/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.11529945]

Is literature supposed to be entertaining? Is being entertaining necessarily a quality of good literature?

[Anonymous No.11529961]

Paul Valery answered this question best:

>One must not be afraid to say that the kingdom of letters is only a province of the vast empire of entertainment. One picks up a book, one puts it aside; and even when one cannot put it down one very well understands that this interest is related to the facility of pleasure. That is to say that every effort of a creator of beauty or of fantasy should be bent, by the very essence of his work, on contriving for the public pleasure which demands no effort, or almost none. It is through the public that he should deduce what touches, moves, soothes, animates or enchants the public.
>There are however several publics; amongst whom it is not impossible to find some people who do not conceive of pleasure without pain, who do not like to enjoy themselves without paying, and who are not happy if their happiness is not in some part their own contrivance through which they wish to realize what it costs them.

[Anonymous No.11530112]

No, if you enjoy it it's not true lit. "Fun" is the opium of the massive

[Anonymous No.11530123]

Entertainment is subjective

[Anonymous No.11530132]

>>11529961
This is a great answer but I can't say I'm completely satisfied with it: correct me if I'm wrong but I feel that it's positing that some literature (ostensibly that which is difficult to read) is enjoyed simply because it is difficult to read rather than in spite of it being difficult to read, which I imagine might be another very practical and possible case.

>>11530112
>>11530123
meme answers

[Anonymous No.11530136]

>>11529961
This is a complete denial of fine art. Delet.

[Anonymous No.11530266]

yes
no

[Anonymous No.11530277]

>>11530266
maybe

[Anonymous No.11530289]

>>11530266
So it's strictly optional? Does it have any relation to the calibre of the work?

[Anonymous No.11530318]

I read to look smart, not for "pleasure."

[Anonymous No.11530332]

>Is literature supposed to be entertaining?
It depends on you. If you like to acquire knowledge and expose yourself to other ideas, you will be entertained by reading literature.

>Is being entertaining necessarily a quality of good literature?
No. I think literature is suppose to expose yourself to ideas, make you think about themes, etc. Whether you find that entertaining or not, it's up to you (like I said above) but it's not what good literature should aim for.

[Anonymous No.11530447]

>>11530289
As John Williams once said, to read without pleasure is the mark of a supreme faggot. However, the purpose of literature is to expose oneself to the feelings and ideas of others, regardless of how enjoyable it is, which tends to show in stream-of-consciousness writings. Faulkner is undeniably genius, but not necessarily easy or enjoyable for the layman to read.

It's not so much that literature is supposed to be entertaining as much as the reader should find literature entertaining. There's no point in forcing oneself to do something he or she does not enjoy.

[Anonymous No.11530478]

I think it's a factor. I also think there a multitude of views on the subject.

Maybe entertaining isn't a requirement but the literature should at least have a good idea to make people want to turn the other page.

You could have a really good idea and wish to express in a tome but if it isn't entertaining or enjoyable to read it isn't quite literate it is really just an idea.

[Anonymous No.11530493]

>>11529945
A lot of pretense in this thread but here is the real answer. There is nothing special about the word literature. Literature is just something written. Things can be written to be entertaining, informative, both, neither or something else entirely. Good literature is just literature that serves its purpose, whatever that may be, well.

[Anonymous No.11530717]

>>11530332
>expose yourself to ideas, make you think about themes, etc.
get thee begone, vermin

[Anonymous No.11530722]

>>11530493
So a 1300 page book that contains one line, "hehe xD" on the four-hundred-and-twentieth page is good literature?

Kill yourself