jewishfeminist02 –
Yes the best fiction is challenging – try James Joyce’s Ullyses, Kafka’s The Trial and Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, Samual Beckett etc – they are all difficult to read but rewarding in the long run.
Rebbe Nachman’s stories are also complex but require close attention to detail, repetition and some knowledge perhaps of Breslov Chassidus and Kabbalah. I would recommend Aryah Kaplan’s translation and commentary.
In some respects there could be thousands of interpretations to the stories and Rebbe Nachman purposely left them opaque and open to each individual to find themselves in the stories.
My point is in answer to the question whether (Frum) Jewish fiction can be for the secular community also – that no – frum fiction today would not appeal to non Jews as it is written in the style of basic thrillers, and the non Jewish fiction world is already inundated with such fiction and would see nothing appealling in it.