by keren dali
If you think reading is good for you, think again. I’m not talking about learning, literacy development or other intellectual benefits, I’m talking about reading for the soul: reading to feel better, to chase away bad moods or to find balance in our lives. I mean reading fiction in particular. fiction books can certainly do all of those things for us. they can be a free therapist or medicine; They can help with heartbreaks and moments of doubt, with loneliness and insecurities. but do they always? In recent years there has been a resurgence of publications that demonstrate the growing interest of librarians in the notion and practice of bibliotherapy (bt). bt, often interpreted as healing through books, is based on the premise that reading is inherently good, beneficial, and useful, which is fueled by librarians’ love of reading.
You are reading: Why are books bad
So why can reading be dangerous?
tylenol can be great for headaches and ben-gay for back pain as long as you don’t get side effects (or get worse, in fact). the same applies to reading if we consider it as medicine. The catch is that librarians, many of whom are avid readers and have experienced firsthand how powerfully liberating and healing reading can be, are often so enamored with the potential goodness of reading that they fail to see how it can cause harm. Unfortunately, it can, and the dangers of reading—intellectual, psychological, social, and even physiological—are sometimes very real.
Before I dive headlong into a gloomy discussion of the dangers of reading, I’d like to make a point: I’m intentionally exaggerating things. Just this once, I want us to free ourselves from an unmistakably positive and optimistic outlook on reading so that we can see the flaws in the seemingly perfect way and possibly learn something useful for our professional practice as well.
the dangers of reading
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The stereotype of an introverted reader, disoriented by sunlight and public places and wearing thick-rimmed glasses, is all too familiar to many. As exaggerated (or ridiculous) as this stereotype is, reading is associated with eyestrain and comes at the expense of exercise and other physical activities. Commonly related are poor diet and digestive problems, unwanted weight gain or loss, and general exhaustion.
Then come the psychological side effects of reading. A typical symptom is guilt over unfinished (or untouched) housework or homework, neglected relationships, unmade phone calls, and unresolved problems, all because we have abandoned reality, once again, to do what we love most: reading. to compensate, we multitask, sleep less, get up earlier, and go to work tired.
but that’s not all. remember how good you felt until you read that book about a cheating spouse? before that, you didn’t worry about the fidelity of yours. Nor did you obsess over rare diseases, car accidents, bacteria-tainted food that sparked an epidemic, cunning identity theft, or an internet predator who pounced on an opportunity to swindle you out of your life savings. the list goes on. the books convey ideas vividly and viscerally: readers hear the criminals plotting inside their minds, feel the destructive viruses penetrating the human body, and anguish at the betrayal of those we love and trust. And that’s how reading a well-written, exciting book can result in lingering worry or fear.
Although it is common to relate to the experiences of the protagonists, some readers also identify too much with the fictional characters, and not in a good way. feeling too much empathy for characters in crisis situations can be detrimental. some readers go beyond caring about the characters and visualize themselves in often unfortunate, worrying, or hopeless circumstances. the characters, in fact, become so familiar that some readers begin to think of them as real people. the blurred line between fact and fiction becomes an even more serious problem when a reader prefers fictional existence to reality. This phenomenon is often referred to in the literature as “better than life” books (Pennac, 1994). When people over-identify with characters, they cultivate unrealistic expectations of people and situations, developing Mr. darcy syndrome (or an equivalent). by living in a dream world populated by fictional characters, readers miss out on the enjoyment found in real life and real people. worse still is the situation where a reader begins to emulate negative behaviors and adopt destructive viewpoints found in the books, be it drugs, violence, chauvinism, or racist attitudes.
You will say that I am exaggerating things and that I cannot be serious about the harmful effects of reading, particularly reading fiction. Of course, none of the above would have a lasting, life-altering effect on most readers. and yet there are other readers: vulnerable readers, those in a disturbed state of mind, plagued by serious personal problems, or affected by dramatic life events. these are the readers who come to the library hoping to find books that will heal them. these readers’ perceptions may be altered, and books that would otherwise provide comfort may exacerbate their feelings of sadness, anger, or hopelessness. adverse reactions to reading material (fear, obsession, guilt) may be amplified and readers may become more likely to emulate negative behaviors. Reading may help these people by chance, but it may make them feel worse. and this is something reader advisors should keep in mind at all times.
implications for librarians
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Often, for vulnerable readers, we are dealing with some form of psychopathology or mental health issue, resulting from chronic illness, recent psychological trauma, or a difficult life transition. the needs of vulnerable readers are somewhat different from those of other readers. However, while librarians are certainly “qualified to recommend books,” they are “unqualified to diagnose need” (Sturm, 2003, p. 174). love that We don’t get much training as therapists in library school, do we? Having no therapeutic background or diagnostic experience, librarians cannot reliably gauge the nature and extent of a problem a reader may have.
Think of a reader who approaches you with a request for a book about a breakup. for whatever reason, which may or may not have a deep emotional undertone, the reader wants to read a story involving the end of a friendship, a love story, or a marriage. This can easily be a typical readers’ advisory (RA) question that librarians will handle successfully. now consider a variation: “can you find me a book to help me deal with a recent breakup?” Phrased as such, this question should raise a red flag for a librarian, as it reveals a vulnerable reader. this reader is no longer looking for another good read; he/she is on a quest to find a cure for the heartbreak between the book covers. A librarian receiving this request is now out of ra’s comfort zone, slowly but surely slipping into the therapy zone, bt, in this case. something they can’t do. something they are not trained for. something out of your reach. therefore, the most professional answer to the above question is “unfortunately, I can’t, but what I can do is…”
It is important for librarians to learn the difference between ra and bt questions, but detecting bt requests is not always an easy task. however, sensitivity and awareness of the possible dangers of reading is the first step in successfully differentiating between ra and bt. The second is to better understand the practice and types of BT and learn about training options for librarians interested in the proper and ethical practice of BT.
bibliography
pennack, daniel. better than life Toronto: Coach House Press, 1994;
sturm, brian w. “Reader’s Advice and Bibliotherapy: Help or Cure?” educational media magazine & library science 41, no. 2 (2003): 171-179.
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dr. keren dali is in the faculty of information & amp; Media Studies, Western University, Ontario, Canada. Among other things, he is currently working on the online bibliography on bibliotherapy for librarians funded by the Carnegie-Whitney Wing grant.