Novel Knowledge

Since we're talking about learning, as a librarian and avid reader, I want to discuss the concept of learning from reading fiction. It seems like an oxymoron and some would argue that reading novels is, indeed, a waste of time. I met a high school English teacher not long ago, however, who earned her Master's degree with a thesis that showed how much can be learned from reading fiction. I had to agree with her, because I have accumulated a good bit of what I know from my habit of reading novels. I have discovered that many writers of fiction conduct vast amounts of research before and during the process of writing a novel. Some of them even call their local public library's reference desk for help. Sometime, just read the acknowledgments section in the front of a novel and you will get an idea of the work involved to form a work of fiction into an authentic representation of real life situations.

So, why would it be surprising to anyone that reading a well-constructed novel can be a learning experience? I may never travel to China, but I know from the work of a Chinese novelist just what goes into a typical family dinner in Shanghai and how it is prepared. I was watching a British movie with my wife, who was confused by the police talking about their "grasses." I was able to tell her that they were talking about their informants, or what we would call "snitches," because I picked up the slang from reading British crime novels. I have learned how people fighting forest fires protect themselves from the phenomenon know as a "firestorm." I've learned all about the city of Edinburgh and the history of Ellis Island. Well, you get the idea. Reading fiction can often be another means of acquiring knowledge, even if you don't realize it's happening.