trauma, revolution, and war. I loved the series, but after I finished it, I needed a break from dystopia. 

My next read? The Baby Dragon Café is like a Hallmark movie with dragons. A cute romance with baby dragons, no high stakes, just something cozy. That is what I need to balance out the more thought-provoking books. If I had picked up A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes right after reading Mockingjay, I think I would have either not finished the book or I would have gone into a huge reading slump that could last for months. What I am trying to say with these examples is that there is a maximum amount of bleak, negative, dark content I can consume before I need something pink and fluffy. The same goes for my TV habits. I need large doses of happiness, positivity, and fun in my life as well. If I don’t, my point of view on life might become negative. This is also the reason I will never re-read New Moon by Stephenie Meyer or Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay; these books left me feeling so depressed. 

I am just wondering if all those people who read thrillers, war books, and true fiction and never change to something light and fluffy, if those people have become sour. If their outlook on life can remain positive, and if they ever get bored with such topics. It astonishes me daily that there are a lot of people who read only one kind of genre, which is not always on the cheery side. 

Let me know your thoughts and comments on this. I would love to hear how you feel about this. What are your reading habits? Do you switch genres often? And if maybe there should be more books with talking animals, adventures, and magical lands for adults? Have we lost the ability to love magic?

If you can't get enough of my content, consider finding me on my other websites. If you are interested in music, I write about it on Finding Flight Cases. If you enjoy collecting books, I have started a secondhand online bookstore, Arcane Archives. I would love to help you find your next fantasy or science fiction read.