Has literary fiction become "Feel Bad Fiction?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tend to agree but I think there are still some authors out there publishing who are counter to this: Ann Patchett, Elizabeth Strout, Marilynne Robinson, Karen Joy Fowler, Louise Erdrich to name a few.

For some reason it was a lot easier to come up with women's names in this category. I love Russo as well but he's not publishing as much fiction recently.

Goes to show we all have different experiences while reading. I really like Strout and Erdrich but mostly because I like soaking in the gloom.

[Anonymous]

Isn't OPs question exactly what David Brooks complained about in his NY Times opinion piece - except the opposite?