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Well, there are many books that can be considered as "literature," but GOOD literature, that's a bit different. For myself, I think character is every bit as important as plot, as I've started looking at some books that seemed to be starting in the middle of a story, before the characters have been properly introduced, and I find I generally put the book down quickly after that.
Plot, or the story line, is important as well, or else the book is just a collection of talking heads. One of the things that I admire about Joanne Rowling's Harry Potter books is that she makes her characters so compelling. Not to digress too much, but after HBP, and before the release of Deathly Hallows, I found myself worrying about what would happen to Hagrid and the trio.
Another characteristic of GOOD literature is that it should make the reader think.
Reading books like Tale of Two Cities, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Jane Eyre, Huckleberry Finn, To Kill A [/i[i]]Mockingbird, to name just a few, all made me think about the issues that the author dealt with in the book. In a similar fashion, I felt that I knew a lot more about Chinese society after reading Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See.
Humor can also make the difference between an ordinary book and one that holds up for many re-readings. Saki, O. Henry, and PG Wodehouse are masters of irony and (at least with Saki and O. Henry) a surprise ending that brings a chuckle to the end of the story.
Appreciation of a superb writing style is perhaps more of an aquired taste. The aforementioned PG Wodehouse is not only a master of the humorous touch with the situations he puts his characters in, but a master of the metaphor as well. One of his funniest characters, Bertie Wooster, in describing the appearance of another character, states, " It was as if God began to create a gorilla and changed his mind at the last minute," or when he wonders why McTavish, a "fine Aberdeen" terrier, had been given "jaws the size of an alligator's".
Finally, I would say that GOOD literature is that which makes the reader feel as though he or she has spent time in a worthwhile endeavor after finishing a book. If not, the book probably is not "Good" literature.
This post has been edited by Fricka: Mar 17 2010, 01:55 PM
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Feb 7 2010, 03:31 PM
