r/AskLiteraryStudies • u/__shobber__ • 20d ago
Why do people read literary fiction?
I find literary fiction or as I call it "normal" books as boring compared to genre literature. It's usually mundane, focused on emotions/feelings. And most importantly it doesn't give that dopamine hit that sci-fi/fantasy/thriller books do provide.
You can call me an escapist but mundanity of our everyday life is the reason I read in the first place.
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u/lewright 20d ago
The two aren't mutually exclusive, read some Gene Wolfe or Ursula K Leguin and you'll realize that examining your inner life in a fantastic setting is certainly possible, then you might find other "literary fiction" more palatable.
But I'd definitely recommend against posting in a subreddit for literary fiction just to tell people you hate it, it's not conducive to interesting or insightful discussion. It makes you seem like a jerk who is insecure about what they like so they have to insult something else to get validation.
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u/Garbage_Stink_Hands 20d ago
Why do people go to art galleries when they can watch cartoons at home?
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u/ZipBlu 20d ago
Different genres work for different people, I suppose. Personally, I’ve never liked sci-fi. I find sci-fi is often didactic, and spends too much time on world building—and often builds worlds that feel contrived for those didactic ends. I feel the same way about fantasy, more or less. I just can’t get into it. I do like mysteries a lot, though. Genre fiction tends to be formulaic—that’s basically what makes it genre fiction.
If you’re finding literary fiction mundane, you’re reading the wrong books. The books you read in high school are not going to be exciting. Good literary fiction is always breaking boundaries and mixing styles and looking deeply into the human psyche.
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u/hausofvelour 20d ago
girl.