We are a storytelling nation. Perhaps it comes from the bardic tradition when stories were passed down from generation to generation. Novels tell stories and we all love them, especially those ones that contain the insatiable capacity to remain lodged in our memories long after dry facts have passed over us. Stories impact us because they embody life and tell us truths in an entertaining and unforgettable way.

What is the particular charm of the novel?

Novels allow us to detach ourselves temporarily from our own reality and facilitate our escape into another world where we meet people who may think like we do, or behave as we do, or do totally different things altogether! Even though they are set in different places and times, the real attraction of novels are generally people - the characters we meet. They may resemble ourselves or people we have met or the people we live and work with.

The escape that comes from reading a novel is a wonderful outlet for us, as we are not answerable for anything that happens! We turn the pages written by another person and engage in a world inhabited by people that share our humanity, and we vicariously engage with their experiences and emotions. With no ties, and no one looking at us except the pages of print. 

We follow the plot and action and learn how a character reacts to a situation that is challenging for them. We watch as they change and draw strengths that were dormant or that they hadn’t realised they possessed.

So just as the characters learn lessons, so too can the reader; here are five novels with five important lessons to add to your reading list -

1. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro is a novel about the passage of time and what we can salvage from the end of our lives. Stevens, a butler in a large English house in the fifties, professes an absolute and undivided loyalty for his employer, a British aristocrat who turns out to be a supporter of the fascist regime and who ends his life in disgrace. The story illustrates the emotional losses that Stevens experiences on account of sustained self-delusion and blindness to his own reality. There are many of us who go through life trying to tell ourselves that our own course is the right one. Sooner or later the time comes when we must face the truth of our blindness. Even if we are in the remains of our own days, it is still worthwhile to take steps towards more self-knowledge.   

2. Humanity at its most vulnerable is the subject of Clare Keegan’s short novella Foster, that has just been adapted to a film entitled An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl). A young nine year old girl, who comes from a dysfunctional family, is sent to foster parents in Co. Wexford for the summer. Here she discovers a rich, nurturing love within the family, and her personality and selfhood flourish in this vibrant atmosphere of trust and acceptance. Love becomes a hugely redemptive force for good.

3. We learn how money and riches can deceive and betray us in The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Jay Gatsby is a romantic dreamer who is deluded by the idea that happiness, love and youth can be recaptured by money. He believes that time can be ‘fixed’ and the past can be repeated forever. For him wealth and money become the means to attain this goal. The conclusion of this story illustrates the devastation and destruction caused by his illusions. 

4. You may have read the enthralling story To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, but if not you should. We meet Atticus, the father of the two protagonists Scout and Jem. In a society marked by a deeply entrenched racist culture, these children of a single parent learn how to respect and understand people through their father’s exemplary lifestyle and habits. They absorb lessons on how to step into the shoes of another person and walk around in them, so as to be able to learn how to empathise more with their predicaments and challenges. And they also learn about the destructive chaos and cruelty caused by lies, hatred and racism.

5. Novels can even teach us life skills! Money management for example! The heroine of the novel Confessions of a Shopaholic written by Sophie Kinsella, shows us how we can rationalise anything when we want to. Becky cleverly manages to justify her frivolous and pricey purchases calling a pair of name brand pumps ‘an investment.’

Novels are not just for entertainment

When we read a novel, we come to understand ourselves better, and the world we live in. We can also comprehend why people behave in the way they do and deepen our knowledge of the complexities of the person. Novels often push the boundaries of our world, forcing us to question ourselves about how we might react in a certain situation. 

They can illustrate to us that we can transcend the greatest suffering or difficulties and actually grow in virtue through these. They show us we are not alone - that many times others go through the same things. Finally, novels help us learn to be who we are, to embrace different experiences, to leap over cultural walls and feel what others feel.