Post #6: Is genre fiction less "worthy" than Literary Fiction?

Personally, I do not think that genre fiction is any less “worthy” than Literary Fiction. Sure, the writing may not be as artistic but that does not mean fiction genre books are unworthy.

Schools teach Literary Fiction because they think it will prepare students for the real world, little do they know that half of the students do not even read the books assigned to them. They opt to use Spark notes instead. Why? Because the majority of Literary Fiction books are outdated and do not interest the typical high school student. If a good chunk of students are not reading the Literary Fiction books assigned to them then what is the point of assigning them?

Genre fiction books would be more beneficial than Literary Fiction books because they would still have the capacity to teach students valuable lessons, help students improve their writing, and promote a love for reading. If schools assigned books that students actually enjoyed then students would actually read them, instead of resorting to Spark notes. It seems to me like actually reading a genre fiction book would be more beneficial than just reading a summary of a Literary Fiction book.

Jodi Picoult said, “…a lot of the same themes and wisdoms I find in commercial fiction are the same themes and wisdoms as what I see lauded in literary fiction.”

I am with Picoult on this one; the themes schools want to teach through Literary Fiction can be found in genre fiction. The only difference is that in genre fiction the themes are easier to find. Themes in genre fiction books are more clearly stated, themes in Literary Fiction books are hidden amongst big words and abstract metaphors.

Do not get me wrong, I do not think that Literary Fiction should be completely eliminated from school curriculum. I think that reading Literary Fiction can be beneficial and strengthen a student’s understanding and wisdom of the word. I just think that genre fiction is also beneficial to students and should be integrated into the curriculum as well. An even mix of Literary Fiction and genre fiction would be the ideal solution; it would ensure that students had an understanding of literary classics but also a love of reading.