However, as pointed out before, critical opinion is subjective. A more informed opinion can be better, but can not, simply can not, be right. There is no such thing.
Can, and should, critics and people well-versed in literature set the standards of what defines great works? Yes, absolutely. But, at the end of the day, if Revolutionary Road speaks to you more about middle class suburban discontent in the 1950's moreso than the more popular and critically acclaimed Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, who's to say that you are wrong to feel that way?
(I in fact find them to be completely different works on a thematic level, but that is beside the point)
Does Catcher in the Rye achieve objectively on the same level as Moby Dick? No, but I find Catcher in the Rye to be by far the more meaningful and thoughtful work for me, and written in a much more engaging style to boot.
But beyond this, i feel like we are quibbling over distinctions rather than substantive disagreements.
Can, and should, critics and people well-versed in literature set the standards of what defines great works? Yes, absolutely. But, at the end of the day, if Revolutionary Road speaks to you more about middle class suburban discontent in the 1950's moreso than the more popular and critically acclaimed Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, who's to say that you are wrong to feel that way?
(I in fact find them to be completely different works on a thematic level, but that is beside the point)
Does Catcher in the Rye achieve objectively on the same level as Moby Dick? No, but I find Catcher in the Rye to be by far the more meaningful and thoughtful work for me, and written in a much more engaging style to boot.
But beyond this, i feel like we are quibbling over distinctions rather than substantive disagreements.
Only point of contention deals with Moby Dick, as I value it more
But yes, there are a ton of arguments as to aesthetic value that come into play when the reader is very aware of the issues at hand. What I've noticed is that this makes the texts more interesting, not less, seeing the amount of deep discussion that takes place around these texts. If there weren't arguments about value, then that's when I would worry most about the text in question being worth reading in the first place.
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie
Je suis méchant.
Je suis méchant.
Brandon Sanderson plans 36 books in his 'Cosmere' setting
19/02/2012 11:45:24 AM
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Was Sanderson created by the Writng Gods to counter balance GRRM?
19/02/2012 05:13:07 PM
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I just wish he'd be done with the RJ shit and go back to writing his own books.
19/02/2012 05:40:59 PM
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well, the publication date for that book is set somewhere a year from now..
19/02/2012 07:48:58 PM
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Agreed on both points.....
19/02/2012 08:00:41 PM
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Well, but he is a "fluff" writer from a literary standpoint
20/02/2012 02:16:11 AM
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Not a fluff writer in my mind.....
20/02/2012 03:12:46 AM
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You don't seem to want to hear what I'm saying
20/02/2012 03:51:13 AM
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And I am saying that storytelling is more important.....
20/02/2012 04:52:39 AM
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Storytelling is crucial...
20/02/2012 05:59:57 AM
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A few comments/replies about your post.....
20/02/2012 02:57:16 PM
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You are correct in one respect: all of this is opinion.
20/02/2012 07:01:11 PM
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You sound like one of those nasty "literary elites"!
20/02/2012 08:07:13 PM
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Literature is subjective
21/02/2012 12:26:35 AM
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I agree with your point about reading Shakespeare from textbooks.
21/02/2012 03:18:37 AM
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Never heard of Thomas Mann and the real Mona Lisa.....
21/02/2012 03:34:12 AM
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Conversely, why should I trust the likes of you?
21/02/2012 06:19:18 AM
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Oh, come now...
21/02/2012 10:35:18 AM
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When it comes to evaluating schema, I'm not going to trust someone who only had English 101
21/02/2012 11:26:03 AM
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Larry = snob
21/02/2012 05:34:22 PM
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Amusing
21/02/2012 07:49:20 PM
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Wow, you lack basic reading comprehension skills.....
21/02/2012 08:29:24 PM
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No, I read that and didn't disagree that there couldn't be works that had both (read other comments)
21/02/2012 09:23:31 PM
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Uh...Faust is a play. Doctor Faustus is a novel. The former is Goethe, the latter is Mann. *NM*
22/02/2012 12:00:22 AM
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I suppose fame is relative, but the most famous Doctor Faustus, to me personally, is indeed a play.
22/02/2012 07:29:59 PM
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Wait, let's look at the gross disconnect between two statements.
21/02/2012 01:59:34 PM
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So true about the Mona Lisa.
21/02/2012 07:57:41 PM
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Yes, I was at the Louvre and you are right.....
21/02/2012 08:32:40 PM
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This is where your own rethoric defeats you...
23/02/2012 06:38:54 AM
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Slow down - it may not be the current elites that are hyping it.....
23/02/2012 05:12:47 PM
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Re: Slow down - it may not be the current elites that are hyping it.....
13/03/2012 03:10:12 AM
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Seems like an awful lot.
19/02/2012 08:11:22 PM
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Sanderson is a machine. Also, the books (so far) have been wildly different
20/02/2012 12:50:41 AM
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Re: Sanderson is a machine. Also, the books (so far) have been wildly different
20/02/2012 03:00:17 AM
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Same here- I didn't know about the Cosmere at all until I started poking around online
21/02/2012 03:25:36 AM
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Likewise. After reading Mistborn and Warbreaker I started looking into him more
21/02/2012 06:20:09 PM
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It's likely to stay that way...
20/02/2012 06:22:50 AM
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Confirmation on the Mistborn trilogies. I am so happy. *NM*
20/02/2012 05:38:23 AM
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I am thrilled to see that there will be more stories about Wax and Wayne.....
20/02/2012 03:46:37 PM
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The one issue I had with that book...
21/02/2012 06:21:29 PM
- 1300 Views