In your opinion, who is the greatest writer since Shakespeare?

HeadPig

This could be interesting.

old gregg

Dan Brown
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getz

HeadPig wrote: »

This could be interesting.

dickens

daveyeh

Shakespeares sister

Tom Joad

Victor Hugo (non-English language) or John Steinbeck (English Language)

HeadPig

Tom Joad wrote: »

Victor Hugo (non-English language) or John Steinbeck (English Language)

Strong username to post content correlation.

Tombo2001

Charles Dickens.

Tombo2001

A big LOL to whoever says Cecilia Ahern

Manach

Based on the metric of having a lasting popular impact the spans the generations, Dickens would be a such an author. However, I'd also nominate Jane Austen whose works are very much en vogue since Regency times.

HeadPig

Manach wrote: »

Based on the metric of having a lasting popular impact the spans the generations, Dickens would be a such an author. However, I'd also nominate Jane Austen whose works are very much en vogue since Regency times.

My preferred metric would be the quality of the writer's work, rather than a lasting popular impact. Not to imply the abovementioned aren't quality writers.

Stereomaniac

Bret Easton Ellis.

ush

Goethe

Mongarra

Who says Shakespeare was a great writer?!

I suppose John Steinbeck must rank up there but personally give me P G Wodehouse any day.

HeadPig

Mongarra wrote: »

Who says Shakespeare was a great writer?!

I suppose John Steinbeck must rank up there but personally give me P G Wodehouse any day.

I said since Shakespeare, meaning after him. Didn't imply he was great, that's another debate.

Mongarra

Sorry, wasn't trying to be smart. Actually I think he was a great writer despite having him stuffed down our throats for the State exams.

hefferboi

Your one who wrote 50 shades of grey.

daithiocondun

hefferboi wrote: »

Your one who wrote 50 shades of grey.

Hahahaa!!!

Her now and the plethora of crap chick-lit authors this country has churned out over the last 10 years....

chick lit??
sh*t-lit, more like

r3nu4l

The definition of a 'great' writer needs to be clarified
Also, are we talking about English-speaking writer's or Western writer's? Can we include Fyodor Dostoyevsky?

By Manach's definition then Dickens and Austen definitely have to be thought of as 'greatest'.

By definition of their contribution to ideals of society then you have to look at Huxley and Orwell.

By definition of how they changed the world of fiction then you might mention Wilkie Collins, his novel the Moonstone is often considered the first real foundation of modern detective novels and crime fiction.

Personally I'm a huge fan of Charles Dickens although I'm glad that he's not writing today because I doubt a single publisher would take him on. Any that would take him on would probably assign their toughest editor to Dicken's and cut those long, wordy sentences and that would be tragic!

Tom Joad

You could have as long a debate on the categories or definitions as you could on who the "greatest" was.

If you go for longevity and lasting impact you automatically are drawn to Bronte, Dickens, Austen etc and ruling out modern writers. Also some people go for volume of works to rule out some writers i.e. they only wrote one/two great novels so can't be included.

Then you can debate American writers vs Europea writers in an English language context - for me two different genres that can't be compared.

Then foreign languages writers - you have to have a seperate category for that.

So I would have the following categories:

1. Greatest English language writer pre 1900.
2. Greatest English language writer since 1900.
3. Greatest American literature writer.
4. Greatest non-English language writer pre 1900.
5. Greatest non-English language writer since 1900.

Randall Floyd

3.Greatest American literature writer- F. Scott Fitzgerald for me.

Hesh's Umpire

Norman Mailer

MadsL

Tom Joad wrote: »

1. Greatest English language writer pre 1900.
Dickens Austen
2. Greatest English language writer since 1900.
Orwell Wyndham
3. Greatest American literature writer.
Ever? Mark Twain post 1900 Thomas Pynchon
4. Greatest non-English language writer pre 1900.
Cervantes/Alexandre Dumas
5. Greatest non-English language writer since 1900.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Mine

getz

how tastes change,if you asked that same question to the victorians,the answer may be william makepease thackery,i know that famous family ,the bronties of haworth,would read everything he put to paper,charlotte once had dinner with him and his mother,and when he introduced her he said ;mother this is jane eyre,

Swiper the fox

I've seen Steinbeck mentioned here a couple of times and a quick scan of my bookshelves would suggest that I am in agreement though I realise what a futile argument this is.

In my 1001 books to read before you die book a quick glance at the index page for multiple entries shows Austen, Auster, Beckett, Coetzee, Dickens, Greene, McEwan, Mann, Rousseau and Zola all of whom have at least five entries.

Tom Joad

Just realised that I haven't given mine

1. Greatest English language writer pre 1900. Charles Dickens
2. Greatest English language writer since 1900. James Joyce
3. Greatest American literature writer. Steinbeck
4. Greatest non-English language writer pre 1900. Victor Hugo with Tolstoy a very close second.
5. Greatest non-English language writer since 1900. Nabokov

Da Shins Kelly

James Joyce or Samuel Beckett for me.

Mardy Bum

Although this does not imply that he is the best, Joyce surpassed Shakespeare, then record holder, in terms of academic articles published on his works two years ago. It would imply that both are held in extremely high regard by those in academia.

Joyce's work, although somewhat indulgent in his later years, is phenomenal. The man's mind and work ethic was unbelievable.

In terms of a writer who attempted all genres of literature Oscar Wilde should be considered. A Picture of Dorian Gray, "The Importance of Being Earnest", "The Happy Prince and Other Tales", his numerous works of poetry along with Salome is as formidable body of work that any writer has produced before and since.

Harry Angstrom

For sheer inventiveness: James Joyce. For storytelling: Charles Dickens. For brilliance alone: F Scott Fitzgerald.
Philip Roth and John Updike also deserve honourable mentions.

Prodigious

Eminem :cool:

Harry Angstrom

Methememb wrote: »

Eminem :cool:

I prefer Smarties.

RoutineBites

Agree that the greatest writers should be categorized, impossible to pick one that would encompass all the requirements to be deemed, "the greatest". My personal favourite would be Orwelll however. He's an exceptional essayist, journalist and even historian. Very accessible too. Think his analysis of early twentieth century history is the best around.