Fantasy novels, they are all about escapism aren’t they? Dragons, goblins and elves -stuff
for boys and girls to read before they discover “real” literature.
But are they? Consider, for a second, one of the most popular series in the genre, Harry Potter. The entire series is about dealing with grief and/or depression. The author fills the work with many,
many allegories within it that transform internal struggles (with the aforementioned) to
external physical, enemies. Take Harry’s fight with the Dementors, for example. These are
dark creatures, which suck the life out of their victims, leaving them hollow and without any
hope in the world. Sound like something familiar?
But aren’t they are all about muscle bound hero’s poking swords at monsters?
Not so much these days. Fantasy literature has come a long way since Conan the barbarian et al. Take the complex characters of Game of Thrones. Not many archetypal heroes in that lot. But who
couldn’t help but feel empathy with their struggles as they try to balance the demands of that
their life has placed on them against what they are capable of doing?
But what does it mean for me?
All books, and I do mean all, should let you learn something about yourself. When we read
we adopt the viewpoint of someone else. We choose to adopt another persona for a short
time and live life through their eyes, experience their emotions. When they succeed, we
smile; when they fail, our hearts break.
But what about normal books, aren’t they just the same?
I think Stephen Donaldson (author of the Thomas Covenant series) answered this better
that I ever could. In his essay Epic Fantasy in the Modern World, he wrote. “In realistic
fiction, the characters are expressions of their world, whereas in fantasy the world is an
expression of the characters. This means that in fantasy the characters meet
themselves – or parts of themselves, their own needs/problems/exigencies – as actors on
the stage of the story,” And as the characters confront their demons, so we too must ask ourselves, what would I do?
And, as an added benefit, reading is good for you! According to a recent article in the
Independent (UK) which “according to a report from The Reading Agency which looked at the effects of reading for pleasure on adults and children. Benefits include increased empathy, better relationships with others, reduced symptoms of depression and risks of dementia and improved well-being throughout life.”
“Ah”, I hear you cry, “I have you at last. Wouldn’t I get the same benefits from reading a
“normal” book?”
Hmmmm, perhaps, but who would slay all the Dragons?