Challenging the Sandman

Just one more page.

Just one more page.

Just one more page.

At some point you realize you’re just kidding yourself. You’ve gotten to a point where you’re going to have to finish the book. It’s kind of like a rollercoaster, except with much less screaming and much less chance of throwing up. You began by buckling yourself into the seat of commitment, followed by the slow climb of character and story development, and now you’ve just gone over the tipping point of setup vs. payoff and are hurtling down the steep incline of extreme reader satisfaction, powered by the gravity of plot resolution, hoping desperately that you don’t hit a rough patch of cliché storytelling that upsets your stomach of enjoyment and ruins the entire ride.

Unfortunately, it’s late. Much too late. Tomorrow morning is coming soon, and the longer you stay awake the worse it’s going to be. However, it’s not like you really have a say in the matter. You are physically unable to put the book down.

So you keep reading, the final chapters falling away before your ravenous eyes. The real world is quiet and dark, illuminated only by a single bed lamp, but the world you’re immersed in is bright and alive and exciting and full of plot twists that aren't so contrived that they make you roll your eyes.

Ah! Oh! Holy crap! He wouldn’t! He did! How could he! Now what? Now what? Oh! I see! Ha ha! That’s great!

Then suddenly it’s over. A bittersweet moment, indeed.

You slowly put the book down, stare up at the ceiling, and just soak it all in for a while. Then you remember tomorrow is almost here, so you reach out and turn off the light. You are definitely going to pay for this. There’s absolutely no question about it.

The next morning you’re downing coffee at an astounding rate. You’re moving about in a fog, and even though thinking is still technically possible, comprehending is a much tougher challenge. Your eyelids are drooping, and mumbling is as articulate as you can be. Basically, you fought the Sandman, and he dropkicked you down a flight of steps. Still, it was worth it. It’s not often you find books like that, so when you do, you enjoy it and to heck with the consequences.

And maybe there’s a sequel. But only after you get some sleep.