RARA-AVIS: Re: The definition of literature

From: Jack Bludis ( buildsnburns@yahoo.com)
Date: 04 Nov 2007


JIM DOHERTY said, among other things:

>>On the other hand, as William has pointed out, if some
people are too small-minded to see the worth of a Hammett, or a Chandler, or a Conan Doyle, or, for that matter, a Spillane, so what?

>>Why should we care? As far as I'm concerned, the
whole question of whether or not crime fiction is literature is settled. We won.<<

I'm not sure who "we" is, but I'm also not sure that whether Crime Fiction can be literature has been our question. The question is, I think, WHICH pieces of crime fiction are literature, and which authors do others as well as we on Rara consider literature?

Remember that part of the m-w definition of literature:
"Writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest."

Hammett and Chandler have already made the grade, at least I think they have. I'd bet dollars to dimes, that most on Rara consider them lierature.

Jack Bludis

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