In which I once again really tried to like fiction

Last updated on: March 1, 2015 at 10:10 pm by Jane the Actuary

In which I once again really tried to like fiction 2015-03-01T22:10:37-06:00 Jane the Actuary

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I don’t read fiction — as a general rule, at least, and I haven’t in quite a while. Many years ago, I built up a collection of paperback classics from the used book store, but that was as much about crossing famous books of an imaginary list as it was about enjoying them.

Every now and again, I pick something up, from the library or the bookstore. And usually it’s a bust. The characters aren’t sympathetic, they say f*** a lot, and I end up reading through it in a semi-skim, wanting to know what happens but not really enjoying the process of finding out. Maybe I should take up my son on his suggestion to read his tween fantasies instead.

Of course, I know that not all fiction is like that — there’s always the sort with the soft watercolor covers, the love stories (no, not the Harelquin Romances) — and my husband, a couple years ago, even got me a decent historical fiction book for my birthday. But whenever I pick up whatever seems to be popular, I’m disappointed — and I wouldn’t go anywhere near 50 Shades of Gray.

Such it was with Gone Girl, which I picked up at the grocery store the other day (that’s Meijers, for locals, supermarket + discount store before SuperTarget conceived of the idea, so in an actual books section). Yes, it was a page-turner, and, yes, I stayed up late reading it. But after I finished it, I just felt dissatisfied with it. Even disregarding the plot itself, there were elements of the backstory that weren’t realistic (her parents get rich off a series of moralizing children’s books which sound horrid, he teaches a class on “how to write for magazines” for a community college, he and his sister buy a bar which appears to support both of them and a dad in a nursing home without his seeming to actually work very much, etc.) And that’s before the plot got going. And the characters are unlikeable (which is part of the structure of the book — it’s meant to keep you guessing, at least at first, as to who’s innocent and who’s not — but it still dampers the enjoyment of the book) and say f*** a lot.

Quite a while back, there was an article in Slate on fiction, and how fiction-readers are morally-superior to non-fiction readers, because reading “literature” makes them more empathetic to others. I didn’t buy this then and don’t now. And now I’ll head back to biographies (Unbroken was just as compelling as any novel), history, and current events.

Uncategorized

fiction

Previous Post

September 28, 2014

10,000 hours of practice -- or genes?

Next Post

October 1, 2014 When children are commodities

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Actuarial/Retirement Issues Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 December 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What part of the body does the Breastplate of Righteousness protect?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The head The back The stomach The heart