Why read novels? via Dynomight

Love this -> https://dynomight.net/novels/

I like the Socratic questioning of a generally unquestioned “good” thing. But really, why read novels? I’m partial to Theory 4, Theory 7, and Theory 8.

Theory 4: Legible mind-space

Maybe novels are just another form of entertainment. OK. But say you tried to tell the same story as a novel or as movie / podcast / opera / interpretive dance performance. Different formats will be better in different ways. One advantage I see for novels is that they make it natural to explore the interior worlds of the characters.

Some movies have voice-overs where characters explain what they’re thinking. But this is generally considered cringe and a poor use of the medium. Meanwhile, many books are mostly about exploring what the characters are thinking.

Thoughts are worth exploring. If you want to explore thoughts, maybe novels are the best way to do that.

Theory 7: Dopamine

Or perhaps the difference is that reading is a thing you do rather than something you consume.

This theory holds than when spend an hour slurping up short-form video, you’re training yourself to sort of pull a lever in the hope that some reward is delivered to you. But if you read (or do watercolors, or meditate) you’re training yourself to calmly pursue long-term goals and to sustain attention in the face of complexity.

Theory 8: Non-fungible time

In the end, I don’t think novels are the best way to spend your time. In my view no novel—not even War and Peace—is as good as a truly great conversation.

But great conversations are hard to create. Sometimes you’re sitting on a train, or laying in bed, or it’s just been a long day and you don’t have the energy to find a giant block of marble and pursue your dream of experimental sculpture. In these situations, maybe reading a novel is the best thing you could do in the category of things you could realistically do.

Which – you put all these together and I think novels are uniquely suited to life right now – and why they have enjoyed a mild renaissance (or at least not died as fast as other mediums).