The 12 Miracles of Fiction

Poor pity to the man or woman who has not discovered the fascination of books, the wondrous miracle! Are they to suffer through this bleak, colorless existence forever?

I cannot imagine. What a tragedy, when life and color and excitement are all around them—standing in bookshelves, tucked in drawers, stacked in dusty and forgotten corners.

But oh, can’t you see? There is magic in those bookshelves, my dear, and there is hope in those drawers and lonely corners. Don’t believe me?

No, I didn’t think you would. Until you’ve discovered it for yourself, the thought is too spectacular to seem real. Perhaps this shall convince you. These, my dear, are the miracles of fiction:

1. You can go anywhere in the world—from the Andes mountains of Peru to the Notre-Dame cathedral of Paris to the hot and sandy Arabian Desert. All in one sitting, too.
2. You can go anywhere out of the world. Whether you’re stepping through a wardrobe into a snowy dreamland or whether you’re floating in outer space, you can go anywhere imagination does.
3. You can travel in time. Buckle up and please do not leave your seat. Going past or present today, ma’am? Your pick.
4. You can fall in love. And then do it again. And again. And again.
5. You can endure a nightmare and live to tell about it.
6. You can be the hero.
7. You can be the villain.
8. You can comprehend what it feels like to do anything—like flying with the birds or making wishes or slaying dragons.
9. You can share the awesome wonder of characters’ thoughts, or endure their struggles, or feel their greatest emotion.
10. You can escape reality.
11. You can learn all the hidden truths of the author’s heart—because every part of that author is hidden inside the pages of their book.
12. And finally, you can always take it with you. No matter where you are, or how old you get, or how hard life ever becomes—there can always be a book by your side.

And those, my dear, are truly miracles. Is it any wonder we are so often reading?