Why To Read Novels For Personal Growth?

Novels are so magical. I read novels. Oh wait, I already said that, didn’t I? What I really mean to say is that reading novels isn’t exactly reading, because while one can technically read novels by flipping page after page of written words, there’s so much more to it than that. When I read a good novel, I become immersed in all of the different worlds, complete with novel characters, that make up said novel. Many of the novel characters that I read about in novels are even more real than most of the people I meet in real life, and therefore often more relatable to me.

For me, novels are really about connection with other people, and often it’s a really personal connection. People’s successes inspire me and people’s failures sort of remind me that it’s okay to fail sometimes. I feel like reading novels gives me a kind of roadmap to how to navigate a lot of the challenges that I face in my life. For example, I just finished reading ‘Educated’ and I feel so inspired to tackle my own educational goals right now. Novel’s can teach you so much about life in a way that non-fiction books on personal development can’t. Novels show you all of the different ways that there are to live a life.

But reading also offers a lot of room for introspection. I often ask myself questions about my own beliefs and values while reading a book. But mostly, novels also confront my way of thinking and thus open up new perspectives, which I hadn’t even considered before. That’s why I think novels are the perfect stimuli for personal development. They make us more tolerant, more open-minded and above all more human. So, I’d recommend everyone to start reading a novel immediately. You might just find a piece of yourself you haven’t seen in a long time.

To be honest, I love reading novels too because they can entertain us so much. Also, novels can be very useful for our personal growth too. Like, we can read about characters in a novel who are going through all sorts of difficult situations too. Just like us, for example. Harry Potter is a great example of this too. He battles all sorts of issues including his own personal inner struggles. Also, he has to face many fears. He’s also under so much pressure from everyone too. Reading about Harry and all of his struggles really helped me understand how we can grow through our own struggles too.

Plus, a novel is a unique way to get into other people’s skins and understand life better. Sometimes, reading a novel even changes my way of seeing things. The novel ‘The Alchemist’ has inspired me to follow my dreams, even when it gets tough. I think reading a novel is about the lessons you can learn from the characters’ experiences, not so much about the story itself.

Every time I finish a novel I feel that I have grown a bit. I have gained insight on my reality and learn to deal better with the people around me. Maybe next time you feel lost or stuck you can read a novel. You never know what kind of mindset change you might find between the pages.

So often we get stuck in our conventional understanding of novels, seeing them only to entertain. Yet every novel is so very different from another, most of all from the epic fantasies like Mistborn and the contemporary novels like Normal People. Most of all I enjoy the problems that such novels throw at their characters and thus also at us readers in order to test their beliefs.

Innovatively, many books also delve into aspects of our lives that perhaps we are yet to uncover or grapple with. Through novels we read, exploring a writer’s portrayal of love, of loss, of his/her search for identity, of human resilience – can most certainly offer insight, aid us in growing to a better understanding of ourselves, our current situation and the world in which we’re living. One sentence that resonates can stay in our minds for years to come. In summary, novels enable us to gain greater insight into our lives and more importantly, inspire our personal growth.