Becoming a literary classic is part good writing, part luck and part doing all the small things right, including promoting your book properly. I haven't read much recent literary novels, but I have read my fair share of the time transcending stuff this year. I love to test the solidity of everything that dares calling itself a classic and this year, I gave my share of seals of approval and also a lot of denials (whatever it means to a dead author and a filthy rich estate). This category rewards the writers who wrote the best literary novel, the works that have stimulated my aesthetic sensibilities and yet, chained me to the pages with great characters and stimulating plot. The novels in nomination for Best Novel weren't eligible for this category. Here are the nominees...
Chuck Palahniuk for Diary
Jonathan Franzen for The Corrections
Kurt Vonnegut for Mother Night
David Foster Wallace for Infinite Jest
So, which one do you think should win?