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Chris Jesu Lee's avatar

Yeah, the pitfall of this genre is that it all just becomes an exercise in narcissism with the same narrow class of people (with superficial diversity) getting indulged to feel as though their mundane lives are more book-worthy and aspirational than others.

I do think "I'm A Fan" is a notable exception though because the protagonist is so genuinely cringeworthy (in the best sense possible) that the novel seems like it's about more than the author's desire to be seen through a carefully crafted image via her avatar protagonist. Because who'd ever want to be seen as that protagonist in that book?

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Nikkitha Bakshani's avatar

Great piece. I think what makes plot-driven books so exciting is that the stakes are just higher, and that leads to more emotional investment in the story. Without those high stakes these plot-less novels rely on either relatability (Normal People) or cringe factor (like in I’m a Fan or MYORAR).

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