I believe fully that empathy can be built through reading novels. Novels allow you to live through another person and see the world through their point of view. You build a sort of identification with the protagonist of the story which helps you empathize with their situation and feel their emotions. I've cried many times while reading and found myself leaving the novel behind with a stronger understanding of whatever challenge was being faced.
Despite my personal experience with empathy building through novel reading, I'm not completely convinced how much real world change and movements can come from novel reading. Although beginning to understand various problems through reading novels in the 18th century would've helped the social and human rights movements that occurred it is only one factor. Everyone will also interpret readings differently and perhaps not empathize as strongly or the same way as others. Although I do believe empathy can be built through reading, I'm not fully convinced it can create the motivation Hunt describes.