For me, the great authors seem able to expertly weave a depth of contemplative philosophy into the very fabric of all the coalescing elements of their very human stories. It all seamlessly comes together to give a compelling depth to everything from character to plot to description and you come away enriched and perhaps your perspective broadened and deepened. Certainly the Russian authors (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy etc.) managed this expertly. And when I find a similar mix in some modern authors in a modern style and context it’s a true treat.
Your comment that great literature examines that nature of the human condition is spot on. I would add that the author is able to develop the complexity of their characters and their relationship to others.
But, for me, these are the only important features. I think Hemingway is important because he developed strong characters, not because he used short sentences to do so.
That is a damn good question! There seems to historically be some element of artifice in storytelling. The Greeks had the chorus and masks. The theater is all about expression. Joseph McCarthy, in the HUAC hearings in the 1950’s, used elocutionary speech devices. Mostly, it seems, the content is secondary. When it is not, there seems to be hell to pay. You did not mention Truman Capote, who did Music For Chameleons. His close friend Marilyn may have paid a price for their expression. He used the word ‘cunt.’ One of the best examples I know of this paradox is this. I heard the late Gustav Sobin read his poem Breath’s Burials at MIAD in 1996. Unbelievable! Moving! I swear to God I read his poems later and did not see the value in it without expression. Content? Elvis was drug addict.
Ayn Rand counts as literary fiction? Really? But you’re not interested in politics in literature! Amazing self-awareness that will definitely lead you to write great literature
If you knew how to read, you would be able to tell that I am reporting someone else's experience here. That's why reading is important—also helps with not being an a**hole.
For me, the great authors seem able to expertly weave a depth of contemplative philosophy into the very fabric of all the coalescing elements of their very human stories. It all seamlessly comes together to give a compelling depth to everything from character to plot to description and you come away enriched and perhaps your perspective broadened and deepened. Certainly the Russian authors (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy etc.) managed this expertly. And when I find a similar mix in some modern authors in a modern style and context it’s a true treat.
Your comment that great literature examines that nature of the human condition is spot on. I would add that the author is able to develop the complexity of their characters and their relationship to others.
But, for me, these are the only important features. I think Hemingway is important because he developed strong characters, not because he used short sentences to do so.
Looking forward to your future essays.
Often overlooked - John Gardner.
I don’t think you can write “literary” fiction. That’s like awarding yourself a medal or giving yourself a nickname.
You write.
History will decide if it has literary merit.
Unclear. Big words? Same question for “Imaginative Fiction.”
That is a damn good question! There seems to historically be some element of artifice in storytelling. The Greeks had the chorus and masks. The theater is all about expression. Joseph McCarthy, in the HUAC hearings in the 1950’s, used elocutionary speech devices. Mostly, it seems, the content is secondary. When it is not, there seems to be hell to pay. You did not mention Truman Capote, who did Music For Chameleons. His close friend Marilyn may have paid a price for their expression. He used the word ‘cunt.’ One of the best examples I know of this paradox is this. I heard the late Gustav Sobin read his poem Breath’s Burials at MIAD in 1996. Unbelievable! Moving! I swear to God I read his poems later and did not see the value in it without expression. Content? Elvis was drug addict.
Ayn Rand counts as literary fiction? Really? But you’re not interested in politics in literature! Amazing self-awareness that will definitely lead you to write great literature
If you knew how to read, you would be able to tell that I am reporting someone else's experience here. That's why reading is important—also helps with not being an a**hole.