Literature Anyone?

[flux=rad]

Don't feel bad. Anyone who tells you they've finished Ulysses is lying.

I've read it twice. It's fucking awesome. Hook up the polygraph.

[Satsuki]

Now, this is sort of a Cliched author who, I don't think gets the literary credit that he deserves (I think because of his popularity) but. Edgar. Allan. Poe. Virginia native, alchoholic (not opium addict), and outright genius. He wrote some of the best short stories I've ever read in almost every genre. He invented the detective story with his Dupin trilogy of stories, was a... decent poet (he showed a lot of potential with his early work but then he just sort of gave up) and, I think, is one of the best short story authors of all time. My favorite aspect of Poe were his narrators on the brink of insanity. The supernatural elements in many of his could have been real, or they could have just been figments of the author's imagination. Really worthwhile stuff.

I started reading Poe back in my goth days (ha ha ha) and was pleasantly surprised that his stuff was pretty amazing. I loved his short stories, but my favorite one's title escapes me at the moment.

I think another author whose short stories don't get the credit they are due is Oscar Wilde.
http://www.classicreader.com/toc.php/sid.6/aut.62/ here's a link to a few if you are so inclined. My all time favorite is "The Devoted Friend."

[ChaoofNee]

Brave New World for the win.

The book is so right sometimes it's downright creepy.

*Flies away in his personal helicopter*

[Cowutopia]

PS George Bernard Shaw /PS

[Brisco Bold]

Brave New World for the win.

That's the name of the book!

Gonna reread this soon!

This was on the reading list back in OAC (grade 13 to you Yanks and non-Ontarians) English. It was near the end of the semester, and we didn't have enough time to study this like we did The French Lieutenant's Woman. I was the only one in the class that read it, and was pissed off that our teacher made us read a rambling narrative about an English whore instead of this.

[enigmajelly]

I think another author whose short stories don't get the credit they are due is Oscar Wilde.

So true, Wilde is fairly universally understood to be an amazing writer, but it doesn't hurt to point it out again. I love Oscar Wilde, I've read a lot of his stuff, and just picked up his only novel "A Picture of Dorian Grey". Plan on reading it soon.

[Sqoon]

I second The Man Who Was Thursday. Amazing ending.

Every time I go back to reread something, I find that I completely hate it now. It sucks. The only author I've consistently liked has been Italo Calvino.

That's the name of the book!

Gonna reread this soon!

Brave New World is so bad and dated, you'll laugh. Probably the first book I'd strike out of the canon given the chance.

[Diff-chan]

Brave New World is so bad and dated, you'll laugh. Probably the first book I'd strike out of the canon given the chance.

I agree, actually. I read it after reading 1984, high on omggovernmentfascistslols whatever, and was just like WTF at the end.

[g0zen]

Some of the things in Brave New World are still topical, like the idea of having a genetic hierarchical society, happiness and fulfillment in life through medication (Soma), or how you can't teach anything (even propaganda) by rote memorization (ie; "The Nile is the longest river in Egypt") alone. When it gets to the Indian reservation that's when it really gets diluted and not pertinent to today.

[Mman]

Now, this is sort of a Cliched author who, I don't think gets the literary credit that he deserves (I think because of his popularity) but. Edgar. Allan. Poe. Virginia native, alchoholic (not opium addict), and outright genius. He wrote some of the best short stories I've ever read in almost every genre. He invented the detective story with his Dupin trilogy of stories, was a... decent poet (he showed a lot of potential with his early work but then he just sort of gave up) and, I think, is one of the best short story authors of all time. My favorite aspect of Poe were his narrators on the brink of insanity. The supernatural elements in many of his could have been real, or they could have just been figments of the author's imagination. Really worthwhile stuff.

Yeah, Poe is still pretty amazing. A lot of people pick up his writing at an early age and just get the suspense out of them (which is wonderful) then sort of "grow out" of liking Poe. The truth is that his stories have a wonderful richness that can be appreciated at any age, even more so for an experienced reader. The head of my English department is a Poe expert and I really enjoyed the discussion we had on Poe's short stories in his class. It is important to note how immense Poe's influence is on the developement of the short story. He pretty much popularized the genre in America, and changed it quite a bit every where else too.