Not literary? Says who?

My son and I had a discussion the other night about what we like to read and watch. Unlike me, who has absolutely nothing to do, his time is extremely limited so he picks and chooses what he reads and watches very carefully. He tends to lean toward things that are deeper, that make you think, that have meaning. I tend to look for entertainment. One thing we both agree on, though, is Harry Potter. :)

No, this will not be a treatise about HP, but more about what makes a good book to read. All through my years of schooling, I read what I was supposed to read (plus a whole lot more). I've read most of Shakespeare, many of the Greek tragedies, Steinbeck, Buck, Faulkner, Dickens, Dumas, Keats, Whitman, Yeats, O'Neil, Hemingway, etc. I read all the "classics" that were recommended. Most I enjoyed. Some I did not.

Today, I read to be entertained.

But on one of my lists, someone pointed out an interesting tidbit. Of the classic authors I read, many of them were actually genre writers. They wrote the pulp fiction of their time. Poe was a horror/mystery writer. Tolkien wrote fantasy. Bradbury wrote science fiction, as did Verne and Wells. Emily Dickinson, Austin and the Bronte sisters wrote romance, as did Shakespeare (Taming of the Shrew). In their time, these authors were writing so others may be entertained. Yes, many of them had deeper meanings, but the meaning was put across in a way that the masses could understand. Even Cervantes "Man of La Mancha" has touches of romance in it.

And yet, all these authors are now considered literary. They are "must read" books that people who run literary lists say are must reads. I find this rather funny. Yes, these books have withstood the test of time. Mostly because they are well written and tell a good story. They entertain.

I admire my son for his taste in literature. He is an extremely intelligent young man with deep convictions. I also understand his extreme time limitations so the need to be very selective in what he reads. His shelves are filled with good books. Mine are filled with genre pulp fiction. We will probably never agree on what makes a good read.

With the exception of Harry P. :)
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progress last night - edited 50 pages of new WIP and added two pages
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Birthdays: Jean de La Fontaine, Alec Waugh, Shirley Ann Grau, Anna Quindlen

Tips and Teasers: You’re ready to quit writing for the day. Before you do, set up a question or scene that you will have to answer tomorrow. That way you won’t sit there staring at a blank page.

Thought for the day: "Everyone needs to celebrate their successes. We must seize the moments of joy and celebration and exult in them; they will help carry us through the difficult times." – Suzette Edelen