Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.

One day, I was handed a few volumes of new literature unlike anything I had ever read before and so ________ as to make me utterly forget my hopeless state.

captivating

The most appropriate option to fill in the blank is captivating.

The sentence is about how the speaker was handed a few volumes of new literature that was unlike anything they had ever read before and so captivating that it made them utterly forget their hopeless state. The word "captivating" means "to hold someone's attention in a powerful and irresistible way." This is the most accurate description of how the literature made the speaker feel, as they were completely absorbed in the stories and forgot about their problems.

The other options are not as appropriate.

• Repelling means "to cause someone to feel disgust or dislike." This does not make sense in the context of the sentence, because the literature did not make the speaker feel disgusted or dislike it.
• Boring means "not interesting or exciting." This does not make sense in the context of the sentence, because the literature was so interesting that it made the speaker forget their problems.
• Unrealistic means "not based on reality or practical considerations." This does not make sense in the context of the sentence, because there is no indication that the literature was unrealistic.