Perhaps a silly thought, or just me being me, or the strange scratching sounds in the dark garage as I sat and pondered life and literature, but I recalled a particular reading feeling from the past, much as you can smell garlic bread from a meal with a lover long gone.
There was a time when I read mysteries–detective, non-fiction, sci fi and horror–almost exclusively and certainly daily, one after another. Upon occasion I’d pick up something out of keeping, perhaps a classic or a character-focused literary novel. What I remember feeling is that odd sense of tension unsatisfied (dare I compare it to a sexual experience of not quite reaching that climax?), waiting for the blast and flash of gunfire, a body on the bedroom floor, that No! don’t open the door! It took a chapter to get over that uncomfortable feeling of stressful letdown. Of course getting back into a Stephen King after that hit twice as hard with the shock.
It makes me wonder then, if this is one of the reasons for the "literary fiction is boring" statements you’ll hear from the diehard action plot-lovers. There is a "need for speed" that will be lacking in the lovingly prepared prose of the opening setup of many novels that are meant to bring the reader into the story rather than leave him a spectator–albeit a very excited one. With the ton of diverse reading I’ve been doing in the past couple years, separated more by era and character rather than by pace or number of bodies bleeding out, I think it’s been a case of getting used to the changes, educating the palate to more readily accept both the escargot or the french fry at the first whiff.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
Educating the palate — what an apt analogy. Perhaps it’s my relatively recent participation in the online community that has heightened my awareness of the separation, often even the animosity between people who love literary fiction and the people who love fiction more closely categorized as genre. I typically steer clear of those discussions because they’re either lit bloggers bemoaning the fate of literary fiction, but often doing it in such an elitist and exclusionary tone that I believe adds to the perception of literary fiction as boring or inaccessible or they’re discussions initiated by genre fiction writers, complaining that their work doesn’t get the respect they feel it deserves. This is the first thing I’ve read that addresses this topic that nearly made me scream “Yes!” out loud. My reading habits have evolved in a similar fashion to yours, and I think it’s been an experience very much like learning about wine. Although story alone was all I needed for a long time with the occasional really great book thrown in, it took a while to begin to recognize what was indeed, great about a lot of novels. For a long time, recognizing a really good book was a lot like the classic definition of pornography — I couldn’t define what made it what it was, but I recognized it when I read it. I’ve gotten far more interested in reading more great fiction over the last few years and I’m often frustrated because in truth, I’d love to be back in a classroom to get some additional guidance and insights when I’m reading. That’s one reason I’ve loved reading your recent posts on Augustine and Bellows. This was a great insight and I thank you for it.
For a long time, recognizing a really good book was a lot like the classic definition of pornography — I couldn’t define what made it what it was, but I recognized it when I read it. —
You’ll find loads of discussion on the litblogs trying to define “literary” and that’s a point of argument as well. Especially when writers attempt to tout their work as such, since many will claim that it doesn’t achieve that genre (if genre it can even be called!) until endurance has proven it so.
I do tend to review…well not truly review…critique, then…well, not really that either; perhaps spill my thoughts out as I read and post here on what’s excited me enough to drop the book and head for the laptop. Therefore, my posts may be of no value as a whole on the story, plot, writing, in particular. Besides, warning is needed that they’re also loaded with spoilers. But then, these aren’t the new bestsellers off the rack that I’m reading.
Good or bad, my biggest “fans” are usually those looking for clues in writing their school papers.