John Gardner, The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers, 31:
“. . . the value of great fiction . . . is not just that it entertains us or distracts us from our troubles, not just that it broadens our knowledge of people and places, but also that it helps us to know what we believe, reinforces those qualities that are noblest in us, leads us to feel uneasy about our faults and limitations.
. . . the ultimate value of fiction is its morality . . .”
Caveat: Great fiction will be most enjoyed by those with a thorough knowledge of the Bible and a strong theological backbone. The Bible is the best place to go to find out what to believe . . . this quote remains helpful.