>> you do not learn anything new > And...? Besides the fact that entertainment and relaxation are necessary parts of staying sane enough and having enough cont

>> you do not learn anything new > And...? Besides the fact that entertainment and relaxation are necessary parts of staying sane enough and having enough context to absorb new information properly, the OP's claim isn't even true. Many bestsellers include copious amounts of information as background - history, culture, even technology. Often that's why they are bestsellers. Try reading Name of the Rose or Hunt for Red October without learning anything. Yes, there's also a lot of trashy fiction that really does contain nothing new, but the author's overgeneralization and outright stereotyping are the very antithesis of intellectual curiosity.