you've got it bad

You know you've got it pretty darn bad when you can't even bear to read a book because the protagonist shares the same name as him and it's difficult to see that name in print, so many times. It jumps out at you, pushes against you, shimmers and expands, until it completely blocks out, sweeps up, derails the rest of the narrative. The book's narrative, and also yours. You know you've got it pretty darn bad when you sheepishly ask a friend who shares his name, "er, can I call you something else?", and thankfully he is nice enough to look puzzled but acquiesce without asking too much.