I find that reading about different characters and their choices and struggles in life, develops my empathetic side, i.e. it makes me a better person
Reading a book is also a bit like roleplaying for me. By following a specific character through his or her experience, I tend to think: 'what would I do in this situation', while I read, and perhaps after I finish I discuss it with other people. I guess it can function as a sort of preparation for potential similar experiences in your own life?
In general, I tend to look at novels as a sort of free study of the human condition, on different levels
