Quite the chit-chat among readers of the article. In general, the readers seem to come down more for the popular and entertaining than for literary fiction, which is described as something that expresses the inexpressible and defines the indefinable. I would reverse that and say that good, popular genre fiction, such as crime novels, techno-thrillers, etc., can provide insight to the reader about real-world realities that go beyond feelings. A juror in a crime trial, or a patient in a hospital, might well be better off with some familiarity of police or medical procedures rather than just a deep insight into the eternal questions surrounding the human condition. Of course, in the best of worlds, you'd have both. It's also fair to say that many popular novels imply factual accuracy but deliver distortion or fairy tales -- something the publishing world doesn't seem to worry about -- but the best can deliver good information and perspective in a entertaining style. (..... Hopefully more entertaining than this paragraph.)
Quite the chit-chat among readers of the article. In general, the readers seem to come down more for the popular and entertaining than for literary fiction, which is described as something that expresses the inexpressible and defines the indefinable. I would reverse that and say that good, popular genre fiction, such as crime novels, techno-thrillers, etc., can provide insight to the reader about real-world realities that go beyond feelings. A juror in a crime trial, or a patient in a hospital, might well be better off with some familiarity of police or medical procedures rather than just a deep insight into the eternal questions surrounding the human condition. Of course, in the best of worlds, you'd have both. It's also fair to say that many popular novels imply factual accuracy but deliver distortion or fairy tales -- something the publishing world doesn't seem to worry about -- but the best can deliver good information and perspective in a entertaining style. (..... Hopefully more entertaining than this paragraph.)
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