CHARACTERISTICS: The emphasis is on fine writing; complex, well-developed characters; and stories that probe the human condition. These books often have a dark or bleak outlook, pose serious questions concerning moral issues, utilize symbolism and imagery, and offer the reader an opportunity to search for hidden meanings.
APPEAL: These books encourage readers to think about particular themes and issues. They push readers to form opinions and make connections between the stories and their own lives. They appeal to readers who appreciate distinctive writing and enjoy participating in thoughtful discussions.
READERS: People who enjoyed literature classes in high school and college; leaders and members of book discussion groups; those who like to get inside characters’ skins and think about authors’ messages. Readers of other genres who particularly appreciate character development and elegant writing may be led to cross over to Literary Fiction.
TOP AUTHORS: Study the Literary Fiction section of the ARRT Popular Fiction List. Note that in addition to writers from the United States, there are listings for authors from other regions of the world. Also look at the African American Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, and Women’s Fiction (Issue Driven) sections. Remember that these lists feature only writers who are still alive and currently publishing; there are many other excellent writers who are still in print but are either deceased (e.g., Saul Bellow, Bernard Malamud) or not currently writing (e.g., Harper Lee, J.D. Salinger). For a solid background in Literary Fiction, you should study classic writers dating back to the nineteenth century (e.g., George Eliot) and up to the middle of the twentieth century (e.g., Ernest Hemingway). Literary critics often define “current” Literary Fiction as those works published after the end of World War II (1945).
I encourage you to start reading with my personal favorites from the United States list: John Irving, Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Tyler, and John Updike.
TRENDS: Book discussions focusing on Literary Fiction titles continue to be very popular in many public libraries. The books chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her book club are always in the Literary Fiction category. Readers of this category are also frequently “listeners” who enjoy the audio book versions. The books are sometimes read by the authors themselves (e.g., Amy Tan reading The Joy Luck Club), or they may be read by well known actors (e.g., Blair Brown reading Anne Tyler’s Digging to America and Ron Silver reading Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America).
WEBSITES: Check for authors’ web sites; publishers’ web sites; and web sites developed to aid book discussion leaders, such as http://www.readinggroupguides.com. Another web site worth looking at is http://www.readersadvice.com, which has a “Big Names” section that lists the “latest” book by a popular author (helpful when the patron doesn’t know the specific title of a particular author’s most recent book). A web site good for locating author read-alikes is http://readingroom.rrpl.org/about.asp.
REFERENCE BOOKS: In addition to NoveList (electronic resource), familiarize yourself with the scope of the Magill Masterplots series and the titles published by Thomson-Gale, including “20th Century Literary Criticism,” “Contemporary Literary Criticism,” “Dictionary of Literary Biography,” and “Contemporary Authors.” Also refer to “American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies,” published by Charles Scribner’s Sons. Read the chapter on Literary Fiction in “The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction,” by Joyce Saricks (ALA, 2001). Also look at “Now Read This: A Guide to Mainstream Fiction, 1978-1998,” by Nancy Pearl (Libraries Unlimited, 1999).
PUBLISHERS: If you work in collection development as well as readers’ advisory, especially note the following publishers’ catalogs: Farrar Straus Giroux, Alfred A. Knopf, Pantheon, Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Viking.
MAGAZINES: Most important: The New York Times Book Review and The New York Review of Books. Book reviews worth reading appear in The Atlantic, Commonweal, Harper’s, The Nation, The New Republic, and The New Yorker. Also look at Poets and Writers, as well as author profiles in Publishers’ Weekly. Occasionally you will find articles on Literary Fiction authors in Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, People, and Time. Skim the listings in Booklist and Kirkus Reviews for the newest publications by popular Literary Fiction writers.
AWARDS: Be aware of the latest Pulitzer Prizes and National Book Awards, and if given, the Nobel Prize for Literature. Always check ALA’s list of Notable Books. Keep up with the choices for Oprah’s Book Club. Review the program listings for the annual Chicago Humanities Festival (held in the fall). Look out for local awards, such as the Chicago Tribune’s Heartland Prize.
Prepared by Ted Balcom
September 2007
