Literature is so amazing, isn't it? The written word connects us to people who lived aeons ago to our more recent past and our present reality that is unfolding and even to future possibilities. I think it's one of the many reasons I love writing and the written word. Speed! Time Travel! Possibilities! Imagination. : D

You can travel fast immediately. Literature is a great time traveler because you're with the people of that period or environment - you're sharing their experiences, bearing their burdens and enjoying their joys. You understand their experiences. Literature has empathy built in.