Very often, stories can change our lives and drive real personal change. So my question to you is, why do stories matter to you? And how have they changed your life?
For me, stories matter because we can find meaning in them, and by finding that meaning we are sometimes able to have a deeper understand of everything.
So fire away fellow writers&artists!
Maybe it's me I'm just a bit boring. I love stories as you can get lost in them even if it takes you a while to figure them out. Getting lost in the understanding is part of the fun of the story I think.
Amazing answers everyone, really insightful stuff. And all of these answers are right. I would say that they do all of these things and more!
Two points to add, if I read about conflicts or situations I have faced myself- then shared feelings expressed by someone I don't know increases my bond with other people.
If these are situations I haven't faced, a well-written passage teaches me a lot.
And sometimes plain escapism drives my reading experience-Harry Potter is a great example-to escape one world and enter another.