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I did a search on this, but I might have missed a similar thread. If that is the case, feel free to yell at me; I apologize in advance.
My question is this: do any of you have problems reading books with certain character names because they already associate that name with a different character in a different book? For example, I had a hard time with Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera, because I'd already associated that name with Sister Carlotta in Ender's Shadow.
So am I just crazy, or do other people notice this, too?
Posts: 25 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Since I had already read a book as a kid which featured a character called Carlotta, who was a gypsy princess who kept doing tricks on horses, that kind of influenced my perception of Sister Carlotta!
I guess it only works with "unfamiliar" names. Although I'm sure I've read plenty of books with characters called "Peter", I didn't imagine Peter Wiggin flying around in green tights.
Posts: 66 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I agree that it happens mainly with unusual names. I don't imagine Peter Wiggin as a rabbit with a blue coat either.
Posts: 803 | Registered: Dec 2004
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*spoiler for SotG, I guess* Everytime I read about little Ender, I couldn't help but think of The Original Ender (sounds like a restaurant..) which was quite weird, especially when Bean was changing his diaper... It kind of doesn't count, though, seeing as that's who little Ender was named after...
Posts: 1215 | Registered: Apr 2005
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It's not just characters: I couldn't name a child of mine "Rita" even though Kristine liked the name - because there was a mean girl named Rita in fourth grade who turned me off the name forever. There are other names that are so closely associated with someone I know that I couldn't conceive of naming a child by that name. And when I name a main character - somebody I expect to see a lot of - I make sure to give them a name I can stand.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
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Huh. I don't react that way, but my wife sure does. Part of me kinda assumed that it was an idiosyncracy of hers. Maybe not reacting that way is an idiosyncracy of mine.
Posts: 751 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I think it is human nature to associate a name with a current, or past person, wheather real or fictional. I know that I am biased against most Chris's, Carly's and Jennifer(I know there a lot of you out there, but no i9nsult intended) When I was reading Lost Boys , Stevie's nickname was Door-man. Everytime I saw it I couldn't help but think of Neil Gamiens(sp?) Door from Neverwhere .
Posts: 6 | Registered: Apr 2005
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That's the first thing I thought of when I saw your username (Neverwhere, that is)!
Mr. Card, you're right, it isn't just characters. I once raised some kittens who'd been dumped at the doorstep of my father's clinic (he's a vet). We named them Bobby and Sammy, but when we gave them away to a local bookstore owner, she had to change the names because Sammy was the name of some mean character on a soap opera she watched. And I will forever associate the name "Shawn" with this kid I knew in elementary school, who, we discovered, was a member of a satanic cult... Posts: 25 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Someone who goes to my camp is acually named Andrew wiggins. enen thoe it's with an s it still always makes me think of the book
Posts: 42 | Registered: Mar 2005
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I like the name Stephen as a possible son's name, but Mama has an ex-boyfriend with that name, and would likely be reminded of him. I don't have that problem, since I never went out with a Stephen.
We really can't have a daughter named Bambie, though, even if that weren't an ex-girlfriend's name.
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