[edmundsauto]

Another perspective: when I was younger, I liked Hardy Boys and Tom Swift because of their earnest niceness. As I get older, I realize that the world is a complex place and people (characters) are nuanced. Reduction to black/white (good/bad) squeezes the nuance and thus the humanity.

For similar reasons, I don't enjoy reading about the good works of (Western) holy people. (Buddhism and Hindu stories, the small exposure I have, seem to contain nuanced characters.)

[briefcomment]

I understand reality is nuanced, but I want to be exposed to ideals when I read. I'm not too interested in recreating reality. I want to see what to strive towards. I recall the Hardy Boys with a lot of fondness. They meant a lot to me as a child.

[rusk]

Sometimes you need the flaws to show the ideals in relief

[desi_ninja]

I can help with suggesting some good reads on mythological books in Hinduism if you like

[tomcam]

Yes. I get enough real life in real life, thank you very much.