Think back for a moment on all the books you’ve read. Which is your favorite? Were there some books you preferred more than others? Were there some you read that you wished afterward you hadn’t? What makes good literature good? What is it that intrigues the reader most in a book? The plot? The characters? The writing style? What captures their attention? After a long, 2 hour conversation with a home-school friend of mine on this very subject, I thought I would write my thoughts. As a fond reader and one who greatly enjoys different sorts of literature, I began to muse about what I look for in the books I read. The following is the mere musing… or ranting of a fellow book lover. (Note. The following is musing on fiction literature.)
There should not be a set “guideline” for how a book should read, should feel, should flow. Some scholars believe that each book should have some basic rules or else it should not be qualified as literature. However, I am a firm believer in books that differ from others, that don’t quite fit the mold. No book should be written on a set of guidelines. The moment a book is written to conform to a set of rules is the moment books lack creativity. For example, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland was dubbed the first “Nonsensical” writing and was scorned by critics of the day as too odd and unlikely to succeed. However, critics today now view Carroll’s masterpiece the starting block of modern fantasy. Carroll was different. His masterpiece was something completely new and exciting, though eccentric and nonsensical. He stepped out of the guidelines of the day and created something completely new.
Below are three distinctive things I look for in a novel…
Character Development.
I am extremely picky when it comes to characters within novels. Characters must possess unique characteristics, something that makes them distinctive from all other characters in the novel. Mary Sue characters, stereotypical heroes… there is nothing unique or even interesting in these. They also have to be full, detailed and round. You know their strengths and weaknesses, their little quirks… everything the author feels important enough to include. That’s what puts Jay Gatsby (from The Great Gatsby), Sherlock Holmes, Samwise Gamgee (from The Lord of the Rings) and Lennie Small (from Of Mice and Men) on the list of best fiction characters since 1900. They are characters you remember.
Writing Style.
There is something about writing style that has always captivated me. Each author/writer has their own style that is distinct to themselves. It’s like your fingerprints or your voice. Unique to yourself, filled with your own quirks and quips, catchphrases and influences… Charles Dickens’ writing style is florid and poetic, with a strong comic touch. Jane Austen preferred writing satirically, her intricate detail outlining human behavior precisely and accurately. But both (and all good writers, for that matter) wrote about things they knew, based on experiences from their own lives, not ignoring themselves as individuals, trying to pose as someone else.
Description/Strong Narrative
This is a personal preference, something that I always look for in a novel. Detail. Narration. I’d much prefer a narration-driven plot than a dialogue-driven one. I like to be able to visualize in my imagination the scene, the characters, the action… I’d prefer instead of a character saying, “Oh look, a little bunny,” we see a description of a rustling bush, a furry white tail or something of the sort. But then again, as a writer myself, I’m quite horrible at writing non-cheesy dialogue and veer towards description. However, some writers intentionally don’t include description so that the reader can surmise for himself/herself, and that is brilliant. But overall, I am a happy reader when there is lots of detail, so that when I read a novel twice…twelve times over, I will never become bored.
Now granted, there are many more things I look for in a novel, but I’ve ranted long enough, I think. All in all, for me, the number one thing I love about literature is that certain books can captivate each reader differently. People can look at literature different. People can look for different things in literature. But literature can be explored time and time again and be found deeper and more superb every time you pick up a book… it’s like a long journey. From your first book to your last, you are on a quest, searching deeper into the pages of Poe, Lewis, Tolkien and countless others to learn, to discover, to explore. And you never know what you’re going to find next.
