Nov 11 2009
Literature Continued
So the first few commenters have weighed in on what makes a book “real literature,” and they say:
1. Originality.
2. Depth (something to ponder)
3. You Know It When You See It.
To add to this, I borrow shamelessly from Merriam-Webster:
3 a (1) : writings in prose or verse; especially : writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest
There is definitely something to that definition. I would especially point out the “excellence of form or expression” part: because excellent in language itself is necessary for literature, we can include people like P.G. Wodehouse as great writers, not because they “express ideas of permanent or universal interest” but because whatever they do express, they express so well.