Why doesn't /lit/ like contemporary literature?

I think there is a certain intellectual cowardice about the refusal to read contemporary literature. Those who exclusively read the classics only concern themselves with questions of understanding.

>what does this mean?
>how does this relate to that?
>what was the author trying to say?

That is all well and good but when it comes to how you personally experience the work, the classics reader defers to the test of time. He doesn't ask himself if he thinks the novel is good, he doesn't ask himself if he thinks the prose is well written, he may not even ask himself if he likes it, because he decided the answer to all those questions before he opened the book.

When you read recent publications, there is no authoritative voice to guarantee the value of what you're reading, and so it requires a far greater degree of introspection. If we read to learn more about ourselves then you do yourself a great disservice by ignoring contemporary literature.

>>8995499
The Goldfinch was dogshit. I gave up after a few hundred pages.

I dont know what i should read. Recommend me books from xxi century

>>8995535
Pincone - Against the Day

>>8995535
My Diary desu

>>8995531
can't tell if reddit or very well constructed bait

>>8995499
It's a type of pretentiousness, like saying "modern music sucks". It really rankles me, but hey. I don't have to deal with people on 4chan in real life.

>>8995534
I finished it and it got worse by the end. It reads like a children's book and the characters are all archetypal - drunk Russian criminals, caring but naieve guardian, sickly beautiful girl, perfect but dead mother etc. Throw in some ''aesthetics' for perceived depth and that's the book.

>>8995531
Hmm, really made me think. Not joking by the way. Maybe I will read more contemporary fiction.

>>8995563
I more or less agree. I won't deny some of it was comfy but it was all very hollow. The main character's philosophising at the end was terrible.

>>8995531
>the customer is always right!

>>8995499
Personally, I have no interest in the present. I like to read history and old classics. I'm interested in the way people used to live.
And since I read for pleasure I have no reason to read any contemporary books.

>>8995600

this

>>8995568
Spotted the fucking redditor

You fuckers are so easily manipulated by simple projection and assumptions holy shit

>>8995499
Perhaps it is because people disdain contemporary society?

>>8995535
The Buried Giant
Brief History of Seven Killings
Laurus
On the Edge
Soumission
The Vegetarian
Dream of the Celt
Disgrace
Eileen
Neapolitan Novels
A Little Life
The Fishermen
Bleeding Edge
The Devil all the Time
Matterhorn
The Book of Night Women
Austerlitz
Wizard of the Crow
The Corpse Exhibition
Never Let Me Go
Abril Rojo
2666
Sandalwood Death
The Feast of the Goat

How contemporary?

I liked A Brief History of Seven Killings, and I read plenty of recent non-fic

Is Harry Potter good contemporary literature?

>>8995679
Non-fiction doesnt count, unless you are talking about sociology titles. You should be reading the most recently published stuff anyways.

>>8995680
No, its brand of wizards and shit prose has infested YA lit for nearly 2 decades now.

>>8995587

The philosophising was fucking intolerable. Oh the world is beautiful but I'm a nihilist except not really, the end. I got through all those pages for that unresolved wet fucking fart of an ending.

Also all the cultural name dropping pissed me off. Oh look at me, I, the author, know who Arvo Part is. Also here's some Dostoevsky for you. Look how many things I'm aware of.

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46KB, 337x566px

>>8995531

It's not cowardice, I just don't want to waste my time reading mediocre literature that only became well known because it was lauded by an insular New York clique. I don't know if you've noticed, but "literary society" is dominated by rich white women who all have uniformly bad taste in books.

I actually only have a problem with contemporary Anglo literature, new books from the rest of the world can be quite good.

>>8995652
>someone is moved by a thoughtful argument
>"le stupid leddit cuck kek ecks dee"
Great to see that children nowadays are interested in literature. You should know that this site is 18+, though.

>>8997020
mirin

>>8995499
>In 20-30 years a lot of the books being released will be considered modern classics.

No, they wont

>>8995535
'arry 'otter tha cursed child