Purpose of Reading

Why do you read?

I have met so many people who are interested in reading. Some even have libraries of their own. But it's so difficult to find the same books in the personal library of even two people. Each of us have a genre preference. Everybody reads with a different purpose. I respect people who have the patience to read the classics. I also believe they comprehend beyond those words, just the way our literature professors explained the instances in a completely different sense than what it meant to us. They have the ability to read the minds of the author. Perhaps, a well-read has discovered by comparing various readings the real meaning behind the expressions used by the writer. But why read what was written ages ago, why read stories of people who never existed?

Moving away from the classics and talking about the modern fiction, my favourite kind! Because I belong to this category, I believe we read to escape. We read as we are dissatisfied with the reality. How miserably we want all that we read to be true, or to be a part of that world where it exists. Books become the source of imagination. The readers obviously draw inspiration from the imaginary stories building in their heads as they read the treasure between their hands. It's indeed a challenge to think about the impossible happening as described by the writer, who using his exceptional mathematical literature draws a legitimate connection between all the occurrences that it all appears authentic. Now, a lot of people aren't very fond of the paranormal fiction, because it's all very unreal for them. Which is true, it's an escape, it's another world, and so many times it gives the strength to face the real one. Again, why do we read? 

Biographies are supposed to be plain, I like plain. They give you an insight in the lives of people who had the strength to become a person who'll have to state incidents of their life to inspire other people. But do people who read biographies start living upon the principles of these famous personalities? If yes, is that why you read? If not, why did you read?

It sounds naive, but I hate the self-help books. I've often been told that the people who have biographies must have read and applied what was stated in the self-help books. I've not read many, but from whatever I did, I only gathered what I already knew. It's all within me and I don't need to read to bring them in practice. It doesn't work out that way. Reading positive quotes, guidelines for living life, etc., does not bring any instant change, neither does it have a lot term effect. I know what's wrong and isn't supposed to be done/felt, and reading about the same thing will not entice me into living my life the way they describe it should be. Maybe it actually helps a lot of people, but how? And if not, why do they sell?

So many other categories, so many different type of readers. The same sentence might mean so differently to different people. Everybody reads with a different intent. The intent decides the genre they will read.

Why do you read? Pleasure? But how?... Escape? Really?...Help? Does it?...Information? How much?...