Life is short and the world is at least half terrible. But which are the books to reach for when the terrible half is in the ascendant? I've come to treasure a particular category I'd define as the literary comfort novel: elegant and beautifully written stories that renew our faith in humanity, that leave us better than they found us.
Solace is distinct from escape, and I'd define a literary comfort novel as distinct from pure escapism. I want a more convincing consolation, grounded in real life. The best books rebuild our strength so we can face reality, and maybe even fight to change it.
If literature continues to paint itself into the miserable and difficult corner then it will die, and yield the ground it should be occupying to other forms of entertainment. A surprising number of readers believe a happy ending should mean automatic disqualification from any serious literary award.
Probably there will always remain a snobbery about the optimistic; certainly there endures the belief that optimism is inherently naive. Yet, I wish for literature to provide pleasure rather than dwell only in human misery.
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