Why People Read (or Struggle to Read) Literature (Part 1)

A quiet evening with a book is the perfect ending to a stressful day, especially if I can enjoy a nice glass of red wine and a few bites of dark chocolate with my suspenseful thriller or off-beat romance.  However, not all my reading is so pleasurable.
Often, I read quite seriously.  I read "informational text" to answer practical questions such as how to deal with a parent suffering from Alzheimer's, or to answer questions that interest me, such as animal cognition.  I really do want to know what my dog knows, and how she knows it.  When I am perplexed by man or beast, I turn to books and the Internet.

When I feel frustrated as a writer, I pick up a work of literature which comes highly recommended.  Despite having a B.A. in English Literature, a MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry), and numerous teaching certifications, I find many of these books to be tough going.  Far too frequently, these edifying books pile up in my study or go back to the local library, never to be read to the end. 

You might think that, given my skill as a reader and writer, that I could finish any book.  Given my experience as an English teacher, you would guess (correctly) that I believe in the life-changing value of literature. 

That's true.  I whole-heartedly agree with Jeffry C. Davis that reading "good literature" does indeed "free students [and life-long readers] to be who they were meant to be."  Davis, like many English professors, believes that good literature teaches us how to live better lives:

If you want to learn about yourself, learn about others--people both real and fictional.  This way you can gain insight into their struggles, fears, longings, beliefs, habits, and relationships; then you can apply that insight as you make sound decisions for your own life (Davis).

You might think that, if reading literature could give us such great insights, we'd be all over it like ants on a picnic, and that literary works would outsell self-help books.

Alas, this is not the case - and if you don't believe me, check out today's links to current bestseller lists.

Today's Links

Amazon.com's Best-Seller List

National Public Radio's Best-Seller List

New York Times Best-Seller List

U.S.A. Today's Best-Seller List

Bibliography

Davis, Jeffry C. "Why Read Books at All?" Wheaton College. Web. 12 Nov. 2010. <http://www.wheaton.edu/english/faculty/davis/guidance_for_students/books.html>.