Fiction v nonfiction – English literature's made-up divide

Some cultures do not distinguish between fiction and nonfiction – and instead talk of ‘stories’. Is that a barrier to English-language writers and publishers? Or should they just learn to enjoy telling tales?There’s a mighty canyon that runs down the middle of the world of the word, carving through bookshops, libraries and literary prizes, splitting them into fiction and nonfiction. Those who try to build bridges over this fissure may find themselves – like Geoff Dyer – rejecting the terms on which they are read, or, like Sheila Heti, arguing with their own book jackets. Those who are caught on the wrong side of the divide are attacked as frauds, pillioried or even – like James Frey – hounded out of their homes. Related: Julian Barnes: 'Biographical novels are kind of cheesy' The art is in the telling … the best storyteller is the one who recreates the anxiety of expectation and fulfils it[The distinction] serves as a useful guide to the kind of experience the reader is wanting to have Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]

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