What determines conclusively that a book is literature? A lot of you seem to think that it's objective. Is Call of the Wild literature?
if the protagonist isn't male, it's not literature
a book can't be literature
biblio
literature
novel
fiction
book
rag
in that order
>>8280162
Literature is defined by its form, structure, and content; how it expresses its ideas, themes, and characters.
There can be grey areas in the literary merit of a work, but that doesn't make it a subjective concept.
In contrast, genre fiction is driven by the its genre's tropes, it's plot, and offers very little outside of the book's scope in terms of philosophical themes, humanity, artistic merit(prose, structure, etc.), or reflection of the world.
Of course there is some overlap, they share a medium.
good examples of literature would be Dostoyevsky and Woolf.
good examples of genre fiction would be GRRM and Harry Potter Lady
>>8280180
So, is Call of the Wild literature?
If it makes a lasting contribution to the landscape of high literature.
It's really not that difficult of a concept to grasp.
>>8280185
I read it when I was in the 4th grade I don't remember
On the everyday level it means "books that make me look smart"
>>8280180
You just merely state that it isn't a subjective concept, but you make no case for that assertion.
>>8280180
You realize those aren't definitions right? Just Literature Good, Genre Bad.
Also, "Literary Fiction" is a genre. Especially in the modern sense.
>making the pedantic distinction between "genre fiction" and "literary fiction"
lmao
Does it classify as genre fiction? No? It's literature.-
Does the book explore various themes and issues? It's probably literature.
>>8280285
Many things classified as "genre fiction" do just that.
>>8280162
The genuine artist presumably undertakes to set forth some vision of life—some
imaginative apprehension of it which he hopes will engage our imagination.
He gives us his own intuition—his own insight into the human situation. It may prove to be a paltry insight; it may constitute a trivial view; but it is at least one which the artist has had the faith to explore and to test by attempting to
objectify it for us. But the worker on the mass-production line that is turning out prefabricated entertainment starts from a radically different assumption: he gives nothing and means to give nothing. Rather, he hopes to play upon the stock emotions and stereotyped attitudes already present in the minds of his audience, releasing them by applying the proper stimulus, giving the reader or the auditor the illusion of something new but actually making sure that he never departs from the limits of the sure-fire stereotypes.
- cleanth brooks
also for a quick surface level test, and it directly ties into the above, since the artistic vision and prose are tied together: the prose of non-literature is grounded in cliche.
I've never read Jack London. I know he is/was strangely popular in Russia though
>>8280162
If it's about something happening, it's fiction. If it's about people experiencing something, it's literature.
>>8280301
>Jack London. I know he is/was strangely popular in Russia though
Really? That's strange?
>>8280312
Why are we pretending these are mutually exclusive.
>>8280185
Jack London is aight. Nice quick read, good for commuting.
Have you read To Build A Fire?
>>8280325
i don't think you understand the function of labels
>>8281304
I do, but when we jerk around with broad definitions like that which are clearly inadequate, someone needs to evaluate them.
>>8280320
Russia reporting in. Actually, his works were of those few permitted to read written by westerners (cause he supported commies, remember?). On top of it, the quality of translation was superior to the original due to many reasons, in the first place, the translators used to do their work better. That is how it goes. He is still popular in Russia therefore.
>>8281286
No, do you recommend it? I don't even know anything about it.
>>8280176
Wrong, it's
>pageturner
>book
>novel
>writing
>literature
>λογοτεχνία
>>8280185
London is a great writer, but he was a commie, so, on this board, no, not literature.
He was a hack.
![james-joyce[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/EtE15LC.jpg "james-joyce[1].jpg")
>>8280176
>leave fartbiblio to me
>>8281491
Hey, man, I hate me some commies, but I recently read the book again and I don't see how there's any hint of communism in it besides maybe some small criticism of materialism, but given the subject matter that's almost a required element. So, it's cool with me.
