Captivated, absorbed, "drawn in" to a book

I have been captivated by Harry Potter and his friends. I should include some of his enemies also. I have read many "sci-fi/fantasy" books and authors in my life. This is one of the best series and not just because it's a currently popular series. Most people make a common statement about these books--they draw you in. What does it mean to "draw you in?"

I've been "drawn" into books since I was in elementary school. I literally see the story as it unfolds and feel almost as if I was an unseen spectator at the side of the scenes. In the rare instance I can feel what the characters feel and my senses are engaged. It's rare and it's weird, but there it is. I often come back into this world and sigh deeply, as if I was holding my breathe. Since I was young, my mom would say I blocked out the rest of the world when I read. My husband says it now (but I told him that first). I literally do not hear the real world when I am reading. Is this what it means to be "drawn in?"

Can a person be captivate by a story to the point of losing sense of reality? Yes, and it's a hard thing to do. The author is responsible for that feeling, that occurrence. The reader is not. It does help to be a little susceptible to imagination and open minded to all sorts of possibilities. Most books captivate me. I could probably count the number that have not done so. Another end result of this feeling is the staying power of a story. For example, Little House on the Prairie has never failed to enthrall young girls. Treasure Island makes swashbucklers and treasure seekers of us all. These books have been around, and will continue to "draw in" readers, for a long long time.