At what point did making books harder to read become a sign of literary quality?

Every so often I pick up a literary novel, settle into my favourite chair, turn the first page and immediately find myself playing a game of "who's actually speaking?"

There are no quotation marks. Dialogue drifts into narration. Characters merge together. Paragraphs stretch for pages with barely a full stop to catch your breath.

It isn't long before I'm no longer immersed in the story. Instead, I'm decoding it.

Shakespeare and Company: Why Paris’s most famous bookshop still feels like a pilgrimage

A century after it first opened, Shakespeare and Company remains more than a bookshop; it’s a living testament to the power of words, memory, and belonging. 
There are bookshops that sell books, and then there’s Shakespeare and Company. Each time I visit, as I did again recently, I’m

reminded that this isn’t merely a shop. It’s a symbol. It’s about history, the writers, and the romance of Paris.

Stream-of-consciousness in novel writing: what it is and why it matters

Stream-of-consciousness writing has always fascinated me when it comes to writing novels. It can dive into the intricate flow of thoughts and emotions that feel unique and personal. 

Stream-of-consciousness might initially sound daunting and a bit trippy, but anyone can experiment with it.