Why AP?

Mrs. LaClair (and the College Board) both really emphasize how the books we read/write about for AP English need to be of "literary merit". After Google searching what exactly establishes this "literary merit", I've (unfortunately) discovered there is really no clear definition or set of criteria. Obviously these books need to be well written and fairly profound (so books like "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Twilight" don't make the cut) but defining literary merit is still fairly subjective. Here are a few factors that I would personally consider in my definition of literary merit and how I feel The History of Love either fits or does not fit these criteria.

1) Will my grandchildren/great grandchildren/great great grandchildren read this book in their flying cars/jetpacks?

One big question in considering literary merit is whether or not a book will "stand the test of time". There are books that our parents read in school that we still read today and that we assume kids for generations to come will read too (think The Great Gatsby, Uncle Tom's Cabin, etc.). The books that last are distinguished by many different things from their originality and the quality of the writing to how deeply they move readers or impact a culture/society. Do I ultimately think that years from now kids will be reading The History of Love in school? No, unfortunately I do not. Although part of that is just because I don't think a whole lot of modern writing will become "classic". While Krauss' writing style was unique,  the craftsmanship is not even comparable to that in a book like The Great Gatsby and I didn't find the content itself all that ground breaking. But again, with so much literature out there today I think it has become exceptionally hard to write something that is really earth shattering. I also enjoyed the book but I was not exceptionally moved or emotionally impacted by it.

2) Is the book thought provoking?

Through establishing so many characters and then slowly hinting at how they are all connected along the way, Nicole Krauss created an engaging and challenging read in The History of Love. As a reader one has to try to piece together the story of the book the book is about (The History of Love) while also piecing together how these characters are intertwined. It was frustrating and confusing at times, but ultimately very thought provoking so in that aspect I would definitely consider it AP material. It was one of the most challenging books that I've ever read in terms of putting all the pieces together.

3) Is the book at an "adult" reading level?

I would definitely not throw The History of Love into the young adult section at Gibson's or BAM. As I stated before it can be challenging to connect all of the characters and their stories. So although the vocabulary is not all that difficult, it requires some serious thought, again putting it at an AP level.

4) Is the writing style original/unique?

As I've discussed in my previous posts, Nicole Krauss' style is very unique. I won't repeat my last post, but essentially, having three different narrators throughout the book (and assorted lists/writings from them all) was a very creative and unique touch that made this book that much more complex and engaging. I feel that being exposed to books with many different styles is one of the most beneficial aspects of our education in English. So again, I would argue that The History of Love  does have "literary merit" and qualifies as AP material.

Ultimately, although I do not feel that this book will go down in history, it was an enjoyable and challenging read, and overall I do feel that it qualifies as a valid AP English book choice.