Literary Blog Hop: March 3-6

Welcome to the Literary Blog Hop hosted by The Blue Bookcase!

This blog hop is open to blogs that primarily feature book reviews of literary fiction, classic literature, and general literary discussion.

How do I know if my blog qualifies as "literary"? Literature has many definitions, but for our purposes your blog qualifies as "literary" if it focuses primarily on texts with aesthetic merit. In other words, texts that show quality not only in narrative but also in the effect of their language and structure. YA literature may fit into this category, but if your blog focuses primarily on non-literary YA, fantasy, romance, paranormal romance, or chick lit, you may prefer to join the blog hop at Crazy-for-books that is open to book blogs of all kinds.

Instructions for entering the Literary Blog Hop:

1. Grab the code for the Button.


<a href="http://www.thebluebookcase.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/IngridLola/LiteraryBlogHop-1.jpg" alt="Literary Blog Hop" width="150" height="150"></a>

2. Answer the following prompt on your blog.

(Suggestions for future prompts? Email to them us at thebluebookcase@gmail.com)

Gilion from Rose City Reader asks:

Can literature be funny? What is your favorite humorous literary book?

Our answer this week comes from Lucia:

I will make the assumption that classics qualify as 'literary,' (although if you object I'd be interested to hear your argument, so please don't hesitate). I see a text as being of literary merit when there is heavy focus towards the way in which the author displays his or her ideas, through the use of language, style and structure. That being said, a dull plot remains a dull plot no matter how articulately or originally written. Should an author develop humour into their language or write in a style which is witty, sarcastic, charming, funny etc, in addition to these 'literary' qualities, logic would say that a kind of humorous literature is created. I believe that humour, in any form, can be introduced into a novel which is either literary or not. It is an addition, and not an essential quality of either. So, after all that babbling, yes, would be my answer of absolute certainty that literature can be and is, funny.

My favorite humorous literary book would be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I think it is widely acknowledged that she has literary merit, and for me, that which makes her work so is in her descriptions of society and its values at the time. Austen's wit is often evident only after one has read a particular line several times (at least, that's what I find myself doing), and wondering 'why have I been drawn to this phrase more than once?' What I mean is, it's not an overt kind of language feature. Her style is sarcastic and witty, yet subtle and undistracting, which is what I love best about Austen.

3. Add your link to the Linky List below.

Happy Hopping!