Transgress the literary/genre fiction divide

[chitraaa]

"The novel transgresses the literary/genre fiction divide."

Is it proper to say that something transgresses a divide? Is a binary also transgressed? and can we use use the slash punctuation for the binary opposites?

 

[Rover_KE]

Always tell us the source and author of any text you quote, please, chitraaa.

 

[chitraaa]

Sorry. I will be careful next time. I have written wrote it myself.

 

[jutfrank]

I say no you can't transgress a divide. You can only transgress a kind of limit or border. Think in terms of there being a line of some kind.

 

[Tdol]

Also, literature fits into many genres- they're not totally separate things.

 

[jutfrank]

I have written wrote it myself.

I don't quite understand what you're trying to say with your original sentence. I can't make sense of your use of a slash.

If you can expand on what you mean, we'll try to help you express your idea better.

 

[chitraaa]

I don't quite understand what you're trying to say with your original sentence. I can't make sense of your use of a slash.

If you can expand on what you mean, we'll try to help you express your idea better.

I am talking about a novel that fits neither in the category of literary fiction nor that of what is called genre fiction. It is both, or one that connects both. Thanks.

 

[cereal_chick]

You can say that something transcends a divide, or crosses it, or bridges it.

[Not a teacher]

 

[jutfrank]

I am talking about a novel that fits neither in the category of literary fiction nor that of what is called genre fiction. It is both, or one that connects both. Thanks.

Ah, I see. Then I'd suggest:

The novel does not fit neatly into either literary fiction or genre fiction.
The novel straddles the boundary between literary and genre fiction.

 

[Tdol]

I am talking about a novel that fits neither in the category of literary fiction nor that of what is called genre fiction. It is both, or one that connects both. Thanks.

Can you give some examples?

 

[chitraaa]

Can you give some examples?

For example, Lord of the Rings, it is neither purely literary nor strictly non-literary genre fiction. Similarly, many popular sifi novels would also fit into this category.

 

[chitraaa]

Ah, I see. Then I'd suggest:

The novel does not fit neatly into either literary fiction or genre fiction.
The novel straddles the boundary between literary and genre fiction.

Thanks, but what if I say, "the novel bridges the literary – genre fiction divide"?

 

[jutfrank]

Thanks, but what if I say, "the novel bridges the literary – genre fiction divide"?

I don't like it. The words bridge and divide both suggest that there's some kind of gap between literary fiction and genre fiction. There isn't. We're talking here about genre, which is a way of categorising forms. Imagine there's a line separating the two forms, not a gap.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'll be honest here - I have no idea what the difference between "literary fiction" and "genre fiction" might be. I like simplicity. I divide books into two categories - fiction and non-fiction. Within those two categories, there are lots of different genres.

 

[5jj]

Literary fiction - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Genre fiction - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[probus]

In my opinion the most salient feature of literary fiction is unreadability.