What is literary merit? I used to think it was about how well

>how well a piece explores the human condition
Well that's obviously not it. A work that doesn't even touch the human condition can still have literary merit.

I'd say literary merit is like porn: it's not easy to define in an all-inclusive manner, but you know it when you see it.

>>9670484
>I'd say literary merit is like porn: it's not easy to define in an all-inclusive manner
Well a good descriptor of porn is that it was made with the intention of arousal. This is different to something like fetishism where something oridinary was elevated to such a status.

>A work that doesn't even touch the human condition can still have literary merit
>but you know it when you see it

Do you know any good examples? And why?