I've personally found it difficult to read any Star Wars after Chewie died. I've said it plenty of times around these forums (and others), I read Star Wars to escape from the everyday world. I enjoy the drama and risks that the characters take and like seeing them win out in the end. It doesn't need to be "more real" to be good. It just needs to be good. Making it "more real" just makes it like the real world. The real world isn't always happy and roses. I want the heroes to always win. That hasn't been the case since Chewie died.
I've personally found it difficult to read any Star Wars after Chewie died. I've said it plenty of times around these forums (and others), I read Star Wars to escape from the everyday world. I enjoy the drama and risks that the characters take and like seeing them win out in the end. It doesn't need to be "more real" to be good. It just needs to be good. Making it "more real" just makes it like the real world. The real world isn't always happy and roses. I want the heroes to always win. That hasn't been the case since Chewie died.