Fiction vs Non-Fiction: A Perspective from a hardcore Non-Fiction reader

I am a non fiction reader to the core. And, I hate reading fiction.  I  know that it  is a grave mistake, which I am slowly realizing now a these days. But I  can't help it. Recently, I was given the classic War and Peace  by one of  my friends . I failed miserably at it.I  read 100 pages and  I was out. I could not complete it, and I had to put it down. In my friend's words, I was just another victim of War and Peace!I am sure you must also have  had a similar experience like me with few fiction books.

That event  kept me thinking as to which is more important: Fiction or Non-Fiction. Both have their pros and cons. What are the benefits of reading fiction? Is it so that  we really gain useful knowledge by reading non-fiction books?Are there really great benefits as many claim to be. Let us see. In this post, I am going to attempt to answer at least some of the questions that many have lingering in their minds. 

The answer to the question whether to read fiction more or non fiction depends on the type of person you are. If you are an imaginative type, then reading fiction will definitely prove to be an enjoyable experience. Nothing can be more joyful than picking up a classic, and delving deep in to the minds of characters, and vicariously living  their lives . On the other hand, if you are thinking type, who loves facts and concepts, then you would definitely enjoy non-fiction. Think Malcolm Gladwell’s books for that matter.

But to answer the main question, ideally you should strike a fine balance between the two genres. Nassim Taleb, the modern day saint comes to my mind with respect to this. He tweets: almost all of what's in these  mounds of "nonfiction" books is BS.However, much of what's in fiction is pure truth”.He nailed it with those words. We live in a world where there is more misinformation, fake knowledge and pseudo science than genuine stuff. In that case, it becomes really hard to discern which is a good book and which is a bad one, especially when it comes to non-fiction books.

It is only by reading both kinds of books that we get a holistic perspective of the world. In case of fiction books, you will find that , it is in the form of stories that the moral is hidden. Non-fiction is straight to the point, and it misses the mark in driving the message due to its obviousness. So, keeping this in mind, we have to be very choosy in picking up a non-fiction book.

You better follow the Sturgeon’s law when it comes to reading books; be it fiction or non fiction. Sturgeon's  law says that 90 percent of everything is crap. But  the catch here is that, to understand the top ten percent of the books, you have to wade through the remaining 90 percent. You have to read plenty of mediocre books to understand the value of great books. That is the secret of being a great reader.

Hope, you will agree with me on many points. If not, I would love to know what are your thoughts. So, please leave your comments below .Thanks for reading!