Getting into fiction as a nonfiction reader?? Advice

Submitted by Temporary_Fee1277 t3_10kg6wh in books

I dunno if it’s the same for everyone else; I find it difficult to finish a piece of fiction, I always lose interest in the story.

In nonfiction I’m more assured that my attention will be maintained cause it’s of a subject I like or find an interest in. I know what it’s going to be about compared to fiction where if it takes a turn I don’t find compelling I’ll stop reading.

P.S it’s not always about the story but sometimes the writing or characters (especially if there’s too many) etc.

Any advice?

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Kimpynoslived t1_j5qjjtb wrote

Read fiction about historical events. Fiction that takes place in a certain time that focuses on the perspective of an individual.

Or read fiction about different cultures, it's hard to lose interest if you are experiencing something new

I don't read fiction at all unless it's considered classic literature. I don't have a lot of patience for sci-fi or fantasy and I really hate romance so, it's Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Orwell, Mitchell, Austen and CS Lewis are my go-to's...

Maybe start with Life of Pi by Yann Martel but only if you haven't seen the film

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Rick-burp-Sanchez t1_j5qf1q8 wrote

Find historical fiction about time periods you're interested. I can recommend something if you give me a period.

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xyla-phone t1_j5qk26o wrote

Read 200-400 page standalone novels. Don’t start off with series, as character development is usually a larger arc and there’s potential for a lot of characters.

Also really hone in on the genre you’re looking for in fiction, as well as the plot. Is romance your thing? Science? Swords and shit? I recently read the Martian and I loved it - way more science based than a fiction I’m used to, and no romance so pretty good for nonfiction readers.

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bhbhbhhh t1_j5qu7dy wrote

For my part, other than science fiction my big bridge between fiction and nonfiction was alternate history stories about events and periods that interested me.

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darknite007 t1_j5r6n9h wrote

Check out the Aubrey Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian, starting with Master and Commander. It’s set in the early 1800s, focusing on the Napoleonic War from the British perspective and all the battles are historically accurate while the author provides a wealth of detail on the technical aspects of the Age of Sail. And the language is simply gorgeous

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alterego879 t1_j5wmbl1 wrote

Seconded. I’m only 2 chapters in and I had to put it away (coincidentally to read nonfiction books for class), and it’s sitting on my shelf and I can’t wait to pick it back up again. I understand almost nothing about the dearth of naval descriptions, but I already adore the prose and the two men.

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Ihadsumthin4this t1_j5qk95j wrote

Truly, one of the funniest books I've ever read (four times cover to cover, no less) is technically 'a novel', but for its most part reads like an autobio. This, coming from an almost entirely nonfiction kinda reader.

John Kenney was a copywriter in a NY ad agency for something like a decade-plus, as well as having contributed to The New Yorker magazine some smart-humored content to boot.

Turns out, his Truth In Advertising (released 2013?) is a terrific three-night read loaded with heartfelt legitimacy, snark-filled approaches in thought and dialogue, plus it effuses a most pleasant feel of pacing.

In fact, he himself cameos for a few seconds in the book's little three-minute intro over on y.t. titled (keywords) Focus Group Truth In Advertising John Kenney.

Hope you find it as engaging as I do!

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boxer_dogs_dance t1_j5qz3eo wrote

Pick a story with a setting or profession that you want to learn about. Rumpole of the Bailey is funny but about an attorney in London and his cases. John Grisham wrote novels about lawyers in the US. The Call of the Wild is set in the Yukon Gold Rush. Graham's Sulee is about a young basketball player and has a lot of information about college basketball. My Name is Asher Lev is about the education of a young painter and contains a lot of art history. Pillars of the Earth is about building a cathedral.

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UnluckyReader t1_j5r7i23 wrote

You can also try nonfiction that reads more like fiction — for example, The Johnstown Flood, Turn Right at Machu Picchu, Into Thin Air, Unbroken, In the Heart of the Sea. All fantastic books that “feel” like novels.

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aeviternitas t1_j5rbus2 wrote

I read a lot of historical non-fiction, and find classics work well for me. I struggle with a lot of modern fiction (I do like the occasional horror though)

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RachelOfRefuge t1_j5rfdsr wrote

What kind of nonfiction do you like?

Try to find something similar to that in fiction.

Like science? Try science fiction.

Like history? Historical fiction.

Memoirs about crazy lives, full of drama? Maybe an epic classic like Crime and Punishment or Les Mis.

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schrodingerlovecraft t1_j5rw9qg wrote

pick a topic you are interested in and then read books set in or around that period, I'm fascinated by pre revolutionary russia and so Iread 19th century realist works like anna karenina and war a peace and they blew my mind

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[deleted] t1_j5sjmr4 wrote

Read something like hitchhikers guide to the galaxy it's great to start with making fun of fiction and introducing many new concepts

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