(I'm a bad reverse-snobby SF fan in that I sometimes find myself rolling my eyes when it comes to literary novel stuff - but I don't have anything against all that in theory or anything. I just don't read it.)
I think for Modernist writing especially, though the same is true to a lesser extent for most periods, you've got to take the first couple on faith that once you have enough of it under your belt, you'll see what the authors were doing, why they were doing it, how they fit into the history of western literature, and thus why they're so famous. I haaaaaated Virginia Woolf my first time through, but now I count MD and Orlando among my favorite novels of all time, and much of my appreciation comes from understanding the context. (I recognize that probably most people think a book should be enjoyable in and of itself the first time through, and I think it's a totally valid way to approach literature. I mean, I do think the literary novels I love are beautiful and full of wonderful characters, but I probably wouldn't have gotten to that point without consciously practicing how to see them so that the beauty is visible, if that makes any sense. And there are definitely novels that no amount of contextual understanding are going to make me love, CHARLES DICKENS I AM LOOKING AT YOU.)
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timeasmymeasure
Part 2
Date: 2011-01-21 11:00 pm (UTC)I think for Modernist writing especially, though the same is true to a lesser extent for most periods, you've got to take the first couple on faith that once you have enough of it under your belt, you'll see what the authors were doing, why they were doing it, how they fit into the history of western literature, and thus why they're so famous. I haaaaaated Virginia Woolf my first time through, but now I count MD and Orlando among my favorite novels of all time, and much of my appreciation comes from understanding the context. (I recognize that probably most people think a book should be enjoyable in and of itself the first time through, and I think it's a totally valid way to approach literature. I mean, I do think the literary novels I love are beautiful and full of wonderful characters, but I probably wouldn't have gotten to that point without consciously practicing how to see them so that the beauty is visible, if that makes any sense. And there are definitely novels that no amount of contextual understanding are going to make me love, CHARLES DICKENS I AM LOOKING AT YOU.)