Just a thought...

I thought I'd pose a question... genre fiction (romance, mystery, thrillers) or literary fiction? Which one has more merit? What is more important-- pure entertainment (which some would say is why you even read at all) or the ability to provoke a deeper sense of thought and meaning? I'm kind of in the middle, and pretty much enjoy both kinds of books. But I wonder if there are people who are squarely one side or the other. OR, whether there's some authors who transcend this idea. Stephen King is trying to go "literary", but is it working? Or will he always be known as the guy who can scare the daylights out of you? Just my daily rambles..