”Was he an animal, that music could move him so? He felt as if the way to the unknown nourishment he longer for were coming to light.” (36)

What a haunting story. So much more than the backbone of would you still love me if I was a bug, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka asks of us how do we move in the world, and what impact do we leave on those around us?

I feel as if I can’t provide too much of an analysis without looking into formal criticism first. I must admit that I was briefly underwhelmed by the story at first — I expected something more profound in the text itself, but the truth is that once I finished reading, I felt such a sinking feeling that could only be attributed to all of the pieces coming together. This book is a great example of not being able to judge a rollercoaster until you’ve disembarked from the ride — because it really does require every last letter to tie the bow.

I think I relate to Gregor much more than I could ever imagine. I’ve always been turned off by classic literature; I find it hard to relate to and see myself i. these characters that are of worlds so far away from mine. This book is the exception to that and as such, I’m so grateful I read it. Maybe I’m just deeply depressed or maybe I’ve already become a bug. Or maybe Kafka is the guy for me.

“They all think they are better, but the truth is that they are just as lost as she is.” (186)

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang hit all the right notes of what life was like as a member of the stan world in the 2010s.

Following Minnie through her challenging first year of college, the author brilliantly juxtaposes Minnie's reality with Eason's, the idol whom she is such a fan of. Not only is this an incredibly interesting composition, but it does such a great service to both of their characters. Minnie's obsession and the depth of stan life seems so much more over the top when read in between chapters of Eason's struggle and the reality of being an idol. And for Eason, his struggle to define his relationship to the fans seems so much more personal given we know Minnie, which makes his desire to keep his history a secret so much more desperate.

I'm sure many folks on this website can relate to Minnie's story. I mean, Pagebound is similar enough to The Heaven -- both exist as an online forum to discuss specific interests, and enough folks here have made connections in the same way that the book details. As someone who has had a really rough past year personally speaking, and as a result has thrown themselves into fandom and the hobbies that bring them joy, this book really spoke to me. I thought the author did an incredible job of being realistic with the way Minnie's relationships outside of fandom were portrayed. A particularly poignant example of this, one that did in fact cheer me up was: “‘We’re all here, Minnie,’ Anna is saying. ‘Be here, too.’” (258)

If you have ever had a fan account, found yourself scrolling mindlessly on Tumblr or Twitter, or even engaged with fan content in the slightest, I'd definitely recommend this book to you. It might hit some chords, but it also may just be exactly what you need to read. And maybe you'll find a new author to add to your future reading lists like I have.