When people ask me what my favorite genre is, I hesitate before admitting that it’s Literary Fiction. One, it sounds pretentious (just the word ‘literary’ is pretentious) and two, it confuses people. Even I didn’t realize I liked Literary Fiction for awhile. So I often resort to saying something like, “just fiction, general fiction, like realistic fiction” and hope people understand. But, I thought it would be helpful to make a somewhat guide about literary fiction and recommendations if you’re looking to get into it!
In order to describe literary fiction, you must describe what it isn’t. Literary fiction itself is a pretty vague genre that restricts more than it encompasses. Literary fiction usually doesn’t have incredibly fantasy/sci-fi rich worlds, but some literary fiction does feature magical realism. Literary fiction is usually never young adult (though the narrators can be young adults) and often features mature themes. Literary fiction isn’t plot-driven and usually has little external conflict. Ultimately, literary fiction is layered. It focuses on theme, whether through intense character studies or examinations of society. Most literary fiction encompasses larger-than-life themes through reflective narration. The ‘literary’ aspect of the title comes from its complexity, often seen through the use of language and the deviance from the ‘norms’ of fiction and language we have today. This is also where its pretentiousness stems from, as a lot of literary fiction readers like to think they’re smarter than the average reader because they read ‘complex’ books.
Literary fiction, like all fiction, has a lot of genres with defining characteristics. For one, a lot of literary fiction uses surrealism or magical realism. These books are different from fantasy books because the magic often lends itself to a larger theme in the novel and is often inexplicable. There is literary horror, where the horror of the novel comes from the past and trauma and not-actual-objects, rather than poltergeists and curses. In the vaguer realm of genre, there’s some literary fiction which focuses on family while others focus on romantic relationships or friendships. Most recently, ‘sad girl literary fiction’ is a term that’s been coined to describe fiction that focuses on contemporary women who are dealing with identity, relationships, and the past. There’s also just fiction that exists to challenge language and experiment with it.
Accompanying these genres, there are (at least what I like to think of them as) different levels for literary fiction. The deeper you go, the more you deviate from the “norm” of general fiction. The first level is the most like contemporary genre fiction. It has an interesting plot with heavy character development (the development aspect is the strongest here) and doesn’t get ‘too boring’ at any time. The second level is right at the middle, with a less of an emphasis on plot and vibrant characters. The third level is where we abandon plot and character development for a focus on other things, such as character studies or language. They’re vague but I use them to categorize the different books I read.
Below, I’ve listed recommendations grouped by their vague ‘level’. Also, if you wanted LGBTQ+ specific literary fiction, I have a list of a few here.
Level One:
The Secret History
by Donna Tartt
The most renowned “dark academia” book, TSH follows Richard Papen as he becomes enamored with his greek class at a small, liberal arts college in Vermont. The set of characters are immensely intriguing and there’s constantly something happening (whether it’s in Richard’s head or not).
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Spanning over fifty years, The Dutch House follows siblings Maeve and Danny Conroy after their stepmother exiles them from the house they grew up in. They are thrust back into poverty and can only count on each other. The novel is told from Danny’s perspective as he establishes his life both with and without his sister.
Betty
by Tiffany McDaniel
Betty Carpenter is the sixth of eight children in Breathed, Ohio. A coming-of-age story, Betty encounters beauty and love, while also facing violence and hardship. Part family saga, part character study, Betty tells the story of a family’s past and present.
The Latecomer
by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Yet another family saga, The Latecomer follows the Oppenheimer family from the meeting of the parents, Salo and Johanna, to the birth of their IVF triplets, Sally, Harrison, and Lewyn, and their lives. The triplets have never felt close to one another, but when Johanna decides to have a fourth child, what will happen to this already fractured family?
Level Two:
Big Swiss
by Jen Beagin
Not the only ‘unhinged women’ book on this list, Big Swiss focuses on sex therapy transcriptionist Greta, who becomes increasingly obsessed with a patient, who she nicknames Big Swiss. On a chance encounter, Greta and Big Swiss enter an all-consuming relationship with each other. But sooner than later, their pasts come creeping back to haunt them.
Palimpsest
by Catherynne M Valente
An incredible world full of magical realism, the city of Palimpsest is a world only accessible through kiss. When four strangers, Oleg, November, Ludovico, and Sei, enter the city for the first time, they seemingly find everything they’ve lost. This one is best gone in blind.
Heaven
by Mieko Kawakami
Juxtaposing innocence and brutality, Heaven centers on ‘Eyes’, a 14-year-old boy who is the target of extreme bullying. When he befriends Kojima, a similar victim of bullying, he is forced to rethink the way he counteracts violence. This novel weaves together both acts of bullying and philosophical debates on the nature of violence.
Winter in Sokcho
by Elisa Shua Dusapin
A young French Korean woman works as the receptionist at a guesthouse in Sokcho, a tourist town on the border of North and South Korea. When a French cartoonist comes to stay, the two form a relationship built off of seeing the ‘true’ Sokcho.
My Brilliant Friend (Book 1)
by Elena Ferrante
The first of four in the Neapolitan Series, the novel traces the beginnings of the all-consuming friendship between Elena and Lila. A portrait of girlhood, Ferrante follows their coming-of-age as Naples also transforms.
Y/N
by Esther Yi
The second ‘unhinged woman’ book on this list, Y/N is about fandom, fangirls, and parasocial relationships. A Korean American woman is obsessed with K-pop idol, Moon. When she learns of Moon’s retirement, she goes from Berlin to Seoul in search of him, and herself.
Level Three:
After Dark
by Haruki Murakami
Taking place over one night, the narrator follows sisters Eri and Mari. Mari spends the night encountering ridiculous people in Tokyo, while her sister floats between reality and fantasy. To be honest, nothing ever happens in this book. Its appeal comes from the use of language and magic to tell a greater story, separate from plot. Most of Murakami’s books teeter on the edge between reality and fantasy.
Assembly
by Natasha Brown
As the unnamed narrator prepares for her boyfriend’s parents’ garden party, she reminisces on what has lead her there. Told from the perspective of a Black British woman, this novel takes no prisoners when discussing colonialism, race, assimilation, and what it means to be ‘in’.
Human Acts
by Han Kang
A portrait of the Gwangju Uprising through an intimate lens, this novel tells the story of Dong-ho, a boy who was killed during the uprising. It follows different characters during the aftermath: his best friend, an editor, a prisoner, a factory worker, and Dong-ho’s mother. Each chapter connects back to the hope of people and humanity in the face of loss.
Bluets
by Maggie Nelson
Told in stream-of-consciousness prose-poetry, this book is lyrical and beautiful and all about language. Nelson explores suffering and love through the color blue.