Thread by @Noahpinion

I always thought the story "Cat Person" was not very good, since it doesn't dive into the emotional life of its protagonist/narrator.

But also, it turns out it was a dark distortion of a reality that was much more benign:

slate.com/human-interest…

This, by the way, is why I think "realist" fiction is actually a more fantastical kind of fantasy than the kind with dragons.

In "realist" fiction, the fantasy is how the characters feel and behave. But unlike dragons, people believe this fantasy represents reality.

People will read "Cat Person" and think they now know the dark truth about human relationships. But the real relationship "Cat Person" was based on, while not ideal, was much sweeter and healthier than the dark fantasy depicted in the story.

When you read "realist" or "literary" fiction, or watch dramas on TV, just keep reminding yourself: "People aren't really like this. People aren't really like this."

That will allow you to enjoy these fantasies *as fantasies*, instead of mistaking them for ethnographies.

(end)