It’s been a little while since I’ve gone off on an editorial-type rant, and after being good for so long, I’ve decided to break my silence in honor of Literacy Month.
As a huge supporter of literacy, I talk to scores of people about the importance of being literate and how literacy can change lives. We all essentially agree that nonfiction is a valuable resource to help us to become educated, but there is a broad range of thought and feeling when it comes to fiction. For some, they’ll read anything voraciously and love every minute of it, others are more moderate, but there are some who feel that fiction is fluff and they prefer not to read it.
I’ll be the first to say that there is a great deal of fluffy fiction out there. As a media reviewer but also as a bookaholic, I’ve sifted through quite a number of novels and I’ve found my fair share of fluffy books. This is not to say that fluff has no place – sometimes we need to just relax and enjoy ourselves for a little while. But I’d like to speak up in defense of the fiction that is not fluffy, but has much to offer.
One of the arguments against fiction that I’ve heard more than once is, “I don’t read fiction because I like to read the truth.” Fiction does not mean that you’re being lied to—instead, fiction plays the game of “what if.” All fiction has to stem from truth because fiction is based on life and life is truth. An author takes a real situation and plays “what if” with it, arriving at a work of fiction that, while not documenting an actual event, might just as well. Successful fiction mirrors life to such an extent that the reader feels that they know the characters and can understand the situations.
Another argument is, “I don’t read historical fiction because I like to know what really happened.” I’m a huge reader of historical fiction and (I modestly insert) I also write it. I know firsthand the amount of research that goes into writing such a novel. For the most part, the historical fiction novelist will remain true to the actual events of the era and will only fictionalize the lives of their characters who live in the era. You will get the main details of the Battle of Gettysburg – the only thing to bear in mind is that there probably wasn’t a kitchen maid named Betsy who saw it from behind a tree. The great thing about reading historical fiction is that you can learn the basics of a historical event and then branch off into some specific, nonfiction reading if you’d like to know more.
Some argue that they want their reading to have depth. There are countless quality fiction novels written every year that are deep, that speak to the mind, heart, and soul. I have found myself educated, spiritually uplifted, and fed as I’ve read certain works of fiction. I’ve learned things I might not have discovered otherwise, not only about the world around me but about myself and about God.
If you really would rather not read fiction, I’m not trying to bully you into it. I just want to point out that amongst the not-so-good novels there are those that truly shine and can be an additional blessing to your life, if you’re inclined to give them a try. The archives here in Media Reviews are simply full of fabulous books that I or other bloggers personally recommend. In each review you’ll hear why we liked the book, what we found redeeming about it, and we’ll also share any thoughts or concerns we had while reading the book. Families.com recommends books you can trust.
Related Blogs:
Reading for Spiritual Enlightenment
Ways You Can Help Spread Literacy