Why Do You Read?

A couple of posts ago, I asked the questions "What are you reading?" Now, I'd like to know why you read. There are a few glib, surface answers that pop immediately to mind like : 1) for entertainment 2) to pass the time 3) to get pulled out of this time and into a different time or space. I guess those reasons just enumerated would fall into the category of "for a mind-altering experience". Which is all fine and dandy, but it's not getting at the heart of the question I'm trying to ask. If you're reading a classic, a great work of literary art -- 1) why are you reading it? and 2) what makes it a great work of art? The answer to question #1 might be that you want to be able to more or less name drop that title into conversations to impress your friends and astonish your enemies. The answer to question #2 we've all learned in English class, i.e. it has stood the test of time (that means it has stayed in print for oh, at least,say,50 years) and that its themes have universal appeal (that they transcend space and time which actually nicely circles us back up to answer number 3 to my very first question above) [Sister Jeremy would be so proud that I could still remember this]. So, I would be really interested to know why you read or attend theater (or theatre) or interact with the arts. I'll tell you why I think I do. I'm looking for insights into the human condition, or "illumination" as Sister Cyrille would call it. I hope that by understanding the commonalities of what it means to be human regardless of the historical era or the geographic place that I might actually get a grip about what it means to be me, interacting with you and all the others that make up my life. A good novelist can do that even while entertaining us with an breath-takingly exciting plot. John Grisham can give us insights into why money and power are so corrupting and how easily they seduce good people. Terry Pratchett through his satires holds up a mirror to all the foibles and follies of people from all walks of life so that you may bemoan the human condition, but you can have a good hard laugh at it at the same time. I think most of what is published actually does have some redeeming features especially if you're an English major in search of a thesis. Best-sellers are an expression of popular culture. Popular culture is what it is. It is "culture" because it is widespread and generally understandable to everyone, which is also why it's called "popular". It is accessible to the populace. I'm noticing here that I've begun to veer off into my popular culture rant. So, I'll end this now, where I began, asking you to tell me "Why do you read?"