Are Novels Truly Losing Their Cultural Relevance?

To the Editor:

Regarding the discussion on "The Decline of Great Novels," I am a novelist in my twenties, belonging to the very group suggested to be conformist and hesitant to express genuine thoughts in writing. This concept is thought-provoking. Can authentic art be created when one is fearful of revealing the truth? I would argue it cannot. Personally, I have no interest in reading or writing works that conform to expectations. True creativity demands boldness and the courage to take risks.

Contrary to some opinions, I believe many talented young authors are producing daring, challenging, and innovative novels. Several of these writers were part of my M.F.A. program, which some critics dismiss as the epitome of conformity.

It is accurate to say that shorter attention spans and increased screen time contribute to the absence of literary superstars reminiscent of Saul Bellow or Philip Roth. However, the claim that young writers avoid innovation because of political pressures is not supported by the reality of the current literary scene.

Sophie Kemp, Brooklyn

To the Editor:

It has been argued that novels no longer occupy the cultural prominence they once held. While this may be true, such shifts are not unprecedented and are often only fully understood in hindsight.

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, literary acclaim was tied to lengthy narrative poems such as Spenser’s "Faerie Queene," Marlowe’s "Hero and Leander," and Shakespeare’s "Rape of Lucrece," alongside sonnet sequences. It took over a century before society recognized that stage plays—commercially motivated popular literature—were the era's greatest artistic achievements.

Similarly, 19th-century French critics awaited the emergence of the Great Romantic Drama, unaware that the novel was the dominant art form of the time. Throughout the 20th century, debates about the Great American Novel overlooked the rise of film as the century’s most influential artistic medium, even as filmmakers like John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock were often dismissed as purveyors of popular culture.