Judging something to be Literary Fantasy is a bit like defining pornography: you know it when you see it. The “Literary” label seems snobbish to some, unnecessary to others (“it's a book, of course it's literary!”), but entirely appropriate when you consider that these are works that will stick with you long past the first time you read them.
Depictions of magic are subtle and treated as not exceptional.
limited and subtle. When depicted, magic is often treated as part of normal reality.
Depictions of magic are subtle and treated as not exceptional but rather limited and subtle. When depicted, magic is often treated as part of normal reality.
Ironically, a complex plot handled skillfully can seem less busy than in other types. Also, the fact that these stories take place in a more real “real world” means there is less strangeness to absorb and keep track of.
Varies.