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Bookish Diversions: Reading as Help for Living
Making Decisions, Novels as Practice, Theaters for Self-Reflection, Dark Books, Measuring ‘Narrativeness,’ More
The tortured decisions with which Dorothea and Lydgate contend involve multiple dimensions and layers, and Eliot takes us inside their minds as they messily try mapping the variables and predicting their outcomes. how those private moments of emotional intensity are inevitably linked to a broader political context; how technological changes rippling through society can impact a marriage; how the chattering of small‑town gossip can weigh on one’s personal finances. Philosopher Martina Orlandi notes that participating in the life of a character (or several) in a story can “bypass rational reasoning,” making fiction “a useful tool for gaining insight into personal flaws.” I can’t speak for you, but if someone confronts me about my objectionable behavior, I often get defensive and marshal arguments for my innocence, even my righteousness.
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