It's true! And The First Part Last, which I firmly believe is NOT an issue book and is NOT "useful for teaching about teen pregnancy/parenthood" as one of my classmates would have had it.

I used to be on that side of the stereotypical divide that says "Literary fiction is just depressing books about middle-aged professors having affairs!" and I think that's one reason why I'm still drawn to really audacious books, but the more I read the more value I see in being able to describe the exact color of a feeling.

Also I've never actually read a depressing book about middle-aged professors having affairs. Unless you could Kokoro, maybe.