Wait, Is ‘Jane Eyre’ A Genre Novel? (And If So, What The Heck *Is* Genre?)

“Why not just let books be books? The thing is that genre doesn’t have to be vexing. It can be illuminating. It can be useful for writers and readers to think in terms of groups and traditions. And a good genre system — a system that really fits reality — can help us see the traditions in which we’re already, unconsciously, immersed.”