On the subway, in cafés, or even at school, we often see people with books up their noses. As of 2022, over 40% of readers favor fiction. To non-bookish people, this might seem surprising so let’s take a look from a fiction reader’s perspective and find out why they love it.

To Escape

With the growing mental health crisis, especially in women and teens, people seek ways to escape from their life and thoughts. They usually turn towards fiction books. By immersing ourselves in different worlds, our worries tend to disappear and all that is left is anticipation and curiosity to find out what happens next. Whether it’s a magical kingdom, a thrilling mystery, or a completely different reality, reading provides a quick getaway where we can relax and destress for a while.

To Feel

In medieval Europe, violence was common, especially because of wrong beliefs. But starting in the 18th century, crime rates began to drop, why you might ask? The most common theory is because people started reading. Yes, it’s that simple. People became more sympathetic and realized that others also had their own internal worlds and that they too, should be respected. This proves that reading exercises our empathetic muscles and helps us develop emotional awareness.

To Understand

This might be come as a surprise to most people, but fiction typically beats non-fiction when it comes to gaining insight on other’s thoughts and feelings. Fiction writers usually base their books off of personal experiences, so by diving into their world, we see it the way they do.

Popular fiction books like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games usually focus on one main protagonist and by reading from their point of view we typically imagine ourselves as those characters and by observing them we slowly build the capacity to understand perspectives that are different from ours.

To Imagine & Believe

Many wish for a world that isn’t like the one we’re living in. Humans have turned Earth into a strange and scary place. Fiction gives us the ability to imagine new realms, to see different realities and usually, if it’s a dystopian world, the main characters always reforms and makes their home a better place. By picturing this, we have an urge to create a better future.

To Learn

As a native Thai speaker, I understand the struggles of people who want to improve their English skills. Fiction can make learning feel less like studying and more like having fun. It exposes us to new vocabulary, writing styles and different ways of expressing ideas. Why choose entertainment or knowledge when you can have both?

Ready to pick up a book?

Has this convinced you to give fiction a try? If so, hope you enjoy your reading and let’s explore into new worlds together.

Sources

  • Grant, Adam. “The Case for Reading Fiction.” Substack, https://adamgrant.substack.com/p/the-case-for-reading-fiction.
  • “Why Do We Read?” The Write Practice, https://thewritepractice.com/why-do-we-read/.
  • Rauch, Joseph. “Benefits of Reading Fiction.” The Rauch Review, https://josephrauch.com/therauchreview/articles/benefits-of-reading-fiction/.