It can be said quite definitely that there is still no clear answer to this question. There are several different approaches possible here.

How to read fiction? There is a very simple answer to this question: as artistic. But after this, obviously, the following question arises: what is the artistry of literature? If you are interested in this issue, we recommend reading a book that fully reveals this concept: N. K. Gey, Artisticity of Literature. - M., 1975. In our book, only the main approaches to the problem will be discussed. It is not by chance that we are considering this issue, for there is literature called fiction, which, upon closer examination, is not such. In our opinion, it is very important to be able to understand this. In order to show the complexity and depth of the problem of measuring artistic value, let's look at the graph shown in Fig. 41. This shows the dependence of the value of a work of art on a number of basic factors. Note that researchers led by the famous French scientist A. Mole consider this graph to be universal for all types of art: literature, music, fine arts, etc.

Rice. 41. Graph of the dependence of the value of a work of art on a number of factors

As shown in the graph, a work of art represents a message characterized by a degree of complexity or amount of information, which in turn depends on the culture of a given society. As shown in the graph, the value of a work varies depending on its complexity, following a curve that has a maximum at some point. This maximum shifts in the process of historical development of society and the growth of its culture. At the same time, it becomes blurred as a result of a more uniform distribution of cultural elements. In other words, the general evolution of art leads to the emergence of increasingly refined and difficult to understand combinations of elements, that is, what is called incomprehensible in every era. How can one disagree with Goethe’s famous statement:

Everyone sees the world in a different form,

And everyone is right -

It makes so much sense.

The science of art has long and persistently struggled to decipher the nature of artistic creation. Each writer, based on the specific content of the words, creates a literary text in which the combination of words is not arbitrary, but depends on the meaning and significance of the constituent elements. As a result, the word receives a special, no longer verbal, but figurative meaning, which distinguishes a literary text from a scientific one, where everything is subordinated to logic, and only to it. The poetic content of the word presupposes the existence of an infinite number of images in the artistic world. The essence of a truly artistic work is manifested in the fact that the word appears here not as a means of information or message, but as an actor in whom they see not himself, but the image that he embodies. When a writer writes: “There was an apple in the world. It shone in the foliage, rotated lightly, grabbed and turned with it pieces of the day, the blue of the garden, the frame of a window” (Yu. Olesha), then this is not the naming of objects in a word, but rather the transformation of words into objects, into visual images arising in the mind reader in the process of reading.

And here we come to the most important thing: what can quick reading give for the perception of fiction?

The main thing is not to accelerate the reading process, but to deepen the aesthetic impact through the development of visual, figurative components of thinking in the reading process. It is no coincidence that many schoolchildren, after completing speed reading courses, noted a sharp increase in the visual components of the reading process. “It’s as if I’m not reading, but watching an interesting movie with all the characters, events, landscapes that are described in the book,” wrote one of our listeners.

M. Gorky, whose fast reading we talked about at the beginning of the book, read literary texts quickly precisely because he was distinguished by vivid imagery of perception. Even as a child, while reading books, Alyosha Peshkov imagined what he read so clearly that he was amazed by the magical power of the printed line and, not understanding the secret hidden in the literary word, examined the pages in the light.

Is there an algorithm for reading works of fiction? Experts have developed three levels of penetration, or immersion, into a literary text, which are a kind of reading algorithms.

The first stage of immersion: understand the plot and plot. The writer resorts to plot to show what the hero does, what he does, how he acts. The reader’s task is to follow all this and not miss anything. This stage can be called “event” or “plot”. All readers master it. Researchers have noticed that at this stage of perception, when retelling, many people mainly use verbs denoting action. So, when retelling the film “Come to me, Mukhtar!” out of 175 words, there were 32 verbs denoting action, and only 1 - state. Up to 80% of young viewers are characterized by this level of perception.

Is it important to know the action - the plot? Undoubtedly. A good understanding of the plot and plot of a work means getting closer to understanding the psychology of the writer’s creativity and his skill.

The writer’s art of “telling” is a special art that requires that as the story progresses, the reader’s interest constantly increases.

The second stage of immersion: the reader’s ability to identify himself with the character, to compare his fate with the vicissitudes of his fate. At this stage of perception, it is necessary to understand the complex structure of relationships between the characters, the motives of their likes and dislikes, actions and behavior - the artistic conflict of the work. This level can also be called “semantic”. The reader, as in the first case, shows interest in poignant situations, but he is concerned not only with the fate of the characters, but also with their experiences. He feels more acutely his own feelings about his actions characters. Everything is etched into the memory: the landscape, the setting, and the appearance of the characters. When talking about a book, the reader conveys not only actions (left, came, disappeared), but also the experiences of the heroes (hates, loves, doubts).

The central, and often the only figure in all artistic creativity is man. It's impossible to imagine literary work without heroes, without characters, no matter what type it belongs to. In lyric poetry, the hero himself is the author; in epic and drama, there is always one or more heroes.

When reading a work of fiction, we almost never go beyond the boundaries of the human world, which is very similar to the real one, but at the same time is not a simple repetition of it. We do not doubt the conventionality of literary images, but at times they acquire such reality for us that we consider them as truly existing.

The third stage of immersion: identification of the reader with the author-artist. It is called figurative and semantic. Its essence could be expressed in the famous words of L.N. Tolstoy, who said that the reader picks up a book in order to see what kind of person the author is and what he, the author, has in his soul.

A work of art always reflects the level of personal aesthetic knowledge of the writer. Creative knowledge is, first of all, self-knowledge. An artist, creating a work, to one degree or another expresses his vision of the world. This is one level. It can be described as a “small” world. The writer’s attitude to the environment, time, and contemporaries can conventionally be called the “average” world. This is another level. A great artist never stops at these levels. For him, both of them are the path leading to knowledge of the big world, the macrocosm - the universe, humanity. Having understood these levels of knowledge and determined their nature, we will come closer to understanding “the secret of the unity of the author with his heroes,” the secret of the process of personal creativity, and therefore we will be able to more accurately understand what the writer wanted to say to his reader. It is important to establish what the writer knew, what he understood, and what remained beyond his consciousness, and what he, for various reasons, could not figure out.

At the end of this conversation, read test text No. 9. Try to read as quickly as possible, but, most importantly, awaken in your mind vivid visual images, ideas of what the author writes about. After finishing reading the text, do not rush to answer the questions as usual. sit, think, reflect. Check whether you have memorized all the blocks of the integral reading algorithm and whether there are any gaps.

Using the formula you know, calculate your reading speed and enter the result in a graph and table of your successes.

Test text No. 9 Volume 5500 characters

“CHALLENGE” PRINCIPLES (about the ways in which high quality goods are achieved in Japan)

A teleconference between students in Japan and the United States was coming to an end when the host in Tokyo made a sneaky move. After listening to a tirade from an overseas colleague about the reluctance of the Far Eastern allies to open their market to American products, he paused and unexpectedly commanded into the microphone: “Let those who buy goods with the mark “made in the USA” raise their hands! No one in the hall moved. “Who uses only Japanese products?” A forest of hands immediately shot up.

“You know,” one of the Tokyo students explained, looking into the television camera, “it’s not about nationalism. It’s just that our products are cheaper and better quality than Western ones.” However, not only residents of the Japanese islands think so. “It’s time to understand,” writes the New York Times, “that the secret of the success of Far Eastern businessmen in foreign markets lies not in deceit, not in violating the “gentlemanly rules of trade,” but “in the ability to produce good goods and achieve constant improvement.” How did Japanese businessmen win the right to such compliments from their worst competitors? One of the answers is in activity quality circles, which have become the most important means of mobilizing tens of millions of people in Japan.

Behind a metal table littered with diagrams are eight young workers, members of the Challenge group. She operates on the engine technical inspection line of the giant Toyota automobile plant in the central part of the island of Honshu. Guys in neat beige uniforms joke, laugh loudly, drink green tea. . . Once a week, they stay for about an hour after work in a room allocated for them in the workshop and discuss ways to solve the next problem of rationalization and quality improvement. The topic is chosen together and then approved by the boss. The intervention of the workshop management is minimal, although the site foreman is an indispensable participant in all debates and often directs the survey work himself. This time, the Challenge group is trying to reduce engine noise, which is why the new Toyota model is not well received by potential buyers. “We have considered some options. There is an idea to change the shape of the muffler,” says one of the workers, and the group members again bend over the diagram. (

Sometimes you don’t really want to stay after work,” says handsome guy with a mustache. - But when an argument starts, you often forget about everything. Will this help my career? Don't think. It’s just that working in a circle improves the quality of my work. It’s great if your ideas are taken into account in a new car model!..

The Challenge group is just one of 240 thousand quality circles that now cover the core of Japanese workers and technicians. This movement has acquired a truly total character here, and participation in the struggle for all kinds of improvements has become almost an integral element of the local way of life. Such circles operate in dry cleaners and car service centers, in eateries and even in nightclubs. However, the main field of activity is the sphere of material production.

According to Japanese economists, the mistake of the West is that it takes the path of strengthening external control over the worker, viewing him as a lazy person or even as a hidden saboteur. The supervision system is being tightened, unexpected inspections and increasingly formidable commissions are being introduced. In other words, the product manufacturer and quality control are separated and even opposed to each other. The Japanese are convinced that the controller should first of all be the worker himself.

Quality circles as a national phenomenon were born in April 1962, when the decision to create them was made by an all-Japan conference with the participation of leading businessmen and economic experts. They began to publish a cheap magazine on anti-marital problems, accessible to every worker. Then a national headquarters of quality circles was created, which now has five powerful regional branches.

In fact, all members of Japanese production teams act as individual inspectors and are collectively responsible for identifying defects. The principle is simple: if you notice a problem, immediately fix it yourself. If you can't, call for help. If there is not enough time, stop the conveyor. The main slogan: “Do what you want, but the defect must not pass!” Through the efforts of experienced managers at Japanese enterprises, an environment has been created where any missed marriage becomes a powerful psychological drama. Here is another example: a group of milling and grinding workers at the Nihon Musen electrical products plant in Nagano decided to dramatically reduce the level of defects on their site. For two months the workers monitored themselves, drawing diagrams and graphs. It was found that the greatest failure occurs when marking workpieces, and primarily at the beginning and end of each shift.

The members of the circle decided, on their own initiative, to hold three- to five-minute meetings every day to “concentrate attention” and introduced a system of mutual inspection, when workers from neighboring machines took turns checking each other. As a result, in seven months of intense activity, the circle managed to

reduce the defect rate by forty percent. However, such huge achievements, of course, are not achieved often.

The main focus is on constant quality control and a continuous process of minor improvements. Invented a more convenient screwdriver handle? Prize! A trifle, you say? But such “little things” at Japanese enterprises add up to the high quality of goods, achieved only through the use of internal resources.

In Japan, quality conferences of various levels are continuously held, to which the best innovators are sent. The organizers of the movement proceed from the fact that the struggle to improve products must be all-out, since a small number of enthusiasts will never be able to achieve results if they find themselves surrounded by indifferent or even hostile workers.

• How to read books correctly
• Book selection
• Active reading
• Reading Moderation

A person who strives for success and regularly works on his own development constantly needs new knowledge and the necessary information, which can be obtained through the Internet, trainings, seminars, and, of course, from books. Books are the most accessible source of knowledge and useful information However, this does not mean that reading them is an easy task. You need to know how to read books correctly! This article will provide the basic rules for reading books.

How to read books correctly

Book selection

If reading a certain book seems useless, boring and uninteresting to you, is it worth continuing to read? Why waste time on something that you don’t need now and may never need? In order to read books correctly, it is important to know how to choose them.

Choosing a book should be approached in the same way as buying an expensive item, because this is your future experience and knowledge, on which your movement towards success directly depends. Having learned choose the right books, you will save money and time and find really worthwhile information.

It is correct to read those books that correspond to the goals you have set, that can help solve the problems facing you (we are talking about specialized literature that helps improve your qualifications as a worker, books on self-development and books of general education, which include works of domestic and foreign classics). Therefore, before downloading hundreds of e-books or going to the bookstore to pick up the next bestseller, ask yourself – What do you want to learn or what skills do you want to acquire? One of the main rules of reading books is to choose a book that satisfies your needs and is appropriate. setting goals!

You can use the Internet to sort through the endless variety of books and choose those you need to read based on your professional and life goals.

Select several authors who have a proven track record, reputation, credibility, and practical experience in learning and using the knowledge you need. Read their biographies, visit social services for reading enthusiasts, and study reviews from readers and critics. Special attention Look at the contents and description of the book (this can be indicated either on the cover or on the spread), find out if it is suitable for you and whether it contains the information you need.

After reading a few paragraphs from the book, you will understand whether this publication is interesting, whether the material is presented in complex or accessible language. The book should be read with ease, because texts that are understood only in deep understanding are not interesting to read.

It is also important to decide which author you want to read, foreign or Russian. For example, economic skills are better known to Western authors, and they understand this better than ours. However, this cannot be said about all authors and not all books.

Active reading

How to read books correctly? Read actively! During the reading process, it is useful to underline, highlight, comment and write out the most significant and significant parts of the text. Highlighting for yourself important information, You are better learn and remember the material, do not allow yourself to relax and keep your mind focused on the right material, and don’t just skim the text. Of course, the active reading method does not apply to reading fiction, which you read to simply relax. Active reading is more suitable for specialized and professional literature.

As a rule, when reading books, you can use mind mapping. They will help structure information that needs to be clearly understood and remembered for a long time.

To better understand what you read, Mortimer Adler, author of the work “How to Read Books. A Guide to Reading Great Works,” advises following three rules for reading books:

• Get general idea about the book and analyze its structure;
• While reading a book, look for mutual language with the author and delve deeply into the essence of the text;
• After reading, form your own critical opinion about the book.

Reading Moderation

Undoubtedly, reading books is useful for the professional, intellectual and moral development of a person, but reading can also be dangerous. So, for example, if you read more than you have time to understand and comprehend, your own thoughts are replaced by the thoughts of the authors of the works you read. , suggests moderation - to make it clear that you are not just reacting to quotes and thoughts of others, but also producing something of your own.

Put new knowledge into practice

Another important thing book reading rule– ask yourself more often about how this or that advice can be useful to you and how you can use it in your life.

It happens that after reading one self-development book, a person begins to greedily read another. In most cases, the efficiency of such reading is zero. Since the information received is not used, it is forgotten over time, because a large flow of information (knowledge) simply does not have time to fit into the consciousness. Therefore, after reading the entire book, do not rush to download or buy another one, but rather draw up an action plan for development based on the knowledge gained. Apply the acquired knowledge in practice. Good book- this is not a tabloid novel that is read in one day, but a gift of fate that you need to skillfully put into practice.

Remember, not everything you read may necessarily apply to your situation and to you personally. The author only describes your point of view, and you don't have to adhere to all new ideas as God's commandments. Throw away the useless and take the useful.

Some more brief tips on how to read a book correctly:

If you come across unknown expressions, phrases or words, do not be lazy, find out their meaning and interpretation. Also, don’t be lazy to look at the links and notes, sometimes there is quite interesting and, most importantly, useful information there.

It is not correct to read books on different topics interspersed; it is better to study books that complement each other or that consider the same problems, but from a different angle (discussing with each other). This allows you to better understand the book you read and examine the subject from all sides.

Use a bookmark. Of course, you can do without it: fold the corner of the page, leave a mark with a pencil, or turn the book over to the desired spread. But it’s much easier to buy or make a bookmark yourself, especially since you won’t ruin the book.

If you liked the book and you learned a lot of useful information, then share your joy with others - leave a review of the book in in social networks, write a full review on your blog, make a list best quotes, recommend the book to your friends and acquaintances. This way, you will not only help someone gain valuable and unique knowledge, but you will also once again summarize the reading of the book and sort out the information learned while reading.

Summarize. Correlate reading books with the goals and objectives facing you, read thoughtfully and slowly, analyze what you read and apply knowledge in practice and this work will not be in vain!!! - a path to unique knowledge that leads a person forward and provides opportunities to improve life, professional and personal self-improvement.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Instructions

Make a reading plan. It must be in front of your eyes to become a part of life. Reading will become a habit, and then a need, but this will happen gradually. First, you need to switch to reading from more familiar activities. Nice list with target dates will encourage action. Set a goal to reach a beautiful number: 100 books. Count achievements, check boxes, draw graphs to mentally set yourself up for victory.

Join your municipal library. You will find most of the books on the list there. Read the normal ones, don’t spoil your eyesight by sitting at the computer too much.

Lead the readings. Write down the lines that resonate with you. Please mark the date you read it. In a few months, you will leaf through your diary and perceive the entries differently.

When reading serious books, write down the following information: the goals that the author set for himself; the principles that guided his life; application of the principles. Australian millionaire Peter Daniels spoke about such book reading at the “Breaking Out of Mediocrity” seminar. The more books you work through this way, the more you will develop the ability to understand the essence of what you read.

Discuss quotes from books with friends. To remember them, re-read your notes periodically. You will be able to show off your erudition in the company of friends.

Set a goal to learn something new. Start with step 1, but now make a plan to read books related to the topic. Self-study will allow you to hone your book comprehension skills.

Video on the topic

note

If you write rarely, you will not be able to improve, so you must practice constantly. You can simply copy a couple of pages of text a day from a book. Again, the book must be competently written, and not tabloid consumer goods.

Helpful advice

You can talk about anything in a fun way. But it is impossible to learn to write about something that is completely uninteresting to you. You can write something to order. But the most interesting texts come out when you write something interesting for yourself. Write down ideas.

Tip 2: What books are must-reads in 2017

The world of book publishing is so multifaceted that it is sometimes difficult to choose literature that is interesting and useful for development. Some books are a must-read, as they are world-class masterpieces.

Jerome Salinger "The Catcher in the Rye"

This book is a must-read in youth, when thinking is alive and ideals are specific and sublime. Seventeen-year-old Holden actually describes the life of young people, showing a cross-section of the society in which he lives. It opens the readers' eyes to the types of people and their vices. This is a simple boy talking about topicality.

At the time the novel was released, it created a sensation with its scandalousness.

Erich Maria Remarque "Life on Borrow"

Some works are required reading because of their life-affirming overtones. This novel by Remarque tells about the relationship between a race car driver and a patient. There is risk, love and intense emotions here.

Many of Remarque's novels are full of cliches, but despite this, reading them always evokes a desire to live.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez "100 Years of Solitude"

This fascinating story tells about the everyday life and experiences of many generations of one Colombian family. Issues of honor, love, death are intertwined into a tangled tangle, which is perceived differently by readers. Unusual mystical style and cornerstones life questions make this novel a must read.

Daniel Keyes "Flowers for Algernon"

This book is required reading in American schools. The plot tells about the fate of a mentally retarded man who decided to take part in a project to increase his intelligence. A moral dilemma arises when outcomes become unpredictable. Subject " little man"is acute in modern society, so this story should be read by every schoolchild.

It would seem that what is difficult about reading? Each of us has been able to read since the age of five, and until now we have coped well with works of varying complexity. However, not everything is as obvious as it seems at first glance. Have you ever noticed that even if a book was interesting, you still can’t remember the name of the main character a couple of days after reading it?

The ability to read is not only about putting letters into words, it is about comprehending the meaning of what you read. Regardless of what you are reading - a scientific book, a work of fiction or an article on the Internet. Therefore, effective reading needs to be learned. We offer you 10 tips on how to read books correctly to get the effect you are looking for.

1. Don't try to embrace the immensity

It often happens that, having happily bought several books, we put them on the shelf and never open them. And then we buy more and more books with beautiful covers, adding to the endless list of unread things. How to read books correctly? Don't buy too much at once. Better take one or two and finally read them. And don’t deceive yourself by buying expensive albums with high-quality illustrations - practice shows that for most people such books pointlessly gather dust on their shelves, remaining unclaimed.

1. There's no need to finish a boring book

Some people think that not finishing a book you have started is a bad omen. Some people think that this is disrespect for the author. But there are so many interesting things in the world! Don't waste time on something you don't like - it will only reduce your motivation to read. Give the book, for example, 50 pages. Or 70. If you still don’t get the taste, put this one aside and take another one.

1. Prepare to Read

It is always important to know who is writing the book, what it is about and why. Even if it's a tabloid detective story. Don’t be lazy and read information about the author, abstract, and a couple of reviews. If this is specialized literature, it would be a good idea to study the contents and afterword - they usually summarize the results and draw conclusions, which will help you decide whether you need the information presented in the book.

1. It's okay to not like paper books

Not everyone likes paper books. A dislike for books and reading is not at all an indicator of low intelligence. There are many alternative formats, for example, you can always listen to a book (audiobooks). Preference can also be given to articles, codecasts, and thematic mailings.

1. Use while reading with a simple pencil

Do you want to know how to read books correctly? The main rule is to use a simple pencil when reading. They talk about this at school, but not everyone follows the advice of literature teachers. When you “read with a pencil,” the process is more thoughtful and effective. You highlight the thoughts you like, comment on something in the margins, as if talking with the author, and not just swallowing his monologue. And thus you pass the text through yourself, highlighting the most important, interesting and useful.

1. Reading less than 30-40 pages at a time is pointless

30-40 pages is about a chapter. A chapter is a more or less complete thought. If you read 5-10 pages and stop, you lose the logic of the story, and the rest of the chapter may become less clear to you. Try to read at least 40 pages at a time - this will not only help you read the book before you get bored with it, but also help you understand it as deeply as possible.

1. Don't get stuck on one genre

Do you like detective stories? Great, but don't read 10 of them at once. Because the first couple of books will bring you pleasure, and the rest will seem bland because you are fed up with the monotony of the plots. Do you prefer non-fiction? Books on business or psychology? Alternate them with fiction or biographies famous people. This will not only diversify the reading process and expand your horizons, but will also prevent you from getting tired of one genre, even your favorite one.

1. Share your impressions

The best way to formulate your opinion about a book is to write about it. A special blog and an account on any social network are suitable for this. Your favorite quotes and comments in the margins will help you in writing your own review. You will evaluate the work again, remember your impressions, develop them - this will help you better remember what you read, and discussing the book with other readers is also very pleasant. And also - you will never forget what and when you read. At the end of the year it is interesting to take stock.

The following follows from this rule:

1. You can always re-read your reviews

To remember details of a book or your emotions at the time of reading, for example. This is especially true for scientific literature.

1. Discuss what you read

Discussion is not only a way to better understand the author, but also an excellent opportunity to learn how to formulate your thoughts competently and cogently. It is quite possible that after discussing the book you will discover something new in it that you yourself did not pay attention to.

42 replies

Everything is very simple. Fiction is read to understand people and life, scientific literature is read to understand phenomena and objects.

You're reading an astronomy textbook when you want to figure out where the M35 galaxy is, but you're too lazy to launch an orbital telescope yourself. In the same way, you read Dostoevsky, because Dostoevsky can suggest to you that the world will be saved by beauty, and thus save you from having to find out this the hard way - well, simply because technically launching a telescope may be more difficult, but emotionally after it you will still be able function - whereas how to find out for yourself that the world will be saved by beauty, you can only become the one who can say about it. And even if you can live without a telescope, it’s unlikely that you can live without beauty.

In other words, this is an indirect experience that does not replace one’s own, but shortens the distance. You still need your own, since the means to process all this information also need to be developed from somewhere - literature will not do everything for you, it rather helps not to die along the way.

You can, of course, be deceived by the fact that living without beauty is as easy as living without a telescope. It's a tempting thought. Moreover, if beauty could really save the world, then over the past 4 thousand years we certainly should have accumulated enough of this beauty to save it. But apparently the world is not saved all at once, but one person at a time - and it just so happens that for some reason this is exactly what a person still needs. Otherwise, literature wouldn't literally be the first thing we supposedly started doing as soon as we figured out the fire, the cave, and the stick. It’s just that this need does not arise as obviously as the need for fire and a cave - it is more like air, which is noticed only when there is too little of it.

This necessary thing can be put off at 20, and at 30, and at 40, but sooner or later it will remind itself - in the form of a feeling that something was missed, something was missing, there was some thing somewhere , which could help, and it is not clear where she was or what she even was. And the main thing is that the longer it is postponed, the more painful the awakening turns out to be. So you can safely increase your knowledge - there will still be no less sorrow.

Well, if a person thinks that he has already understood everything, and he doesn’t need anything - well, then he may not read, for God’s sake, it’s still impossible to help him.

At one time I thought about a similar point of view. You can agree with her if you perceive your brain and yourself as a computer, incapable of feeling, remembering, admiring. I think that completely abandoning fiction is more expensive for oneself. But I don’t recommend reading it alone, it’s best to mix it up different styles, so the language is enriched, and it does not become boring. What is the meaning of fiction?

Fiction and fiction are different. Really good works can bring a lot of benefits, here are some examples:

1) Language. How to study foreign language, and for studying one’s own, fiction is useful in that it reflects phraseological units, metaphors, comparisons characteristic of a particular language. Moreover, it takes into account the literary norm of the language, which should be adhered to, especially in the initial stages of studying it. As an exception, only Arabic comes to my mind: I talked a lot with Arabs about their language, I really want to learn it, but everyone unanimously says that it is better to choose a specific dialect, because literary norm very few will understand

2) Culture, politics, history. You can cram textbooks on intercultural communication, history and cultural studies, but it is fiction that will give you context, especially written by a representative of the country and era you are interested in.

3) Immersion. Quite an interesting phenomenon, it is studied a lot in psychology (for reference, I can offer the work of Professor Dr. Arthur Jacobs). It consists of losing reality, immersing yourself in a book so much that you lose track of time and allowing your brain to experience sensations akin to any powerful drug. It is noteworthy that Harry Potter is the book with the highest rate of immersion among readers (link to the same Jacobs)

4) Salvation. I know it sounds trivial. But other people's fantasies can save you from sadness, find a new passion in life, and renounce your worries for at least an hour.

I constantly asked myself this question. So far, at this level of understanding... The fact that these books are less informative in terms of encyclopedic knowledge, which is fashionable now, yes. Then the scientific pop is in your hands and everything is extremely simple and clear, the main thing is to understand it.
But, it seems to me, fiction is valuable in other ways, namely because when you read a certain book, become its main character, and the experience that the characters go through will undoubtedly affect you yourself.
Having recently read The Mysterious Murder of a Dog in the Night-Time, I realized how wonderful the life of an autistic person is. And these two days of reading, my “psychic” deviated a little from the abstract standard that we consider the norm. And there are others. And I “found myself” in his shoes.
Those. For me, a work of art is the experience of another person, experienced on myself. Virtual reality, but instead of a helmet there is a book.

Last time I heard this opinion from a person whose time spent usefully is with a bottle and a glass in front of the TV. This person - yes, does not need other people's fantasies.

For a small percentage of people, books are truly a waste of time. This applies to those who read in order to pay tribute to fashion.

Other people somehow benefit from every book they read. Firstly, fiction is not only fantasy (someone’s fantasies, so to speak), but also works based on real events, for example historical novels. In addition, Remarque’s works cannot be called historical, but they easily show the situation in Germany during World War I. "War and Peace" by Tolstoy gave me ideas about Patriotic War more than a history textbook (in fact, I’m good at history, don’t think so). Secondly, detective stories make you rack your brains along with the main characters, and works with understatement in the finale, oh, how they make you think. And, finally, fantasy does not work throughout the entire reading, how many images and landscapes we draw a shell in our thoughts.

No one forces you to read fiction if you don’t like it.
If we go through the pros, then:
1. Reading thin. literature develops creative thinking, which is precisely responsible for the creative component of human development.

2. Reading allows us to experience events with the characters, as in real life, get sensations in the situations in which the characters of the work find themselves. Sometimes this simply turns the reader’s life upside down, and he adjusts his attitude towards it.

3. Fiction, and literature in general, shapes our worldview by assessing the behavior of characters (if at least some analysis of what is happening is carried out, and not just reading letters), comparing other views on life.

4. Good literature develops spoken language.

5. Have a good time.

Fiction shapes life position, if the reading is conscious and not consumer. I knew people who read to pass the time, as if they were watching a stupid movie. I don’t understand such people, I think that if you’re going to read something, then take it seriously, like a philosophical treatise, look for deep meaning, otherwise, indeed, reading will be no different from watching stupid films.

It takes quite a long time, but it's worth it! And, especially, the more books a person reads, the more his reading speed increases!

A book... This is something more than the meaning inherent in this word... The emotions that a person receives when reading a book cannot be compared either with films, or with listening to audio books, or even, strangely, with the theater. Films and theater are how the director or producer sees the book. People who read the same book will never have the same impression! They may be similar, but still completely different. When a person reads a book, a picture of the action emerges in his imagination, and while reading, we roughly imagine what it all looks like. Consequently, the development of imagination is added to the benefits of reading!

And even despite the instructiveness, the advantage of the book is that it brings pleasure. Imagine! You are cozy under a blanket with a cup of tea with your favorite book! After all, this feeling cannot be transmitted with anything else!

If you don’t like it, it’s okay - Sherlock Holmes didn’t like it either and was an excellent specialist. You can’t force someone to love, there’s no point in reading through force if it doesn’t bring you pleasure. Develop in areas where you are motivated

I explain such statements to myself as very straightforward thinking. Such people may be smart and fulfilled, but for some reason (either an initial given, or they didn’t set themselves up in time) they are comfortable perceiving information without a filter. If, for example, you are experiencing communication problems, you can read direct advice and communication techniques. Apply something, discard something. Or you can read fiction, where, using the example of the lives of heroes, you will see similar situations, you will be able to analyze what you would do in their place, etc. I think it tastes better this way

This is the ABC of life. Why learn from your mistakes if most of them are archetypal? :))

Another thing is that not everyone is able to read the codes of works of art. This is another reason why you need to read the classics. “Encryption” must be comprehended consistently and in its entirety. Not a single segment or layer of culture will be understandable or useful to you without knowledge of other existing ones.

Classical literature is knowledge about the world, but unlike scientific literature- this is knowledge about inner world man, his nature, motives, quests.

Humanity is like a child - it grows, develops, experiences crises, and matures. The story of this growing up is classical literature and art in general.

Ps - I don’t think you should get hung up on must reads. You have the right to create your own list, take unknown classics if the usual plots irritate you and seem “washed out”. And yet the familiar is worth reading for yourself, because - believe me! - no retelling will give what it gives full text, and also in each classic book(probably that’s why it’s a classic) there is always at least a line addressed specifically to you and at that very moment. The magic of genius, apparently :)

Good fiction is not written just like that - it necessarily answers a certain question, asked either by the author in the context of his own experience, or society in the context of the historical process.

By reading classic literature or modern literary texts, you either adopt a certain experience, discover new images/systems of thinking that the author puts into the characters to reveal a personal problem, or get A New Look on the mentality of certain social groups specific historical periods, or a description of certain historical processes from the perspective of the person who experienced them.

In short, you educate yourself/expand your horizons.

P.S. Well, about the aesthetic pleasure of beautiful language must not be forgotten)

Fiction also develops the ability to analyze, since in the process of reading you begin to think out the plot, assume different variants developments of events. Anatoly Wasserman spoke about this in detail. Of course, you can’t give up fiction, much less focus only on a certain direction.

1. Writing down someone's fantasies is not fiction in any way.

4. Fiction, like other arts, uses imaginative thinking as a (very effective) tool. Those. If you have not developed the instrumental (applied) function of imagination, then you will not do anything in art. Good example- Chernyshevsky. Brilliant counter and artistic impotence.

5. A real literary work is an exciting game. It's like good Soccer game. If you understand the meaning of what is happening, it can give unforgettable experience.

Reading is an experience that we gain by giving our time. You can, of course, figure everything out with your own mind and your mistakes, but, as the popular proverb says, so smart people don't study. Sometimes a book can turn the entire course of life upside down and open up a whole ocean of possibilities that we didn’t even suspect about.

I read because I'm used to it. While studying at the university, we were loaded with huge lists of literature and studied domestic and foreign literature. But as student years came to an end, there were no more lists, and it was as if I began to suffocate. I had to compose them myself :) Reading is like a sport - it keeps you on your toes.

There are so many heroes and stories in the world and I want to know as much as possible. Also, it’s very difficult for me to interact with people, but I want to communicate. So I’m reading.

Reading is a walk to new places, worlds, as well as new situations and acquaintances. This is why I open the book again and again :)

The most primitive way of reading, according to Nabokov, is to simply immerse yourself in the fabric of the plot and live for some time in this trance.

That is, the same function as other methods of oblivion. Pleasant oblivion.

To know yourself and the world around, for development, for the soul. By reading fiction, we gain experience that we cannot get in real life, we learn to imagine ourselves in the place of another person, and we develop our imagination.

Even if you ignore the fact that there is an error in the question itself, and proceed from the incorrect premise that fiction is nothing more than other people’s fantasies, then the answer is still “no.” These fantasies are one way or another built according to a certain principle. And this principle is that the development of the plot, using the example of events invented by the author, explains how people work and the relationships between them. And he explains more or less correctly. Otherwise, the work does not become popular and does not receive recognition. I don’t think that the process of gaining knowledge about how people work can be considered a waste of time. If this is a loss, then what is not? There is no knowledge that is more important in a practical sense. Without understanding this issue, it is hardly possible to achieve anything in life. And the only alternative way to gain such understanding is through personal experience. But this method is extremely ineffective.

You can cite specific example. There is such a thing as love. The knowledge of what it is is transmitted only through the artistic form. For a long time it was only literature. Now there is an alternative in the form of films. You can also watch "House 2". But this is too vulgar. Even though it solves its problem, it is still not suitable for an educated person with good taste. So we don’t consider this option at all. Films can be counted with a stretch. They, of course, provide some basic understanding of the issue, but nothing more. In addition, a worthwhile film about love is usually based on a book, in relation to which the film itself is secondary. So, by and large, outside of fiction there is no adequate description of what love is. What does this mean in practice? And the fact is that if a person has not read at least several fiction books about love in his life, then he simply does not understand what it is. The word itself means nothing to him. He roughly guesses how it should be used, but does it purely mechanically, using template expressions that he has heard from other people. He doesn't understand the meaning of this word. When other people discuss this, he does not understand what they are talking about at all. Some even believe that love does not exist, that it is some kind of fake.

If we go a little beyond the scope of the question, then it is worth saying that not all literature, being artistic in form, is 100% fiction and fantasy. Works of fiction contain a lot of information that the author did not come up with himself, but gleaned from some sources. And at the same time, it is presented to the reader not in a boring academic form, but is carefully thrown in in small portions as an interesting plot develops. For example, Chase's detective stories take place in the United States, where he himself did not live. All information to describe the context of the events he invented was taken from documentary sources. Moreover, there are works that describe certain things so accurately and in detail that there is much more truth than fiction in them. If anyone is interested in how an airport, hospital, hotel or bank functions, then you can read the corresponding works of Arthur Haley. Formally this works of art with the plot, but as a result of reading you learn a lot of nuances that are usually described in non-fiction texts. Or if you are wondering how an elite American university works, then Tom Wolfe’s book “I Am Charlotte Simmons” will answer all questions. It is clear that the author only came up with the plot. He carefully studied everything else and simply laid it out in artistic form. In general, fiction is not as fictional as it may seem.

I will add to what has already been said here: for the sake of developing my speech. Reading scientific literature, useful from an applied point of view, will help little in this matter, since only fiction provides an excellent example of describing various, often very real, plausible situations using linguistic means. Again, let's not forget the expansion vocabulary. Well, a man with a good competent speech(both orally and in writing) always looks advantageous, if only for the reason that he can clearly, distinctly, intelligibly and, at the same time, thoroughly formulate his thoughts.

Speech cannot be developed through literature, but it can be developed through the practice of speech itself. Watch every word you say, carefully think through designs, etc. - all this with practice will lead to excellent speech. And without literature, which plays no role in this. As for increasing vocabulary, it’s debatable. To remember a word, it is not enough to read it once somewhere. It must be repeated at least 10 times during the week. It's easier to look in a dictionary, it's faster and more practical

Answer

The direct and clear answer to your question is no. I even to some extent adhere to the opposite point of view - it seems to me that nonfiction that is popular today (all these biographies, stories about a unique personal experience etc.) is in many ways castrated fiction. These stories, of course, can be exciting, they can carry some kind of unique experience, but at the same time they are devoid of the real work of the author - there is no composition, no defining details, no interplay between the author and the reader, and there are no multiple layers of meaning. In life and nonfiction based on it, details and events are random, whereas in fiction any movement, any meeting of characters, all the objects they use appear in the text to bring meaning, to play their clearly defined role, to show something. To see what and why is included in a work, you need skill, you need the work of the reader. To arrange things and characters so that they convey the desired meaning requires the work of the author. Thus, nonfiction is almost completely deprived of both components, leaving the text with one single, not even narrative, function - informational function.

It’s worth starting with what goals you are pursuing, decide on this first.

So, let’s look point by point at what fiction provides:

1. Expands vocabulary, improves speech, complicates syntactic structures, etc., which is associated with improved practical skills in the language.

2. Develops imaginative thinking. Tested from personal experience: together with mathematics, fiction produces incredible results - perception improves, thinking is much easier, conclusions are drawn faster.

3. Expanding your emotional horizon: you really experience the situations in which the characters find themselves (isn’t this life experience?).

And this is if we take practical benefits, but in addition there is the option of reading for pleasure, reading a good book in a pleasant environment.

Have fun setting your goals!

Of course it's worth it! Personally, I don’t see any disadvantages in this (except perhaps worsening vision), but there are a lot of advantages. So, reading in general is a very useful activity in itself; it develops thinking, erudition, attentiveness, perseverance, and imagination. When we read classic literature, we remember the spelling of words and the correct construction of sentences. Classics make us think, because the author offers us his vision of the world (problems, people, the meaning of life), we live with the hero of the book and try to solve his problems together with him or find a way out situations. By reading classical literature, you get used to expressing your thoughts competently and beautifully, you gain useful experience and advice taken from books, you become more developed spiritually, you reconsider your views on life (love, family, friendship), you develop culturally. Besides, aren’t you interested in how people lived in the past? their conversations, everyday life, difficulties, joys?

Separately, I would like to note that every citizen of his country needs to read as much as possible classical works your compatriots, because they reflect the traditions and culture, problems and history of the formation of your country.

For me personally, classics are an inexhaustible source of patriotism. Yes, I agree, not all writers write interestingly and clearly, but you just need to find your own. For example, I am delighted with the novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy, but I just can’t stand “Crime and Punishment” by F. Dostoevsky.

That's all :) read, develop and become better!

To broaden your horizons, if you read the classics, you can, for example, roughly imagine what life was like in the times when they lived. Yes, and vocabulary is greatly improved. In general, reading is useful, especially if it is not only bad literature.

Well, judge for yourself.

Fiction - like art in general - reflects the era in which it developed. That is, contains the core of culture and the shadow of history
Plus, the literature contains many ideas that reflect all values ​​of humanity.
In addition, reading literature is a replenishment of vocabulary, which in turn helps communicate more competently and pleasantly- both for yourself and for your interlocutors.
Well yes, if you suddenly want to write yourself- then there’s nowhere without reading, all the writers repeat this with one voice.

Something like this.

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If purely pragmatically, then for the most part it’s bad. works describe real life characters (as you know, people do not change, unlike physics and similar sciences). Those. After reading a novel, you can recognize the personality type of the heroes and communicate with him correctly, without succumbing to his provocations. And you will communicate with people, because... man is a bio-social being.

It can also be noted that thin. works help to cope with the difficulties of life. If everything is bad in life, then you can read a book and lose yourself in this world or understand that your problems are worthless.

Well, and most importantly for many. You can enjoy both the plot of the books and the style and style of the author. Atypical plot twists, real heroes, help in real life, enriching vocabulary - these are the goals of thin. literature that differs from the purposes of popular science.

It's like talking to interesting conversationalist. Especially when the author is already familiar. He reveals his thoughts to you, gives you information to think about, and sometimes reveals to you a sad truth. Literature is still a very intimate thing, we read the thoughts of great and not so great people, and they are ready to tell us everything they know.