Hi, to put some context and precisions about my question, I was wondering after reading some posts about the worst books Reddit has ever read, what makes a literary work “good”.
Of course, I know some of the answers on those posts weren’t sincere, some of them would take well-known books in order to win upvotes, others want to prove they are better readers because they are reading " real mature and adult literature"… Anyways, it was still interesting to see books that I think have some interest and great qualities, despise their low quality compares to great names of literature…and there will always be someone to say that he/she didn’t like those classics !
Now as literature is an art, it is mainly subjective. But that doesn’t mean we can’t define what is wrong or right in the execution or the idea.
My big question is: how does literary interest is defined ? Can it be applied even to what we consider bad works ? In what resides the greatness of someone’s wrinting ?
Sorry for the 8000000000000 words and the expression, I’m a french teen who must go to sleep but won’t cuz the phone is better.
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I don’t think there’s any work too bad or low that we can’t learn something from it, or have an interesting conversation about it. Deciding what’s good and bad has historically been inseparable from questions of power, and it’s important in thinking through what we value in literature to be explicit about our assumptions. Not just what principles we’re using to inform our judgments, but what affects us, what moves us, and how. There’s no objective method for doing this, luckily, although there are more and less nuanced, more and less creative, more and less capacious ways to proceed.
Literary interest is defined by the reader’s personal taste and preferences, and can vary widely between individuals. It can be influenced by a range of factors, such as the style and structure of the writing, the content and themes of the story, and the characters and their relationships. Great writing often has depth and complexity, with vivid imagery and rich details that draw the reader into the world of the story. It may also explore difficult themes and provoke conversation and reflection. Good writing can be both entertaining and thought-provoking, and can spark the imagination and connect with readers on a deep emotional level.