Reading fiction means spending hours inside someone else’s head. Psychologists have studied whether this makes readers more empathetic, with some studies finding a link between reading literary fiction and understanding others’ feelings, although results vary. Either way, many readers say certain books changed how they see people.
Novels that put you in another’s place
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus Finch’s advice to “climb into his skin and walk around in it” has become a classic description of empathy.
- Wonder by R. J. Palacio. A boy with a facial difference starts school, told from several characters’ points of view. Good for young readers and adults.
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. A mystery narrated by a teenager who sees the world differently.
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Two women’s lives in Afghanistan over decades of war.
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. A teenager witnesses a police shooting of her friend.
Learning from fictional characters
Characters let us test choices and consequences safely. Elizabeth Bennet learns to question first impressions; Jean Valjean in Les Misérables shows how mercy can change a life; Stevens in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day shows the cost of suppressing feelings. Asking “what would I have done?” turns stories into lessons.
Memoirs and true stories
- Educated by Tara Westover. Growing up in a survivalist family in Idaho and finding education.
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Childhood, racism and resilience in the American South.
- Evicted by Matthew Desmond. Families struggling with housing in Milwaukee; winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
Books that resonate with your own values
Readers also seek books that reflect their own experiences. Look for authors who share your background or questions, and also deliberately read some who do not. Both kinds help you understand yourself and others. Love stories are a classic way in; see the most moving love stories.
Discussing these books deepens their effect; see how to make reading social. For books that challenge your views, read thought-provoking books, and for books that change lives, life-changing reads.
