What is "Depth"?

[Renkon Root]

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This is a question I like to ask allot. If you're in another of my writing guilds chances are you've seen me ask it before, but...
What is "depth" within the context of literature?

Does "depth" refer to how human/believable/relateable the characters within a work are?
Does it refer to any philosophies of concepts presented in the book? If so, do these concepts have to be "new" ones, or can a tired old and reused philosophical concept also be "deep"?
Is it something that tries to explain the nature of the human condition to the reader?
Or, could depth just be when an author sounds heavy enough make the reader think what they're reading is "deep"?
Does it all depend on each individual reader?

How would you define "depth"?

 

[Sanguina Cruenta]

I wouldn't, and never do. Pratchett is full of philosophy but his books aren't heavy. I like reading them over and realising something I hadn't before, or getting a joke I missed the last time because I didn't know what historical personage he was parodying.

I really haven't seen people referring to "depth" outside of really bad English classes anyway. So I'm not even really sure what you're asking. Or why it's something people would concern themselves with.  

[Renkon Root]

Sanguina Cruenta

I really haven't seen people referring to "depth" outside of really bad English classes anyway. So I'm not even really sure what you're asking. Or why it's something people would concern themselves with.

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I have had many people tell me, when I ask them about a book they liked, that it was "so deep". When I ask them what they mean by that they sort of just go "DERP". I like to ask this question around to get a better idea of what a person means when they say a book like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is "so deep".

 

[Sanguina Cruenta]

"So deep" is meant to imply that it speaks to them philosophically and spiritually in ways rarely encountered. it's meant to be the thing that makes you go "HOSHIT" or "oooooooooo.......". "So deep, man" is what you say when you all get high and someone says something metaphysical that doesn't make any sense really.

As in, "whoa, dude, what if, right, what if this is all a dream had by a head in a jar?"
"s**t, man. That's deep."

However, if Harry Potter is what you consider "deep", I have to think that you are a very very shallow person. Because the Rowling creature has no depth. She is a ******** paddling pool.  

[ncsweet]

Quote:

Does "depth" refer to how human/believable/relateable the characters within a work are?
Does it refer to any philosophies of concepts presented in the book? If so, do these concepts have to be "new" ones, or can a tired old and reused philosophical concept also be "deep"?
Is it something that tries to explain the nature of the human condition to the reader?
Or, could depth just be when an author sounds heavy enough make the reader think what they're reading is "deep"?
Does it all depend on each individual reader?

I'd say it can be all of the above, just depends on who is answering the question.

On a basic level - I go with the first definition...I don't care so much if a book has some sort of astounding new insights, or earth shaking revelations (though that is nice too and would add another layer to the "depth")...what I do care about is that the characters are more that just words on a page. I like a book where the author makes me "care" about the characters - I don't think that is possible without giving those characters "depth".

Which is how I can see someone saying Harry Potter has "depth" on a basic level, but not on an earth shattering one (though I'm guessing some people would get caught up in the whole "love is the most powerful thing...", so maybe that is earth shaking for them). Of course if I had to pick one of them as an example of that I'd go with Deathly Hallows, more so than Azkaban. xd Of course there are better books out there that have the basic depth and the philosophical "depth" as well - I feel that way about the Kushiel's Legacy series (Kushiel's Avatar and Kushiel's Justice in particular, not so much her newer stuff though).  

[Drinking All Your Tea]

I personally define depth as how interesting a book is as a whole- characters, plot, and the little things that make it seem all too real.