What is your definition of a Literary novel?

[Lara]

There seems to be some controversy where this is concerned, or maybe just differences of opinion. Are they books in a trade paperback format? Are they the award winners? Are they the classics? Do you think it is considered a genre?

In my opinion, a Literary novel offers more depth than a mainstream novel, something that gets deep into a characters psyche.

[star blue]

it's just something that interests a lot of people. you will find specific definitions of literature from all different sorts of people, but each one's gonna fall short in some aspect, even if it tries to accomodate everyone's tastes. it's too deeply rooted in our opinion of what is aesthetic, which varies from culture to culture and, often, from person to person. so think about what literature might mean to you instead; listen to what others have defined it as, but don't view a definition like this in terms of right and wrong.

[Stanislaw]

For me, a literary novel is something that has something deeper to give than just entertainment, for example- star trek novels are entertaining but offer nothing else- where as the Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy gives you an odd sense of everything, or The Futurological congress brings up interesting ideas on a persons inner being.

[sloegin]

Don't blame the novel for not being 'deep', blame yourself.

[Stanislaw]

To understand the "meaning" of a novel I realize you must explore it, but there are pieces of literature out there that are nothing but entertainment.