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Books Quote by Alan Ryan

“He had gone again and, emboldened by his first successful trip, had chosen a different sort of world to enter, that of THE MONK. He had studied the book with great care and finally selected a passage that was purely descriptive. The result was the same. The instant he closed the top of the…” quote by Alan Ryan
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““He had gone again and, emboldened by his first successful trip, had chosen a different sort of world to enter, that of THE MONK. He had studied the book with great care and finally selected a passage that was purely descriptive. The result was the same. The instant he closed the top of the showcase, he was transported to the world described in the open pages. He found himself standing - and shivering - in a dank corridor that, he knew, was far underground. Feeble candlelight flickered in the distance, off to his left. Water dripped down the gleaming walls and startled rats scurried past his feet. The air was stale and unpleasant. Down the corridor to his left, he could hear singing but could not make out the words. Then suddenly, from his right, he heard a woman's high-pitched scream, its sound caroming off the wet, stone walls of the passageway. He jumped, his skin crawling at the back of his neck. And found himself back in his warm and familiar room. ("I Shall Not Leave England Now")””

Alan Ryan

About This Quote

Source Book: I Shall Not Leave England Now by Alan Ryan, 1995

A protagonist uses a magical book to enter a vivid, unsettling world, only to be jolted back by a terrifying scream, highlighting the thin line between imagination and reality.

In simple terms: A magical book transports him into a scary world, then a scream pulls him back.

Key Takeaway

Beware how immersive fantasies can be.

Themes

imagination fear reality

Mood

uneasy curious

Type

narrative cautionary

When to use this quote

  • reading
  • creative writing
  • role‑playing games
  • virtual reality experiences

Key Concepts

magical realism sensory immersion

Questions to Reflect On

  • What boundaries exist between safe imagination and harmful immersion?
  • How does fear reset our perception of reality?
A Different Perspective

The escape may be temporary; fear can abruptly end immersion.

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