What is the difference between literary fiction and genre fiction?

[Anonymous]

I have an MFA in creative writing and this was discussed ad nauseam.

The short answer is like SCOTUS on porn -- I know it when I see it.

Perhaps more helpful is that lit is driven by character and genre is driven by plot.

[Anonymous]

I have a question: how come gone with the wind isn’t considered literary fiction? Genuinely curious, not that I necessarily think it should be. Is it because of the awful racism or is it just not good enough to be literary fiction?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a question: how come gone with the wind isn’t considered literary fiction? Genuinely curious, not that I necessarily think it should be. Is it because of the awful racism or is it just not good enough to be literary fiction?

It's the prose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a question: how come gone with the wind isn’t considered literary fiction? Genuinely curious, not that I necessarily think it should be. Is it because of the awful racism or is it just not good enough to be literary fiction?

Literary fiction doesn't rely on exaggerated character traits, intentionally pulling emotional strings, not to mention prose.

GWTW definitely falls into the Saga genre, along with books like: The Thorn Birds, Shogun, North & South, Rich Man, Poor Man.

[Anonymous]

Literary fiction = Bleak House

Genre fiction = Harry Potter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literary fiction = Bleak House

Genre fiction = Harry Potter

This made me smile. I am in publishing. Literary fiction frequently is bleak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a question: how come gone with the wind isn’t considered literary fiction? Genuinely curious, not that I necessarily think it should be. Is it because of the awful racism or is it just not good enough to be literary fiction?

Literary fiction doesn't rely on exaggerated character traits, intentionally pulling emotional strings, not to mention prose.

GWTW definitely falls into the Saga genre, along with books like: The Thorn Birds, Shogun, North & South, Rich Man, Poor Man.

Can you explain what you mean by “intentionally pulling emotional strings”? I don’t see that in gone with the wind

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see it as genre fiction-what happens to a person in their outside world and the descriptions of it, literary fiction-what happens to a person and their inside world and the descriptions of it.

Well that's limiting and also incorrect. Wildly incorrect.

why? lit=character, genre-plot

BTW How someone sees something is never incorrect as it is subjective vs objective, do you usually gaslight those around you?

[Anonymous]

I think this is a super interesting (and complex) question. In addition to the thought-provoking New Yorker article linked above, here’s one from over a decade ago that still feels relevant.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jodi-picoult-jennifer-weiner-franzen_b_693143

BTW, both Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner went to Princeton in the late 80s/early 90s and majored in Creative Writing and English respectively. I can’t remember the details (names of professors/instructors), but the Princeton writing department was especially strong then. May still be?

[Anonymous]

And this interview with Jodi Picoult, as well:

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/magazine/jodi-picoult-does-not-write-chick-lit.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a question: how come gone with the wind isn’t considered literary fiction? Genuinely curious, not that I necessarily think it should be. Is it because of the awful racism or is it just not good enough to be literary fiction?

guess I would say it's full of clichés. The Irish father is the first one I can think of. He thinks of the old sod like Irish people did in popular culture in the early 20th century, naming his plantation Tara.."They're not making more land, Katie Scarlet" or however he says that. I would say that the people are stock characters (Mammy, Belle Watling and others) and the dialog is cliche; the characters are there to serve the plot. It is a historical romance, had a good plot and was a page turner.

[Anonymous]

Literary Fiction - Bleak House
Genre Fiction - anything by Colleen Hoover

I would argue, from a children's eye, not an adult's, that HP is on the cusp of literary fiction for that age level.