Non-Fiction

I enjoy reading a variety of genres. I tend to read fiction because I enjoy the way authors turn phrases or how they use their imagination. Every so often I will turn to non-fiction either because a book interests me or because one of my book clubs decides to read some non-fiction. I have read some pretty fascinating non-fiction titles. However, sometimes, I remember why I don’t like to read non-fiction so much.
Non-fiction often reminds me that truth is much stranger than fiction. Non-fiction comes in a couple of varieties for me:

1) In-depth analysis and investigation into some event or person’s life (i.e. investigative journalism)

2) Factual information or anecdotes about phenomena (Malcolm Gladwell’s books fall into this category)

3) Memoirs or essays (David Sedaris is one of my favorites in this vein)

Last year I read a number of political non-fiction books (Team of Rivals and Game Change) that thoroughly intrigued me and opened my eyes a little more to the genre. In the past I mostly read fiction and an occasional non-fiction book when it was a book club choice. This year, I thought I’d give non-fiction more of a chance. Let my open mind see what else could be learned from this type of literature.

One of the recent books I read is about how a British girl went to Japan to work and disappeared. There were times while reading that I shook my head and felt so sad for the girl, for her family, for the fate of the human population. Why are there so many crazy people out there? The story disturbed me thoroughly. The writing, although wonderful and mesmerizing in the beginning, fell flat towards the end. Regardless, I was still so upset by this book. Then I started reading another piece of non-fiction. I got maybe a fourth of the way in and decided to stop it. Again, another haunting story about a person and it occurred to me that I needed to read something a little more uplifting.

These two books made me recall why I don’t usually pick non-fiction. I don’t like to be reminded of the deterioration of the human race. I don’t have to imagine it like I do in fiction; it exists and this book just proves it. Also, I could just watch the news if I wanted to be reminded of the fall of humanity.

Although these particular books have temporarily put me off to non-fiction, I am constantly reminded of the wonderful works I’ve read in the past. Thanks Michael Pollan and Malcolm Gladwell for your interesting works that make human nature and nature in general more appealing. Let’s not forget that without Doris Kearns Goodwin, I’d never have learned so much about Honest Abe! It definitely made me appreciate him more as both a person and a president. For the time being however, I think I’ll stick with fiction, especially in the summer.