Anonymous
Post 07/22/2025 17:25     Subject: Has literary fiction become "Feel Bad Fiction?"
Anonymous wrote:I do feel like authors thing that depressing=serious and I’ve read more than one book where they just throw in rapes or whatever to up the trauma level.

I affirmatively seek out literature that is less depressing. I think I started a thread on it. Once I read that book about the plague that leaves people blind and leads to a dystopia or violence, I was like uhhh…I’m done with this stuff.


Ha, if you are referencing Saramago's Blindness, I would say that is the exception to the rule because that was a truly excellent book. Generally though, I am in agreement with OP. I am hopeful though that we are at least over the hump of the worst of the "tragedy porn" trend in lit fic.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2025 19:08     Subject: Has literary fiction become "Feel Bad Fiction?"
Anonymous wrote:Isn't OPs question exactly what David Brooks complained about in his NY Times opinion piece - except the opposite?

Why is anyone listening to David Brooks? He’s terrible.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2025 17:02     Subject: Has literary fiction become "Feel Bad Fiction?"
Isn't OPs question exactly what David Brooks complained about in his NY Times opinion piece - except the opposite?
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2025 17:00     Subject: Has literary fiction become "Feel Bad Fiction?"
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.