The Role of Escapism in Reading. Do readers really read because they love reading?
I’ve read more than 50 books in the past year. But does that mean I love reading?
“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality”
— Lewis Carroll in ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’
Escapism
I didn’t start reading by myself. I had tried to read novels and failed multiple times over the years. But once I started, I spent hours and hours every day reading. I loved it, and I thought that it was because I loved reading. But now that I think about it, it feels like I was searching for something to occupy my mind, and books were the perfect option.
When I had a major event in my life that changed my path and left me stranded in my career, books were my best friends. It is a common characteristic of humans to try to run away from a problem or postpone facing it as much as possible.
How does reading help?
Stories take the readers into a world away from their local environment. Most people have local problems that can’t reach them far away. But taking a break or a vacation is not feasible for all people.
Books let us live a million lives.
A viable solution to this is imagination. The human brain is the best when it comes to imagination. Most non-readers don’t realize this because they make themselves believe that they don’t have enough creativity. In fact, people nowadays are better at visualizing things because they are familiar with everything all over the world because of the media.
It’s easier to get lost in your imagination than in movies or web series. This is because, while reading, you tend to create the whole world in your head by yourself. This tricks the brain into living in that situation, taking pride in the accomplishments, and taking the events that happen there to heart. That is why a good book stays in your head longer than a good movie.
Fiction and reality
Fiction may be fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, thriller, or suspense. While there are several genres for the purposes of evolution and education, fiction is especially for escapism.
Fantasy lovers are people who always want more than what is possible.
I am a die-hard fantasy fan. Maybe that’s why I dream too much. Fictional worlds let us live a life that we can never live in reality. They let us be the people we can never be in reality.
Is it wrong to search for escapism?
All people have at least one period in their lives that they find difficult to get past. By human nature, we search for other things to escape from suffering.
Escapism is okay, as long as we use it as a coping mechanism. As long as we are strong enough to face the problem at some point by ourselves, it’s okay to search for escapism.
Am I a book lover?
As a person who thinks being a book lover is something to be proud of, I often wonder: if I read for escapism, can I really call myself a book lover?
The answer is yes.
There are numerous sources for escapism. Books are just one teeny tiny part of it. The fact that I chose books for entertainment and the fact that I enjoy them sure does make me a book lover.
There’s nothing wrong with reading for selfish reasons, as long as you’re reading and loving the process. I hope a lot of people will learn to accept their reality and cherish the magic of books.
Books helped me get past a very tough part of my life, and I’m grateful for the authors around the world who made my whole life colorful and interesting.
This is my first post in Medium and I would love suggestions and feedback. Feel free to comment on your views.
Have a nice day folks!
