Negotiating critical depth and commercial success in contemporary English fiction

Abstract

The line between mass-market appeal and literary excellence has become more ambiguous in an era when literature is both an artistic pursuit and a commercial commodity. While some works succeed both critically and commercially, others are deemed as lacking literary merit despite their wide popularity. This thesis is the study of the commercialization of contemporary English popular literature that focuses on how certain novels balance mass market appeal with literary merit while some novels fail to achieve excellence despite having enormous popularity. The novels as primary sources are- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover and The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden. This study is based on feminist literary theories and theories of cultural studies. This study examines how cultural norms and market forces influence literature, raising the question of what constitutes literary worth in a time when books serve as both consumer products and creative expressions. This research questions rigid distinctions between "high" and "low" literature by examining the conflict between business and creativity, providing a nuanced view of the creation, promotion, and consumption of contemporary fiction. In the end, this study aims to add to the continuing discussions over the changing function of literature in a society where success is frequently measured by sales rather than merit.