Novels Are 'Social Objects'

"Novels aren't just sources of solitary cogitation.
They are social objects, and we use them to brandish our identities, mark our allegiances and broker our relationships. They can provoke passions as strongly as politics. Thanks to the intimate connection between story and reader, they impact upon us very personally, and can drive otherwise undemonstrative folk to feel they have a right--nay duty--to confront complete strangers with their zeal, and have thus been responsible for some of the most unexpected human encounters I've had."
--Molly Flatt, from her piece, "Bonding with Books," in the Guardian's Books Blog.