I can attest to the unique value of literature in assisting one’s ability to make sense of the world around them. I read entirely nonfiction throughout college and into my the first part of my career (philosophy, science, theology, computer stuff). I was then diagnosed with cancer in my late twenties, whereupon I plunged into fiction and found that it both aided my understanding/grasp of the world and quite literally gave me solace. Nonfiction tended to paint the world into a false sense of black/white, right/wrong, good choice/bad choice etc. Fiction on the other hand captured just how murky this life can be.
(While on this topic, I will add that the single novel to have most shaken my soul is Melville’s Moby Dick. That novel brought me great comfort while also shattering me in many ways, what a work it is)
I know I'll probably get downvoted for asking, but is theology nonfiction? Perhaps the pieces where religious belief is studied but I'm not so sure about studying the divine or supernatural
Personally, I think it is a bit of a pointless argument. To those who believe in the contents of a particular theological piece will argue it is non-fiction. Those who do not will say it is fiction.
If we were to consider real, objective truth and not taking personal opinions and beliefs into the mix a lot of non-fiction books (e.g. many pop-psychology books) would be considered fiction too if non-fiction == based on fact && fiction == not based on fact.
I think a better view is that non-fiction is intended to be truthful whereas a fiction is intended to be made up.
Something I've noticed in my (tiny) country: after almost decades of silence, many key works of classical literature (Dostoevsky, Tolstoy) have been kind of suddenly reprinted in our language during covid time. I also find myself standing in front of our classics shelf more often during the pandemics. May well be that the soul needs "universal, time tested wisdom" to cope with the crisis.
Is the title alluding to a song by Marvin Gaye? Also, i am not sure that Anna Karenina is a good example for this case; i found the last fifty pages of the book to be a very stressful read, that was before the heroine is throwing herself under the train... (otherwise it's a very insightful book, of course)
(While on this topic, I will add that the single novel to have most shaken my soul is Melville’s Moby Dick. That novel brought me great comfort while also shattering me in many ways, what a work it is)