What is the difference between literary fiction and genre 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?

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.