English literature is the best

English literature is the best
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David Copperfield
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
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american gods
I like
and you?
I read English writers first, and then American writers
I read Russian and Ukrainian literature
Ukrainians write about
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about God and vodka
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socialism
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fiction and fantasy

 

One word ...... Shakespeare. Another word.... Dickens. And not to forget......Edgar

 

An American humorist....Mark Twain.

 

I like the deep wisdom of Shakespeare and the practical wisdom of Mark Twain

 

I read now tom soyer

 

Literature has been the artistic strength of western culture and is blessed by centuries of continuous development.
It is the cradle of the English language.
There is evidence relatively recently that other nationalities are carrying these skills forward, including African authors.

 

Yes, English literature is the best, at least in this forum, where almost everyone is only literate in English. All literature is excellent within the cultures it is developed and written. Have you read some famous Spanish, Chilean, or Indian poetry? When was the last time the USA even named a poet laureate. Every culture has something of great value. Why for example do so many English speaking theater companies and actors choose Chekov?

 

There are some excellent African writers over the last few years. One has won the 2021 Nobel Prize for literature.
Anyone of any culture who beautifully reflects the human experience is worth reading.

 

Who's your favorite African author?

 

I more or less agree with your post. That is, I agree that it is not possible to evaluate the literature, in any language in which the reader is not fluent. That does not automatically make all national literatures equal, but it is not knowable, if they are not. Translations are not equal to original works, at least original works of any substance, because those writers will use specifics about both the language, and the culture, to suggest much more than the straight action. Occasionally one might find a translation that does an author justice. Tolstoy's English translators, for example, were bilingual, and longtime good friends of the writer. Still, I couldn't say how close of an English approximation, they produced of his novels, unless I could read the novels, in Russian. Nonetheless, I think it is fair to say that their translations do justice to the short stories of Tolstoy, which I've read, because of the type of stories they are. Translation becomes even more problematic, when it comes to poetry.

To accurately "reproduce" any work, in a different language, the translator would really have to rewrite the piece, to a certain degree, so as to recreate the evocation of ideas & imagery, using the words of the new language-- which have different root words, the sound of which I would contend have a different psychological effect on those with a corresponding ancestral heritage, than upon those of very different cultures-- while also considering the differing mindset and norms, of the society that will be reading it. This is not to say, of course, that someone from a given culture, cannot enjoy & appreciate a novel about a culture which is foreign to him. But that experience would necessarily differ, from the experience of reading literature, by one who is already well familiarized with the culture & society, for whom the work was originally written. If we fully consider this idea, it must be said about the meaning of any work of literature, even if it retains some "universal" qualities, that it nevertheless also changes, over time.

I hope my theorizing was appreciated. The long and the short of it, though, is that any art, including literature, comes down to being a matter of taste. We can all have our own opinions of what is good, and what is bad and, without being able to see the work, truly, from any other person's perspective, though we may well disagree, no one can claim anything so specific as what is "better" than anything else, at least not as a fact.

 

Your post demonstrates urbanity, intelligence, a high level of critical thinking skills, cognition, astuteness, and, well, in summary indicates a well-educated human. Therefore, it would not generally be appreciated in an online forum. Most people neither post nor read beyond soundbytes. I happen to be educated and curious, so I did read your entire post, but even for me it was a chore, because I am seventy-five years old and I am tired after watching nine episodes of "Ekterina" with English captions.... Just one afterthought though, I like the description of "art" as an "emoter." Art, if well done, elicits emotions. Thus, for example, the short rather famous Arabic poem which addresses the fact that cucumbers are "powerful repeaters...."

 

Moby Dick has to be a top contender for the greatest American novel. It’s a riveting adventure story but can also be read from so many perspectives - the story of America up to 1840, the trials and tribulations of mankind, and certainly the relationship between man and God. The metaphors with the Bible are so numerous a familiarity with the Bible is required to catch all the meaning of the story.

 

True but literature generally reflects a particular culture. The language is embedded in that culture, techniques such as slang and innuendo and double entendre are all lost in translation. It’s rare for a book to appeal to a foreign culture as well as it does to its target audience.

 

Thank you for your compliments; as you seem to have surmised, my thoughts often do not get the appreciation to which I might feel they are due, so finding, every now and again, someone who proves that my efforts here might not just as well be spent in conversation with myself, is a most welcome exception. I'm sorry that you came to my post, in a semi-beleaguered state. This was not the sort of topic that I felt could be well covered, by a sound bite; I could have written far more. (BTW, I like your alternate spelling, of byte-- was that an accident, or a choice?)

I don't think I am familiar with the poem, involving cucumbers, to which you allude, but it sounds like it would translate well, between languages & cultures. As far as art being an emoter, that is certainly true, but I don't think that completely sums it up. That is, art can also engage other parts of the mind, in a more strictly ideological or conceptual way, without being of a lower form. Ideally, it should really engage a person fully, so would elicit emotions, as well as thoughts, perhaps even realizations. In trying to come up with some brief description, as a coverall for the wide array of artistic creations, I have long said that the goal of art is to represent truthfully, the essence of existence. Since one's artistic canvas is always going to be very limited, in comparison to Creation (the Truth of which one is recreating-- or translating, if you will-- in some multilayered representation), a work of art should be almost as its own world. That its appearance or laws match the one with which we believe ourselves to be familiar, is not what is relevant, to my mind, but only that the model is an accurate analog, an honest depiction of the interplay of dynamics, reflecting the nature of reality.

At this point, I am becoming curious as to your 1st language, since I realize that last concept would be challenging to understand, even for most native, English speakers. Hopefully, yours is at least part of the same Germanic language family?

 

My friend love mobi dik
He is communist christianin)))

 

I never could read Moby Dick but the story is a great one. There are many great stories. One of my favorites is To Build A Fire by Jack London.

 

I think no conversation about English Literature would be complete without the mention of Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is a masterpiece.

 

Erich Maria Remarque is good

 

Russian literature is right up there, too.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky was a magnificent novelist and Boris Psternak's Doctor Zhivago is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read.

 

So is A Tale of Two Cities.

 

William Shakespeare was the greatest writer who ever lived.

As far as American writers go, I would have to say Nobel laureate William Faulkner was our greatest novelist. I haven't read all his works but Absalom, Absalom! is my favorite. Faulkner was also a great short story writer, and every young artist would do well to read his Nobel Banquet speech - it's one of the most inspiring pieces of writing I've ever read:

 

2022

The current Poet Laureate of the United States is Ada Limón.

 

"All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque. Only read it once, don't know if I'll ever have the courage to read it again. I literally cried for an hour after I finished it. It was that good.

I've read Tolstoy's "War and Peace" at least a couple of dozen times over the last 30 years. Can't seem to put it down.

 

Joseph Heller < drops mic >