Le Guin: yes, yes! That is one of the things I love so much about her--no matter what she is writing about, what world, what people, everything in her writing invites belief. In her case, it seems like it has to do with thoroughness. She has imagined her characters and her worlds so thoroughly that of course they have the sort of coherence that you're looking for.
I understand the distinction between the two kinds of books you're making, too. Sometimes I think of it as a difference between books I love and books I admire. Neither is necessarily better than the other; I can even admit that some of the books that feel the most emotional resonance are not as "objectively good" as others that leave me colder. And the best books, of course, are those that fall into both categories, and inflame the head AND the heart. But those are pretty rare...
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Date: 2014-04-30 02:23 am (UTC)I understand the distinction between the two kinds of books you're making, too. Sometimes I think of it as a difference between books I love and books I admire. Neither is necessarily better than the other; I can even admit that some of the books that feel the most emotional resonance are not as "objectively good" as others that leave me colder. And the best books, of course, are those that fall into both categories, and inflame the head AND the heart. But those are pretty rare...