Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
My personal definition (and others may well disagree) is that a "literary" author is one who writes as an art form, rather than to entertain the reader. Two examples would be James Joyce and Virginia Woolfe, neither of whom wrote for the entertainment of the public, but considered writing to be a form of art for the "intelligentsia" (however you choose to interpret that word). Which explains why most people don't find their books to be an entertaining read: they weren't intended to be.
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Harry, why is that more "valuable", more "important", or more "respectable" than writing for entertainment? It seems to me that being a master of writing for entertainment is every bit as difficult, and required every bit as much skill, as writing for the "intelligentsia". Different skills, but skills nonetheless.
My view is the difference is snobbery.
I have the ability to enjoy these "rarefied" works, because I am superior. Personally, I don't buy the snobbery..
It's like claiming Van Gogh was a better artist than Maxfield Parrish...