[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Writers and other artists of 20 century which in your opinion will be remembered

[Shaun Hately]

On 13/02/2012 3:34 PM, dumbledore11214 wrote:
>
>
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:HPFGU-OTChatter%40yahoogroups.com>, Shaun Hately
> <shaun.hately at ...> wrote:
> <SNIP>
> .> But in terms of 20th Century English language authors who I think will
>  > endure - George Orwell. Graham Greene. C.S. Forester. Terry Pratchett.
>  > Rudyard Kipling. Arthur C. Clarke. John Buchan. James Joyce. C.S. Lewis.
>  > Aldous Huxley. P.G. Wodehouse. Noel Coward. JRR Tolkien.
>  >
>
> Alla:
>
> Yes, I think Orwell is definitely a likely candidate, but for me he is
> an author of one haunting book (I have not read anything else by him),
> did you find his other works just as good? Animal farm is also his, right?

I think '1984' is his masterpiece, but, yes, I think 'Animal Farm' is 
rightly a classic as well. I also think his three 
autobiographical/sociological works are very worthy.

> I wondered about C.S.Lewis of course when I thought of Tolkien, but I
> may have said it in the past - Lewis' books popularity (as works of art)
> is something I just do not really understand, to me his books are just
> very "in your face" retellings of Christianity for kids and some of
> them, especially last one got so preachy that I wanted to throw the book
> against the wall, but of course he is quite popular and it is possible
> that his popularity will stand.

Lewis wrote more a lot more than just the Chronicles of Narnia. The 
Screwtape Letters (and as a teacher, Screwtape Delivers a Toast, 
especially) are far more important and significant for a start

> I do love Arthur Clarke and Rudyard Kipling, I am just wondering if they
> will stand up a test of time, for me they are absolutely terrific
> writers, I just wonder if they are good enough to be remember for a very
> long time.

Kipling, I think will definitely be remembered forever. I place him next 
to Shakespeare myself.

> I am curious about James Joyce, VERY curious in fact. I was very very
> proud of myself when I finished Ulisses in English, but boy oh boy I
> have not had an urge to pick up any other work of his. Yes, he used
> original writing technique in his book, yes, he made the reading of said
> book extremely long affair (and of course it is understandable that I
> will struggle, but I know several well read English speakers who felt
> the same way), but would the ordinary person still know him? I would bet
> that he would fall in obscurity and pretty fast, but of course I can be
> wrong, since I am aware that in many literary circles Ulisses was
> considered a work of genuius.

Again, while I think Ulysses will always be remembered as his greatest 
work, it's not his most accessible, or in my view, the best one to read. 
Finnegan's Wake is much more of a read to enjoy book.

> I have not read anything by Huxley, Forrester or Buchan or Noel Coward.
> Anything by this writers that you would recommend in particularly? I
> always try to fill in as many "cultural gaps" as I possibly can :)

Huxley - A Brave New World, definitely.

Forrester - any of the Hornblowers.

Buchan - The Thirty-Nine Steps is his classic, and the one I consider 
the best read.

Coward - more a playwright than anything else (but so was Shakespeare, 
for the most part - his poetry though significant is not where his great 
reputation comes from) and it's basically whatever you can manage to see.

Shaun