In this post, I’m exploring six reasons to read fiction. Believe it or not, there are more reasons than the simple fact that it is enjoyable. If you’re not already reading fiction, I hope this post will convince you to add a little do your TBR list.
Many years ago, a friend surprised me when she said she didn’t read fiction. “It’s all make-believe,” she said. Her desire was only to read God’s Word. The rest of it was not worthy. I didn’t want to argue, so I didn’t get into a debate about the reasons she should read a variety of other books – fiction and nonfiction – as well as the Bible.
But that conversation has stayed with me a long time. I’ve met others who read books, but don’t read fiction at all, focusing on nonfiction. I understand. Fiction can seem like a waste when there are so many good books out there which will teach me something.
But let me make a bold suggestion: everyone should add a little fiction to their food diet. As a Christian, I believe that the Bible is the foundation, the truth, the place where I’m reminded of God’s gift of grace and love for me in Christ Jesus. That book is the sustenance, the meat.
But, I also believe God blessed His people with gifts to share, gifts that make this world a more beautiful and delightful place. Storytelling is one of those gifts. Good stories – and that’s definitely a matter for much discussion that can’t be had right now – can be like scrumptious side dishes and sweet desserts in our book-and-media diet.
Why read fiction? For starters . . . it’s fun.
All the mental, physical, and emotional benefits in the world wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t for this one fact: reading fiction is fun.
I love curling up with a cup of tea under a cozy blanket by the fire or sinking my toes in the warm sand feeling the cool breeze of the lake cut the heat of the sun. From these familiar, comfortable spots, I can be immediately transported into another world. I learn about other cultures. I see the world from different perspectives. And I get to know characters so deeply that when I close the book after the last page, I’m sad.
Fiction enriches my life, and I love to share that love with others. It’s why I spent two extra years of my education earning a Master’s in literature, and it’s why I spent many years of my life teaching literature to high school and college students. It’s also why I would read to my kids before bed, even as they grew out of the picture book stage. We escaped into the worlds of Frank Peretti and C.S. Lewis and more, and I’m happy to see their love of fiction and books has continued.
I’m not the only one who experiences the joy of reading. A survey done in the UK found that 76% of the 1500 people surveyed said “reading improves their life and helps them feel good.” The survey also found that “those who read books are on average more satisfied with life, happier, and more likely to feel that the things they do in life are worthwhile.”
But isn’t it just an escape?
There’s no denying that reading fiction can be a way to escape the day-to-day stresses of life, work, and worries. But I’d argue that reading fiction is a healthy way to escape because there are so many wonderful side effects.
Take that Netflix binging, for example. It’s passive. We sit there and receive the story and don’t have to work very hard, unless it happens to be a foreign series where you absolutely have to keep your eyes on the screen to read the subtitles! (If you like these, check out The Extraordinary Attorney Woo.) But usually, our mind doesn’t have to work hard. Reading, in contrast, requires our brains to be fully engaged (or you’ll miss something!).
One resource compared reading good fiction to doing completely painless but beneficial bench presses for your brain. I like that.
Five More Reasons to Read Fiction
Reading helps us be more compassionate.
Reading is one of the best ways to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. “[Fiction] exercises our empathic muscles–it teaches us to see the world as others do, to understand their views and perspectives, even if we don’t necessarily agree with or like them” (Why You Should Read Fiction, Mark Manson).
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis studied the brains of fiction readers. They discovered that these readers “created intense, graphic mental simulations of the sights, sounds, movements, and tastes they encountered in the narrative. In essence, their brains reacted as if they were actually living the events they were reading about.”
So when we read well-written fiction our brain experiences much of what we’re reading. We’re literally in the characters’ shoes.
(This is a good reason to be careful about the fiction books you select.)
Side Note on Reading and Violence
While I was researching, I fell down a rabbit hole about the connection between violence and reading. Not surprisingly, our western culture has gotten less violent since medieval Europe. Historians, for example, have calculated that the homicide levels in medieval England were at least 10 times what they are today. Brawls, beheadings, and honor killings were common, and medieval Europe is not a time you or I would want to return to.
These violent practices began to change in the 18th century, though. There are lots of reasons why, but some theorize that a contributing aspect is that people read more. The printing press was invented in 1440 and by the 18th century, thanks to the Protestant church’s insistence on education for all, not just clergy, more and more people were learning to read. While in the late 1400s, only 10% of men in Great Britain were literate, by 1754, that number had climbed to 60% (source).
While religious works and news were popular, fiction was too, with books like The Canterbury Tales gaining popularity and reach with the printing press.
By the 19th century, novels were the primary form of popular entertainment for the middle classes. The Industrial Revolution and literacy rates all played a part in this. Consider the popularity of Charles Dickens’ novels which were all released in installments creating an eager anticipation for each new release. (Kind of like our contemporary cliff-hanger mini-series.)
Reading became a pastime, and we are better for it.
Reading fiction relieves stress.
Yes, reading fiction relieves stress. In fact, some studies show that it is more effective for overcoming stress than listening to music or taking a walk, and it’s on par with meditation. One study found that “within 6 minutes of silent reading, participants’ heart rates slowed and tension in their muscles eased up to 68%.” Psychologists believe this happens because your concentration creates a distraction that eases the body’s stress.
That’s why I can get in bed feeling completely wired and then be fighting to keep my eyes open after reading a few pages in a novel. (I don’t like to read nonfiction before bed. It has the opposite effect. See below.)
Reading fiction helps you sleep better.
Because of this stress-relieving benefit, fiction readers also tend to sleep better. The relaxed disengagement that reading creates is perfect for helping you fall asleep.
We’ve all probably heard about the benefits of a bedtime routine for your sleep quality–well, reading fiction is a lovely finishing touch for your bedtime routine. A great way to take you from reality to your dreams.
Tim Ferriss, entrepreneur, author, and lifestyle guru, shares, “Do not read non-fiction prior to bed, which encourages projection into the future and preoccupation/planning. Read fiction that engages the imagination and demands present-state attention.”
Reading fiction improves your communication skills.
As a writer, I love this benefit. But even if you aren’t a writer, you are a communicator and strengthening those skills is a bonus in all areas of our lives.
Reading all kinds of books improves writing, speaking, and even thinking skills. In reading good books, we’re exposed to new vocabulary, we see complex sentence structure done well, and we experience different writing styles that help us hone our own communication.
An added bonus? If you like puzzles, reading will give you an edge! (Crossword and even the infamous New York Times Connections.)
Reading fiction flexes your creativity.
How does this work? Let me try to explain a psychological concept known as “cognitive closure,” something I discovered in researching this post. Basically, cognitive closure is the desire “to reach a quick conclusion in decision-making and an aversion to ambiguity and confusion.” It’s a natural human tendency. We all long for certainty. Easy answers. Quick solutions. When people fight that tendency, they are often more creative, comfortable with competing narratives, and more contemplative.
Fiction allows us to play with this uncertainty. You have to keep an open mind about the story and the characters. For example, one character we assumed was awful has a moment of redemption. Or the story takes a sharp turn and the character we felt the most safe with turns out to be the enemy. Most importantly, in a well-written novel, we don’t know how the story will end. When we open the pages of a book, we are taking a risk, giving time to an author we may or may not know. (Of course, we can always shut the book and end that relationship right away if we feel uncomfortable or if the story is taking us in directions we don’t like.)
Yes, creativity thrives in uncertainty, risk-taking. (Check out my post about risk-taking here.) But here’s one very important point I want to make. As much as I appreciate the uncertainty of fiction, I don’t have uncertainty about my eternal salvation.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8 ESV
Are these reasons exclusive to fiction readers?
It would be foolish to pretend so. Reading fiction is only one way to get these benefits.
- You can strengthen your capacity for empathy by actually going into the world and serving others, whether that’s in your local community or on a mission trip abroad.
- You can expand your horizons with travel.
- You can practice creativity by taking a class, being curious, opening your eyes.
- You can relieve stress with prayer and reading the Bible.
People who don’t read fiction can be incredibly empathetic and compassionate, and they can live low-stress, happy lives, too. But fiction is a fun way to achieve those benefits. Think of it as another savory side dish or dessert for your meal. And the investment into reading fiction is pretty small. Go to the library and borrow a book.
I’ll close by admitting I have barely scratched the surface on this subject. Thousands of essays and books have been written about the joys of a reading life. One of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis, a thinker, author, professor, and faithful Christian, had strong feelings about this subject:
“Those of us who have been true readers all our life seldom fully realise the enormous extension of our being which we owe to authors. We realise it best when we talk with an unliterary friend. He may be full of goodness and good sense but he inhabits a tiny world. In it, we should be suffocated. The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore less a self, is in prison. My own eyes are not enough for me, I will see through those of others. Reality, even seen through the eyes of many, is not enough. I will see what others have invented.”
C.S. Lewis, The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others’ Eyes
Love this post? You might like these too:
- Five Reasons to Read Classics
- How to Find Your Next Right Book
- Six Benefits to Reading Aloud to the Children in Your Life
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