--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People used to expect literary novels to…" description: "\"People used to expect literary novels to deepen the experience of living; now they are happy with any sustained display of writerly cleverness.\" — Anon..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/anonymous-1_books_people-used-to-expect-literary-novels-to_874486.jpg" --- # People used to expect literary novels to deepen the… ![“People used to expect literary novels to deepen the experience of living; now they are happy with any sustained display of writerly cleverness.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/anonymous-1_books_people-used-to-expect-literary-novels-to_874486.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/anonymous-1_books_people-used-to-expect-literary-novels-to_874486.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/anonymous-1_books_people-used-to-expect-literary-novels-to_874486.jpg) > “People used to expect literary novels to deepen the experience of living; now they are happy with any sustained display of writerly cleverness.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes a shift from depth to cleverness in modern literature, lamenting loss of substance. **In simple terms:** Literature now values cleverness over depth. Key Takeaway Seek depth over style. Themes literature culture authenticity Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - book clubs - creative writing courses - publishing decisions Key Concepts postmodernism reader expectations Questions to Reflect On - What defines literary value today? - How can readers encourage depth? A Different Perspective May overlook innovative narrative forms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cleverness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleverness/) [Display](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/display/) [Expect Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-literary-987761/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary/) [Literary Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-novels-987760/) [Living now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-now/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novels Deepen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-deepen-987759/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writerly Cleverness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writerly-cleverness-987762/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a brown girl from a Punjabi pind raised in Toronto. 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And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery and —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/books-and-cleverness-there-are-more-important-things-friendship-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Definition of Ex? = Thanks for the EXperience. Our time has EXpired. Now EXit my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/definition-of-ex-thanks-for-the-experience-our-time-has-expired-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes people try way too hard to sound clever on Facebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-people-try-way-too-hard-to-sound-clever-on-facebook/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. 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I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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