I'm a non-fiction man myself. When I was little, I didn't like the idea of fiction! It seemed to me too similar to telling lies. Sort of like winning at gambling feels too similar to stealing.
I've always read a lot of non-fiction subjects like history and biography. Lately I've been reading more novels, partly because of my book club. (The Yearling and Vanity Fair were magnificent.) Also, I got the ambition to read every novel that's become a Classics Illustrated comic book. The next one on my list is Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, but I'm scared of it.
I find that it's easier to read a novel when I've already seen the movie or read the comic. It just feels less intimidating to me! Yet it seems somehow illegitimate, like losing your virginity before you marry.
There are a few cases--Little Big Man, The Never-Ending Story and This Boy's Life--where I'm glad I saw the movie first. That's because in all these cases the movie was pretty good but the book was great! If I'd read the book first the movie would probably have disappointed me.
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