Literary merit, by definition, is the quality shared by all works of fiction that are considered to have aesthetic value. Thus, for a work of literature to be of "literary merit," it has to be fresh and not ordinary.

The concept in my opinion though, sounds "necessarily subjective" for personal taste determines aesthetic value. However, it has come to my knowledge that there are now many criterion for a work to be worthy of "literary merit." These criterion include standing the test of time, realistic characters, emotional complexity, originality, and concern with truth. 

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami is written in the first-person perspective of Toru Watanabe, a college student who faces the struggles of losing others and himself. The novel is also punctuated with letters from the other characters: Naoko, Reiko, and Midori. The story is of the mind and of personal experience, and the first-person perspective gives it not only a biographical feel, but also an intimate, experiential perspective from inside Toru's mind. The reader experiences the character's isolation and grief, as well as his surprise when he realizes how he is pushing away others and hurting them. The reader also experiences a sense of distance from Naoko, who remains a mystery, inaccessible within her own mind.

At the end of the work, Toru is calling out for Midori "from the dead center of this place that was no place". Like Naoko, it seems that the grief he has suffered through the suicides of two of the people closest to him threatens to engulf him. While it is known that Toru has now reached adulthood, Murakami never clarifies if Toru embraces his future with Midori or remains stuck in the past, but this time is writing is what makes the novel appealing.

The independent reading text, Norwegian Wood illustrates literary merit because of its originality and slice of life. The emotional aspects of the novel is what sets the atmosphere, engaging the readers to really understand the characters situations. It challenges readers to also question the meaning of life while experiencing angst. Philosophical in its exploration of grief and the way that the past affects its audience, Norwegian Wood raises ideas that adolescents and adults alike can relate to, provoking questions about the nature of love and life. Intensely readable and emotionally engaging, it never disappointed me.

What's a Bibliophile?

A bibliophile is known as a person who's a lover of books. Usually this book lover collects books for their format and quality; for their unusual printing, binding or the like. 

Who Am I?

I am no bibliophile. In all actuality, I barely read books unless it's an assignment. Yet on my own personal time, when I do feel like reading, I can't help but feel like I'm in love. I feel like by reading, I can escape this world of criticism. In books, the story never ends even though I'm on the last page. I believe this is because your mind wanders off, wondering what happens after. Wonderland is a place where I can imagine these possibilities, where I can escape reality and be me. In the real world, everyone is obsessively searching, but finding impossible to find themselves. You might think you know who you are, but in reality when you're close, experiences change you into something else. It may sound childish, and it is, but I find that reading can bring out the innocent side of everyone. It peels off layers of skin, theoretically speaking, and uncovers a child who is waiting to learn. 

Importance of Literature in Life

Haruki Murakami, a Japanese novelist who I have come to love through Norwegian Wood, has this one quote that really inspires me. "If you only read the books everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking." What I believe Murakami is trying to say is that you should be yourself, even if you don't know if it. All that matters is that who you identify yourself is your label, not anyone else's. Originality is important because what you say, believe or read affects you in the future. It determines your path and is what leads you through the tunnel of darkness, your subconscious.

Both in and out of school, I consider myself as the type of reader who likes romantic comedy or bildungsroman type of novels. In the end though, I have to chose bildungsroman because the character's moral and psychological growth, in a way, helps with my own discovery of who I am. Literature comes from the word literate, meaning an understanding of reading. As a reader I hope to develop and accomplish a higher level of reading and critical understanding because I know it will benefit me later on. Through these books, both independent or assignment given, I want to make this blog reflect on what I have learned as a whole. I want to let people know the main idea and purpose of works of literature, while also helping them acknowledge reading as a way to endless possibilities.