The Pleasures of Reading Fiction
Throughout the ages, mankind has loved stories. Cultures across time and distance have told stories for thousands of years, passing them down to each new generation. Eventually, these stories evolved into the form of fiction novels, which became one of the most popular ways of both creating and enjoying new stories. The following are some reasons why people should allow themselves to read fiction.
Teaches Truths
Some stories are fun, some are serious, and some teach truths people wouldn’t, or couldn’t, otherwise learn without experiencing impossible or extremely unpleasant situations themselves. For example, in The Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien, there is an implicit lesson in Frodo’s sacrificial journey to Mordor – that some situations are so urgent and their solution so necessary that one person may need to sacrifice himself to bring it about. But the great majority of folks would never have cause to learn that truth in real life. In fiction, however, they can experience it vicariously, and learn from Frodo and other characters like him.
Expands Minds
Reading stories about other cultures is one of the best ways to “travel” without actually spending the time and money to go yourself. You can potentially visit every country on the globe, and every culture in mankind’s memory, along with completely fictional places and planets of distant stars, as in cosmic fiction. Any location is possible! Fiction also happens to be a fantastic medium for the exchange of great ideas. Mankind’s seemingly endless creativity and curiosity get an infinite playground in the world of fiction. In many instances, a writer has invented an object or process that later comes about in real life, as in the case of Jules Verne, who predicted television several decades before it was invented.
Creates Enjoyment
Great pleasure can be had in consuming a fictional story because it is fun to hear about interesting things happening or the conflicts between likable heroes and despicable villians. Immersing yourself in another person’s fictitious life can be a nice escape from an unpleasant or boring circumstance in real life, especially if the writer of the story uses language that engages you and makes the story sparkle or drives forward relentlessly. If you find other people who have enjoyed the same novel, it can also be fun to discuss the plot and characters together, creating even more enjoyment.
There are many more reasons to read fiction, but hopefully, these have been enough to encourage you to explore the endless and fascinating worlds available through this medium. The sky is the limit, so have fun reading!
