It's no doubt that as children, we were encouraged to read. Perhaps back then we couldn't entirely see why our teachers were so eager to get us reading independently, but (hopefully) now we can understand how important reading is in our day-to-day lives. We can identify a good book sometimes by it's ability to seemingly turn the pages itself as we become drawn in by the world the author has created.
The question about whether a book should let us escape existence of endure it is difficult to answer. At the risk of becoming philosophical, I always feel more positive about my existence after reading a well written book, especially fantasy. Although it's a break from a day or week I'm finding particularly difficult, I often leave the book feeling refreshed in a way: ready to get back to where I left off. If I were asked to choose a book that either allowed me to escape or endure existence, I couldn't say, for most do both for me.
Most of John Cheever's short stories often present to us a character that has a dilema to tackle, or some sort of disequilibrium that we expect to be resolved. Do these problems allow us to learn life lessons, or do they simply make us feel better about our own lives. I percieve Cheever's stories as a type of reality reinforcement, which serve to remind me of some of the issues that we can face, in particular relation to drinking, which makes a frequent appearance in his stories. However, these 'window on a world' stories do allow me to briefly forget about myself as I view his characters' lives unfolding.
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