Literary Merit: What Works are Worthy of Such a Title?

     Literary merit cannot be measured on an absolute scale, as the definition of the term itself is quite ambiguous. A work of literary merit is not just a book you would read in school. Works of literary merit break prescribed formulas of a typical story. It has to be original. These works have to say something that everyone can relate to. Of course the literary merit of any book can be argued, but let's just say that the Captain Underpants series are not works of literary merit (no offense to some avid fans out there). There is just a level of diction and syntax that I personally like to see that would qualify a work as one of literary merit.
     I recently read The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, which I feel is indefinitely a work of literary merit and that's not just because it is on the list of common books on the AP Literature Exam. The Things They Carried is extremely different from any other novel I've ever read. It says something about the soldiers at war, but it can be extended to all of humanity. The soldiers bear literal and emotional baggage, just as any person would and the novel explores how they deal with the things they carry. This novel, in sharp contrast to other novels i have read, explicitly states the purpose of writing- O'Brien was writing to bring life to those who have since passed away. Is that why we all tell stories? To bring life to a moment that has since passed? The Things They Carried  is a work of literary merit as it breaks from the typical formulas and says something that extends to everyone.
     Just as a side note: I found a condensed list of frequently occurring books on the AP Literature Exam! These are obviously considered works of literary merit. I find measuring literary merit easiest  if you do it comparitively by comparing canons to other works.
https://aghsguidance.pbworks.com/f/AP+English+Literature+and+Composition+-+Works+of+Literary+Merit+-+Frequently+Suggested+Titles.pdf