Quote:
Originally posted by Arledrian:
Melusine, seriously, I've read heaps of novels and they have interested me, and often been entertaining, but I honestly prefer a book that will really teach me something. People use books in different ways. For those who want a brief escape from the real world or just something light to pass the time, your average novel is fine, I've read a lot of them myself. I'm just saying my personal preference goes out to something educational. I admit I'm quite insatiable when it comes to learning in that way; I've read atlases and studied encyclopaedias, on top of books about the aforementioned subjects. I really feel that I've come out a more knowledgeable person at the end of the day. Since when is that a bad or surprising thing?
 
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I definitely believe that you came out as a more knowledgable person and I certainly commend you for getting so much factual information. I never said it was a bad thing, did I? [img]smile.gif[/img]
I actually enjoy atlases, encyclopaedias, non-fiction scientific books as well.
What I objected to was your statement that books don't teach you anything.
Your description of novels as sources of simple entertainment to me sounds an awful lot like the description of a fantasy or romance novel. Most of those DO provide nothing more than easy entertainment.
Literature however is absolutely PACKED with information about the widest range of topics imagineable. I certainly would not say that its first purpose is simple entertainment. Enrichment is a much better word. The books I read gave me a world of information about anything from the life of Indian immigrants in London, the anthill-building practises of red ants, the social position of women in the 16th century, Jungian psychoanalysis, Greek mythology, the lost works of Aristotle, a Canadian murderess from the 18th century, the dilemma entailed by the conservative belief in predestination, the order of Templars... I could go on and on.
Also, reading major works, like Shakespeare, Dostojevski, Voltaire, Sartre, Nietzsche, Plato, Petrarch and loads of others IS a source of information in itself. That's what I meant [img]smile.gif[/img]