Want to Read More? The Psychology of Reading Fiction |
Consistent with the inevitable mass generation of New Year’s Resolutions this month, one oft-cited pledge has been on my mind as of late: reading more. But, who has time to do it? Since entering college more than 20 years ago, the most I ever read in any one year was probably six novels—and that’s when I was taking English Lit. Though I always enjoyed reading for the sake of it and the sense of accomplishment that came with completing a book in earnest, the notion of tallies never bothered me too much. As the years went by though, with work- and family-related activities taking centre stage in my focus, six seemed like a lot, almost unachievable anymore.
I recall a conversation with a bibliophile, a while back, who advised that her goal for that particular year was to hit 52, implying a one-per-week quota—an impressive feat. Where some people with children may scoff at the notion that such a thing could be possible for them, I ask them to consider the following: Were you already "not reading" before your kids came along? The bibliophile I mentioned enjoyed reading and was motivated to do it—that’s why she did it. You need to enjoy it; you need to want to; and this motivation will lead you to organise the time to do it.
Reading fiction can be hard work and not because of the complex nature of some narratives, topics, or styles; rather, you have to enjoy what you’re reading. If my wife and I try a new TV show and neither of us likes it after the first episode or two, we abandon it and find something else. Why should books be any different? Yet, when I spoke to another avid reader, she advised that she abandons a book 20 pages in if she isn’t "into it," I found that surprising. I often think, if you’re reading a classic or something that’s been highly recommended, you probably need to give it more of a shot. Why? For me, I’m a bit of a "completionist" when it comes to books—some might not really know if they actually like a book until they finish. I read one a few weeks back that was ruined by the last 30 pages (maybe I should have quit early and just imagined the end), but I’ve also read books I disliked for most of the journey and grew to love by the end. But that’s just me. If you can put aside a book you’re not enjoying for another, that’s a useful approach to keeping the reading momentum going.
I use the word journey there because that’s what reading a piece of fiction is. It’s a cognitive endeavour that requires you to interpret, understand, make predictions, and put yourself in the shoes of the protagonist—thus, creating a world in one’s imagination. The greater the investment, the greater the yield. Regardless of which approach sounds more "like you," choose the one that gets you reading more.
With that, liking what you’re reading impacts such investment. Perhaps one big problem with getting kids to read more "school" books is what they’re prescribed to read. When I was a kid, I loved Dr Seuss, Judy Blume, and Alvin Schwartz. But then, when we had to read The Red Badge of Courage and A Tale of Two Cities, reading became daunting to me. I see their value now as an adult, but as a kid, once you got beyond the academic, interpretive lessons, I found it easy to just "turn off." It was a different story, though, when we read Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, or The Great Gatsby. Books like these were more recent, more relatable, and still had good plots and meaningful messages (to me, anyway).
One of the best reading experiences I ever had was an assignment, at age 12, where we had to write an extended interpretation of a book of our choosing and learn how to use citations. This wound up being my first form of training in references research. Indeed, people’s ability to adequately reference sources seems to be a dying practice in many ways, but if we can get students to do it early and have fun with it, we give them a great life skill. All in all, I was interested in engaging, so I did it more, especially once I knew what I liked to read; and, indeed, that there were things that I liked to read.
Psychologically speaking, reading represents a great coping mechanism. You could read books related to what’s going on in your life or that have characters experiencing similar emotions. Books can be cathartic in this way and help people work through their "stuff." On the other hand, they might provide a relaxing escapism for the reader, allowing them to "turn off" from their stresses, if only for an hour or two at a time. Sure, the same can be achieved through TV and films, but books do something different—in ways, they’re more immersive. Screens show you, but books make you generate such visualisation for yourself and interpret things in a way that gives all of their readers a different take on things. Think about how often people say that they "preferred the book." It’s because they preferred their mental construction of things relative to a film’s director (thus, adding to the personal investment perspective described above).
In fact, I’ve come to realise that having kids has positively influenced my reading—it forces an added level of organisation to life. You develop predictable routines. If reading is important to you, you will organise it into your routine. Before, I could read anytime I wanted. I chose not to. Now, I can’t read whenever I want; so if it’s important to me, I organise a time to do it. With that, I’ve been doing my best to break my connection with the phone as much as possible, so I pick up a book now instead when we’re in the living room and the kids are watching cartoons. I also read before bed. Our current routine—for however long it will last (parents of young children will know what I’m talking about)—allowed me the opportunity to read eight novels in 2024 (after starting sometime in spring). Now, as we start 2025, I hope to get through 12 by the end of the year. If I don’t, no biggie—just as long as I keep it up. Sure, it’s not quite 52; but what can you do? It’s important to set goals that are attainable.
The point is, if you want to read more, you need to do it because you want to, not because you feel you should. Likewise, you’ll find you read more if you’re reading what you enjoy as opposed to what you think you should be reading. Find an approach that suits you and your organised schedule.