Reading fiction for fun can be very controversial. You either love it or you hate it, and maybe think it’s a waste of time. But why is that? A primary reason why people don’t like to read is because of an inability to concentrate. But simpler than that, a lack of interest is major factor.
Being forced to read books in school, even from an early age can set the pretence for reading to feel like a chore, especially when we’re forced to read books that we aren’t interested in. However, it is important to find the right book for you. You need to explore different genres and writing styles until you find something that captivates you. But what if you don’t know where to start, or why to start at all? Photo by Kate Graur from Pexels
Rita Carter, a London journalist turned medical and science writer gave a TED talk, in 2018 on Why Reading Matters, where she discusses the benefits of reading fiction specifically, and reading for pleasure, rather than out of necessity, or for educational purposes. She says reading; makes you more imaginative, makes your memory better, can improve personal relationships, as well as make you a nicer, more empathetic person in general. But how does it do this?
When you read fiction, you are granted access into the characters’ mind, and you can see how they think, and how they view the world. In turn, we effectively experience what the characters do with them, rather than just read, causing us to feel the same emotions that they do, albeit slightly less intense.
Carter also discusses our natural ability to speak, compared to the ability to read which needs to be learnt. When we read, our brain is forced to do a lot more work, and by doing something that doesn’t come naturally we are effectively giving our brain a workout. The brain is one of the most important muscles, and just like the rest of the body, it too needs exercise, and reading fiction is one of the best ways to do that.
So, it is obvious that there are a lot of benefits to reading. There is so much discussion surrounding the importance of reading, that if you aren’t a reader, it may feel like ther is a lot of pressure to start. But the question is where? There are evidently a lot of people who are looking to start, so much so that there are Quora and Reddit discussion pages about it, and there is even a WikiHow page titled ‘How to read a book if you don’t enjoy reading’, but it doesn’t need to be that difficult. The simple answer is to just pick up a book and start reading. It’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself to like a book, and to remember that it is okay to stop reading a book halfway through if you really don’t like it. It is all about finding what you enjoy, and how are you going to do that without a little trial and error? If you have an idea of what you might like, but don’t know any specific authors or titles to read, YouTube is a great place to start. There are book recommendation videos for just about every trope in every genre, and most videos include short synopses which is even more helpful. And finally, if you don’t have confidence in your ability to read a long-winded novel, it is okay to start off with something easier. Young adult and young fiction books are a lot easier to read and just as entertaining, and if you’re looking for a lighter read, and don’t have the time to sit down and get lost in a deep, complicated plot, this might be the best way to start.
Overall, reading doesn’t have to feel like a chore if you take a bit of time to figure out what you’re interested in, because there are too many undeniable benefits of reading for it to be considered a waste of time.
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