Reading for Empathy

I recently shared how reading–particularly literature, including novels, memoirs, and poetry–can enhance our empathy for others. By experiencing others’ inner lives through the world of books, some research suggests, we can reduce unconscious bias, extend our lifespan, strengthen our focus, and cultivate emotional intelligence.

In response to that blog, many of you requested some book recommendations to guide you in this endeavor. Here are a few suggestions, from classics to contemporary reads.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez’s landmark novel was originally published in Spanish in 1967. García Márquez blends historical events with surreal imagery– characteristic of magical realism–to describe the seven generations of the Buendía family and their lives in the fictional town of Macondo, Colombia.

While the novel features a multitude of characters, its omniscient narration reveals each of their perspectives and inner lives. This creates plentiful opportunities for readers to empathize with a range of complex, and sometimes flawed, characters.

Even if you have already read One Hundred Years of Solitude, it is the rare book that offers new insights upon each rereading. 

Why Religion? A Personal Story by Elaine Pagels

In her new memoir, religion scholar Elaine Pagels shares her experiences with grief, coping, and faith. After the loss of her terminally ill six-year-old son and the death of her husband in a hiking accident over thirty years ago, Pagels blamed herself. It took revisiting ancient Gnostic texts, the Gospels, and Buddhist insights to free her from the belief that her family deserved what had happened.

Pagels’ memoir hinges upon the commonality of suffering and discovering the means by which we cope–whether through religion, science, or a combination of the two. By experiencing this grief–through our own lives or the stories of others–we can better understand the restorative power of our interconnection.

Dinner with Buddha by Roland Merullo

By Otto Ringling and Volya Rinpoche’s third road trip (preceded by Breakfast with Buddha and Lunch with Buddha) both skeptic and guru respectively have traversed much of life’s suffering and uncertainty. But the unlikely pair has more to learn from one another as they travel through the mountainous Southwestern United States.

As in his other novels in this series, Merullo artfully pairs meditations on the nature of life with fully formed characters and stories. This unconventional spiritual adventure offers timeless lessons for readers from all walks of life.

At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid’s inaugural collection, first published as a whole in 1983, contains ten interconnected stories, often regarded as prose poems. Loosely based on events in Kincaid’s own life, her young, first-person narrator (who remains unnamed throughout the book) describes her home in the West Indies and experiences as an au pair in suburban New York.

The collection centers upon the narrator’s relationship with her mother and search for identity. Kincaid also imparts the effect of colonialism on the Caribbean islands through a rich, inner voice. Yet the conclusions her narrator reaches–about the human condition and the inevitable search for self each person undergoes–can resonate with each of us.

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville

Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick was first published in 1851 to mixed reviews and commercial failure. Yet in the twentieth-century, it gained acclaim as the “Great American Novel” and the quintessential book of the sea.

Melville’s lyrical prose and Ishmael’s first-personal narration–which draws from plays, sermons, and a range of other genres–create a book that echoes with the literature that preceded it. At once rooted in the history of whaling and nineteenth-century America as well as the human psyche, Moby-Dick proffers a quintessential tale of our shared search to uncover meaning and truth.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 

Persepolis (2000), Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir illustrates a historical, yet personal, tale of repression and expression. Coming of age amidst the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Satrapi explores the everyday effects of hardline authoritarianism through memories and anecdotes.

This book offers a unique perspective on the familiar. Rigid social change and violence amplify life’s typical growing pains. Told in two parts, Satrapi’s story invites the reader to experience growth under duress and the formation of a worldview amidst ultimate strife. Stylized animation and humorous, yet unavoidably bleak, writing come together to create a memorable and historical story likely unknown to many Western readers. 

Of course, the list of books that can offer us insight into the lives of others, as well as our shared humanity, is endless. This is simply a starting place. Perhaps it can help you return to reading after a long hiatus or pick up a book you once loved. If you have any further recommendations, please share them with others in the comments section. As J. K. Rowling has said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”

Want to make the world a more empathic place? Become an Emotional Intelligence Coach. Applications for the second cohort of my Emotional Intelligence Coaching Certification are now open. Participants gain the tools and experience to lead positive transformations for a more empathic and emotionally intelligent future.

For further reading on empathy, you can download my new ebook, "Leading with Empathy." It's free and includes a collection of articles written by me and my colleagues. You can download it here.