I will note that the dismissal of escapism and the paired insistence that the only bits of literature of worth are those with lectures and lessons is one of the prime things I find myself seeking literature to escape from. Some of the topics are worth entertaining, but literature offers the option of blocking out the noise when I’ve been bombarded with messaging at work, from billboards on the road, from news articles, on the radio, or because it’s appreciate a dragon/turtle/bird day; all of this with a high enough frequency I am reminded of dystopian truth ministry mental assault (though I would term internet browsing without adblock similarly). I can pick up something to enjoy that doesn’t feel transactional in the often heavy handed packaging of messages with entertaining words.