--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The novel, of course, is an unequaled…" description: "\"“The novel, of course, is an unequaled medium for the exploration of human social and emotional life. And there is evidence that just as the brain resp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/terry-marselle-10647_books_the-novel-of-course-is-an-unequaled-medi_1813258.jpg" --- # The novel, of course, is an unequaled medium for the… ![“The novel, of course, is an unequaled medium for the exploration of human social and emotional life. And there is evidence that just as the brain responds to depictions of smells and textures and movements as if they were the real thing, so it treats the interactions among fictional characters as…” quote by Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/terry-marselle-10647_books_the-novel-of-course-is-an-unequaled-medi_1813258.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/terry-marselle-10647_books_the-novel-of-course-is-an-unequaled-medi_1813258.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/terry-marselle-10647_books_the-novel-of-course-is-an-unequaled-medi_1813258.jpg) > ““The novel, of course, is an unequaled medium for the exploration of human social and emotional life. And there is evidence that just as the brain responds to depictions of smells and textures and movements as if they were the real thing, so it treats the interactions among fictional characters as something like real-life social encounters. Raymond”” [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Novels uniquely simulate real social experiences, engaging the brain similarly to actual interactions. **In simple terms:** Novels mimic real social life, affecting the brain. Key Takeaway Use reading to explore social and emotional understanding. Themes literature neuroscience social cognition empathy Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type literary psychological When to use this quote - book clubs - educational curricula - therapy through reading - creative writing workshops Key Concepts fictional narrative brain simulation emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - How does reading fiction change your perception of others? - Can literature replace real social interaction? A Different Perspective Not all readers engage equally; some may find fiction less impactful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Brain Responds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-responds-1623192/) [Emotional life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-life/) [Fictional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional/) [Fictional Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional-characters/) [Human Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-social-433002/) [Interactions Fictional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interactions-fictional-2132998/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Writers are magpies, and we collect details about people and we use them for fictional characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/writers-are-magpies-and-we-collect-details-about-people-and-we-use/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) > [People do not spring forth out of the blue, fully formed – they become themselves slowly, day by day, starting from babyhood. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-duncan/people-do-not-spring-forth-out-of-the-blue-fully-formed-they-become/) [Lois Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-duncan/) > [“Fictional Characters" Do they ever want to escape? Climb out of the white pages and enter our world? Holden Caulfield slipping in the movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danusha-lam-ris/fictional-characters-do-they-ever-want-to-escape-climb-out-of-the/) [Danusha Laméris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danusha-lam-ris/) > [Whoa, I've really got to stop making plans with fictional characters. It can't be healthy to develop relationships with people who don't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/whoa-i-ve-really-got-to-stop-making-plans-with-fictional-characters/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [“I'd said to them that when we read fiction, we pour our own paricular store of emotions - say, the sense of loss we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandler-burr/i-d-said-to-them-that-when-we-read-fiction-we-pour-our-own-paricular/) [Chandler Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandler-burr/) > [A lot of our songs are based in reality but imagined or using fictional characters as a way to write about something. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/a-lot-of-our-songs-are-based-in-reality-but-imagined-or-using/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [Writing historical novels can be dangerous. We need to be as accurate and as fair about the historical record as we can be, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/writing-historical-novels-can-be-dangerous-we-need-to-be-as-accurate/) [Edward Rutherfurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-rutherfurd/) > [Talking out loud to fictional characters is just the tip of the iceberg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/talking-out-loud-to-fictional-characters-is-just-the-tip-of-the/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Fictional characters exist in only two places, neither of which is on the printed page. They exist, first, in the mind of the writer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maren-elwood/fictional-characters-exist-in-only-two-places-neither-of-which-is-on/) [Maren Elwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maren-elwood/) > [If people ever look down upon you for crying for fictional characters, you should give them a gentle, pitying look and feel bad for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/if-people-ever-look-down-upon-you-for-crying-for-fictional-characters/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The world is full of fictional characters looking for their stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/the-world-is-full-of-fictional-characters-looking-for-their-stories/) [Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/) > [The world is a stage we walk upon. We are all in a way fictional characters who write ourselves with our beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-theroux/the-world-is-a-stage-we-walk-upon-we-are-all-in-a-way-fictional/) [Louis Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-theroux/) > [We referenced fictional characters as if they were people to learn from. As if real-life people were too nebulous, too private and unreal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/we-referenced-fictional-characters-as-if-they-were-people-to-learn/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“If a writer doesn't believe his fictional characters are actually real, how can he expect the readers to?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-power/if-a-writer-doesn-t-believe-his-fictional-characters-are-actually/) [Jim Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-power/) > [“Fictional characters exert a great deal of influence over our choices in love by representing inaccessible ideals to which we try to make others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-bayard/fictional-characters-exert-a-great-deal-of-influence-over-our-choices/) [Pierre Bayard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-bayard/) ## More by Terry Marselle > [“When you “lose yourself” inside the world of a fictional character while reading a story, you may actually end up changing your own behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/when-you-lose-yourself-inside-the-world-of-a-fictional-character/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Since the 1960s, the national “average” of U.S. students on international tests has been middling to poor at best. Yet, the nation experienced unprecedented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/since-the-1960s-the-national-average-of-u-s-students-on-international/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Some of the worst items in math suffer from forcing students to overanalyze process verses simply perform. In sports, are gymnasts rated on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/some-of-the-worst-items-in-math-suffer-from-forcing-students-to/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“As any parent, teacher, or psychologist will tell you, learning is substantially impacted when anxiety and stress are present. (longer answer coming). Understanding”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/as-any-parent-teacher-or-psychologist-will-tell-you-learning-is/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Yep. I’m forced to test my 1st graders on tests where they are expected to do a close reading of a passage and answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/yep-i-m-forced-to-test-my-1st-graders-on-tests-where-they-are/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“After twenty years of research, Willingham announced that he had arrived at the conclusion that critical thinking cannot be taught. That”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/after-twenty-years-of-research-willingham-announced-that-he-had/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Brain studies of low SES children have shown them to be less able to filter out irrelevant information in a learning situation. Although this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/brain-studies-of-low-ses-children-have-shown-them-to-be-less-able-to/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“The children who were taught in English-only classrooms or transitioned to English instruction before they demonstrated well-established oral language abilities in their own language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/the-children-who-were-taught-in-english-only-classrooms-or/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Thinking critically should be taught in the context of subject matter. The foregoing does not mean that teachers shouldn’t teach students to think critically—it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/thinking-critically-should-be-taught-in-the-context-of-subject-matter/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Common Core has basically eliminated kindergarten. Yes, you read that correctly. It has moved the start of formalized instruction from Grade 1 to kindergarten.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/common-core-has-basically-eliminated-kindergarten-yes-you-read-that/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“the researchers found that people who strongly identified with a fictional character who overcame obstacles to vote were significantly more likely to vote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/the-researchers-found-that-people-who-strongly-identified-with-a/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Another problem we found relates to the pedagogical method used in the Gettysburg Address exemplar that the Common Core calls “cold reading.” This gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/another-problem-we-found-relates-to-the-pedagogical-method-used-in/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“tests are constructed and normed on native English speakers and may not provide valid inferences about the achievement of English Language Learners. Psychometric”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/tests-are-constructed-and-normed-on-native-english-speakers-and-may/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Common Core math standards seem unaware that children are not miniaturized adults, who are absolutely incapable of certain kinds of cognition. For example, genuine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/common-core-math-standards-seem-unaware-that-children-are-not/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [“Challenging the Research Base of the Common Core State Standards A Historical Reanalysis of Text Complexity By”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/challenging-the-research-base-of-the-common-core-state-standards-a/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) [Explore all 63 Terry Marselle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The novel, of course, is an unequaled medium for the exploration of human social and emotional life. And there is evidence that just as the brain responds to depictions of smells and textures and movements as if they were the real thing, so it treats the interactions among fictional characters as something like real-life social encounters. 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