Every now and then an article or study is released which suggests that a really large proportion of the population never read a book from cover to cover over the course of their adult lives.
This isn’t just sad because of the fact that reference books and non-fiction works contain a wealth of information about the world, but also because reading fiction — novels in particular — can have an immensely positive transformative effect on a person’s life.
If you’ve been reading less than you’d like because you have difficulties with the English language, consider getting in touch with English trainer AJ Hoge. If, on the other hand, you just aren’t convinced of the benefits of reading, this article might help to change your mind somewhat.
Here are some reasons why you should really read more novels.
They allow you to reflect on eternal elements of the human experience
Novels are not just idle, but ultimately unproductive, forms of entertainment — like watching reality TV, or staring at paint drying on your wall.
Instead, novels allow you to reflect on some of the eternal elements of the human experience.
For decades, mythologists and psychologists such as Joseph Campbell have identified common themes or “archetypes” that constantly crop up again and again in a hugely diverse range of stories, and you don’t need to take their word for it, either.
Consider the common tropes you can think of on your own, that find their way into film, television, and literature. The mysterious and intense hero with a dark past. The femme fatale. The villain who hides in plain sight and manipulates those around him.
Reading good novels can help us to constantly reflect on different elements of psychological and social life. This, in turn, can make us more perceptive in day-to-day life in general.
Reading both good and bad novels makes you a better writer
If you have any aspirations of being a successful writer of any sort, then you need to do an awful lot of reading. At least, that’s a piece of advice that world-renowned bestselling author Stephen King has for any would-be authors.
Reading good novels gives you a sense of what to do. It helps to instill an innate sense in you of the most effective ways to employ literary devices like metaphor, and how to convey ideas in few words.
Bad novels, on the other hand, teach you what not to do. They give you a sense of the dull and tedious elements of writing that it’s best to avoid.
Novels provide a great avenue for escapism and imagination
The human imagination is an extremely powerful thing. People often forget that all of the fantastic inventions we enjoy, for example, once began in the imaginations of various people.
Novels provide a fantastic avenue for escapism, a way of leaving the mundane and stressful elements of our lives behind for a moment, so that we can venture into exciting and magical realms.
Far more just about any other form of entertainment, writing can transport you to a higher plane.