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Is there a tendency to regard books which make us feel bad as "better" than ones which don't? (beehaw.org)

submitted 1 year ago by emma@beehaw.org to c/literature@beehaw.org

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I'm dragging myself through an "award-winning" "best-selling" "recommended" book I got from the library and wishing I hadn't. (Yes I know those phrases mean little and I can stop, though I'm nearing the end after hoping it would stop being so hopeless. Yes I can be naively optimistic ;) .) The characters and story are all stereotypes and clichés. It's not realistic or slice of life.
The Korean drama I'm watching is top rated on MyDramaList and is well done but it also tells a sad story every episode. I'm halfway through and I don't think it's that much better than some lower rated ones with more moments of happiness.
Anyway, this has me thinking about whether there's a general trend to regard books - stories of any kind really, including real life ones - as "better" if they upset us.

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[–] emma@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

I don't have a "competing explanation", except that it's not likely to be as simple as laying it on a particular demographic or certain professions. Very little ever is.

Read back, I asked a question - is there a trend/tendency towards. Everyone who's responded has gone straight to reasons why.

I'm also not inclined towards your snarky extremes, equating fanciful and enjoyable and setting them against the saddest and hardest to read.