Fiction or Non

Fiction or non- fiction that is the question. Do you prefer fiction with its interesting character development, ability to create mental scenes, and escapism, or non-fiction with its concreteness, educational value, and real life application?

I'll take the opportunity to learn something that I can later apply most of the time. I also like a break from reality every now again though, incredible fiction often seems as though it were not. I'll expound (sp?) on this when I have gathered my thoughts on the matter.

3. Bb5

Depends on the literature one is reading at the time, but yeah, sometimes escapism is preferred.

Definitely non-fiction.  Not that I don't like a good fantastic escape but.. well.. take Shackleton's South.  I don't know how one can read that and not come away looking a little differently at the world and the capabilities of man.

With fiction there is always an implicit let down... it's fiction.  It didn't really happen.  Since fact is often stranger than it, fiction I think loses out.

Both...and the mix of them!

I'd like to say mine would be non-fiction, but as Solomon said with much learning is much sadness. So maybe there is something to be said for a good escape. Either way I think the issue is condensed to the context and the emotion that are at play in the moment the reader is experiencing the work!!