Quote:
Originally Posted by Ea
I can't agree. I find fiction can contain both factual knowledge as well as intellectual ideas - and may even be superiour in how it conveys all this information to the reader. Factual knowledge is certainly not limited to non-fiction, and ideas even less.
Actually, I think that sometimes the fiction author may convey the meaning of an idea, of some factual knowledge, a great deal better than the non-ficition writer. Sometimes, perhaps only the fiction-writer, the author, can truly relate the ideas.
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I don't mean to say that I see no value in reading fiction.
Just more that I don't think it compares with true learning from science, history, philosophy etc.
And as such, I'll never tell someone that only reads say romance or fantasy that they should quit rotting their brain and branch out in their reading etc.
That person may well have an intellectual job and be challenging themselves everyday, and just reading to unwind. And in that case I think they're bettering themselves more than someone who has a menial, non-intellectual job but reads "great" literature all the time.
The ideal is probably to have both an intellectual job and challenge yourself in your leisure reading, but not many of us have the energy left over after long days of work to do that very often.
