Here I am, the world’s most reclusive introvert. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating. Just a little. Be that as it may – I’ve definitely never thought of myself as an entertainer. But apparently that’s what we writers of fiction are. Someone said to me once that reading novels is nothing but entertainment. It has no real, tangible value, because you don’t learn anything. It’s nothing but an escape from your everyday, humdrum life.
And, yes, the person was right – in a very limited way. Fiction is entertainment, undoubtedly. It’s an escape, too. Mere entertainment, mere escape, though? Not by a long shot.
First of all, reading isn’t nearly as mindless as sitting in front of a screen and passively staring at what other people have so painstakingly created. At least when you’re reading, you have to bring a certain literacy level to the table. And what’s more, a certain creativity, because you’ll invariably filter an author’s words through the lens of your own experience, and supply your own images for the words you read.
And second, there most definitely is an element of learning, even though in fiction it’s not as blatantly obvious as in non-fiction. Have you ever read a well-researched historical novel and come away with a much deeper understanding of a certain period in time? A novel set in a city or a country you’ve never been to? Or in a rural area, when you’re a city kid? Or in a culture or subculture that you’re unfamiliar with? If the author’s done their homework, and if you’re willing to follow them into unfamiliar territory, you’ll have been exposed to a different way of being, a different way of thinking that, in our polarized culture and media landscape, isn’t so easy to come by.
It goes beyond setting, though. Chances are that novels also plunk you into situations you’ve never been exposed to – yet. And I’m not talking about being mired among orcs. No, I’m talking about everyday scenarios. Conflict. Dilemmas. Relationships. Different points of view. A good writer can bring these situations to life so they feel hyper-real. Have you ever become so immersed in a novel that you were walking around in a daze, a bit removed from your everyday reality? That you fully expected to be able to go for a brew with your favorite character? I have, and it’s a glorious feeling. I’ve experienced it time and again in reading, and I certainly experience it in writing.
So fiction is nothing but escapist entertainment? Nope. Not in my book.