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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/3268
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/3268
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Here's the money quote from [a good article on the subject:](http://writeanything.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/what-is-literary-fiction/)

> In broad terms, literary fiction focuses more on style, psychological depth, and character and tends to be multilayered stories which wrestle with universal dilemmas rather than with plot. They usually provoke the readers beliefs and thoughts, often with an outcome of changing or altering their audiences outlook on life. More often than not, literary fiction addresses what might be considered more serious issues to uncover a truth bringing its audience; by the way of the main character; to a deeper understanding about life.
> 
> (...) Most of these books are character centred rather than plot oriented; looking at the human condition and provoking the reader into some sort of change.

This is a good summary, though I think it covers lit-fic's goals better than its commonplace achievements.

Though, like other genres and streams, there isn't a one-size-fits-all definition for literary fiction, here are some other common distinguishing characteristics:

- Literary fiction often **eschews dramatic plot,** viewing it as unrealistic, contrived (even if brilliantly so...), and/or as being a "cheap" way of generating excitement. It's less that nothing exciting happens, and more that events don't all occur along a clear dramatic structure; the events don't tie together neatly and with clear purpose, except to advance the more subtle theme and character examination.
- Focus is generally on **examination of a theme** , **powerful portrayal** , and **offering new insight**.
- Literary fiction generally **makes little attempt to entertain.** It relies strongly on the reader's active interest in the theme, the portrayal, the insights, etc., and his willingness to bear with the author in order to understand what the author is trying to convey. The reader's interest in the story is aided primarily by the strength and power of the writing, and by very little else.
- Literary fiction generally **is difficult to attribute to a particular genere** - that is, they (almost always) aren't romances, or mysteries, or sitcoms. Science fiction has seen some interesting interplay with literary fiction - e.g. Audrey Niffenegger's _The Time Traveller's Wife_, which applies a literary-fiction approach to a classic SF trope. I suspect many other genres are more clearly distanced from it, because romances, mystery, horror, and other genres generally imply something about the _plot_ of the story, suggesting a narrative structure that lit-fic would work poorly with.

At its worst, literary fiction can feel pretentious, deliberately oblique, and ultimately pointless. At its best, it can be subtle, deep, and provoking, in ways that most popular fiction simply can't reach.

And as a parting shot, here's another good article: [What Is Literary Fiction?](http://www.novel-writing-help.com/literary-fiction.html)

Original score: 12