The success of literary work depends on the way the book is written. Content is just the body of the story and varies from subject to subject.
Isaac Asimov wrote books on various subjects, yet it was the way he wrote them that made his works international bestsellers. His writing has a hook that has the reader turning page after page.
The same can be said about other very successful writers, to name just a few – Robert Howard, JRR Tolkien, Michael Crichton, James Michener, Enid Blyton, Terry Pratchett and George RR Martin. Their works create a sense of wonder that makes the reader forget reality, albeit for a short time.
Escapism, in a word, is all a good fictional story needs (regardless of the content or the characters in their assigned roles) to make a story work for me.
Disclaimer – Stated above is in entirety my opinion from personal experience and execution.
And what of you, Neverseen? What books do you read and how do those books shape your perception of story telling?