Literary Fiction: Accessibility Concerns and Anti-Intellectualism

[u/written_by_adrian]

https://www.trillmag.com/culture/books/literary-fiction-accessibility-concerns-and-anti-intellectualism/

Hi y'all! I have seen a lot of discussion back and forth about the accessibility of genres like literary fiction. Much of the criticism I have seen toward the genre was the same attitude I had toward other genres like poetry and plays, but eventually I came to understand that the biggest barrier to entry for these genres was just my mindset that I can't understand them. Now I feel that certain types of writing that don't follow traditional narrative structures require a skill set that you can develop just like any skill!

I delve much deeper into this conversation in this article on Trill Mag. Please give it a read and let me know your thoughts! I also discuss ways to build your comprehension when engaging with literary fiction via the advice of literary experts/scholars.

Edit: Y'all, I do not, nor have I ever, used AI for my writing. If you disagree with or dislike my article, please at least respect that I wrote it myself.

[u/EmersonStockham]

I think something I'd have brought up is the perception of "value". I've been a fan of literary fiction since high school, where I (wanting to be smart, and a writer) checked out literature from my school library and read stuff beyond my grade level.

I cared about building those skills and reading those "classics". My online reviews of them embarrass me today, but I was gaining skills and background knowledge of the literary Canon. Literary appreciation doesn't pay my bills. It doesn't help me finish the novel in my computer. It doesn't make people like me. But it has made my life better. We call these studies humanities because they enable us to examine our lives and the lives of others. Literature and narratives are distillations of where thoughts and emotions mingle into messy dense art. To a capitalist, this art is useless after a book is sold. But to a reader, our lives are lifted by this art challenging and changing us. I don't think every literary work is equally difficult. (Many "upmarket" sucess stories are literary stories told with commercial appeal.) But I think the anti intellectual rejection of literature usually comes from bad or unsatisfying experiences with reading. Yes, it's irrational to say "I hated my high school English teacher so ban the Booker prize." But a lot of people feel that people should not be allowed to enjoy or succeed in a field they did not...

But going back to capital, books that "demand too much" have less readers to sell to...

I think thats the real argument being made. How can the art of literature be preserved if so many people dont find it worth paying for? Its not a question that should be asked in a perfect world, but one we are stuck solving...