Who was the greatest writer of the 20th century ?

Question

Simple question... Greatest writer (ie not necessarily just your favourite) and WHY...most influential ? scope of works ? scale ? biggest selling ?

Waddaya think people ?

Good to see a few answers from writers outside the US of A (not discounting them of course, but there are other great writers too !)

And I did mean literature - not pulp...

Answer 1

Probably Hemingway and maybe Jean Paul Sartre.
The writing of Sartre made a great impact in the world and Hemingway... well, wrote about so many places in the world and he had such an interesting life...
It`s hard to choose just one because all are so many great ones... Marguerite Duras, Salman Rushdie, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Camilo Jose Cela, .... Too many to name and too difficult to choose just one...

Answer 2

Stienbeck is a great author who captured life and the perspectives of people. Hemingway with The Old Man and the Sea captures the essence of the daily struggle we all face as we get up to face the challenge of a new day with hopes and dreams and yet we continue to overcome and try because we want to succeed.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was a great writer for the 1920's and was able to freeze moments in time with his work.
All of these writers can trace their opportunity to a writer named Sherwood Anderson, who opened the door to modern writing with a book entitled "Winesburg Ohio" it has outlived it's usefulness but certainly puts Anderson into consideration as the greatest writer of the 20th century.

Answer 3

Agatha Christie, she changed the way mysteries are written, the way books are sold, she is even seen as having single handily changed the marketing of books (as well as authors). So that is my nomination...especially seeing as how she is also the best selling author of all times, has had her works translated into more languages then anyone else, and her detectives; Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Parker Pyne, Tommy and Tuppence, Harley Quin and the scatterbrained crime-writer Ariadne Oliver - are known the world over. Even her stage play 'The Mousetrap' holds the record for the longest run on any stage.

Answer 4

Hemingway began a new style of writing and told the greatest stories. More than that he became an icon for the "manly arts".

After Hemingway, I would opt for Christopher Hitchens for his criticism and political commentary - always a well-structured and researched argument, great prose, never afraid to skewer the deserving.

Then there's Elias Canetti (memoirs, and Crowds and Power) and Christopher Moore (comic treasure). Terry Pratchett is a keen satirist and incredibly funny as well.

Answer 5

i would have to say the greatest writer of the 20th century is Kurt Vonnegut.certainly he has influenced more than anyone else,his scope of work is diverse,and he has had a number of best-sellers(which does not make a writer great by any means).

Answer 6

John Steinbeck. or Hemingway. or Fitzgerald. Oh, and the Beat Writers, like Kerouac.
For poetry, e e cummings, and my personal favorite, Charles Bukowski

Answer 7

ezra pound changed the direction of english poetry and english literary criticism - largely single-handed.

he was probably the most important modernist writer and thinker, helped eliot write 'the waste land' and helped joyce find a publisher for 'ulysses'.

when we look at other claimants for the title of 'greatest writer' we usually look only at the books they wrote.

with ezra pound you need to take into account not only the books he wrote himself but also the books by other writers he made possible.

Answer 8

That all depends on what your reading, Fiction or non-fiction, Brown is said to have wrote one of the most intruging book. But others Say King, for his tales of horror and mystery. I my self, believe the best writing is in the news papers, short sweet and right to the point

Answer 9

JK Rowling....biggest selling and people like to read it. Millions of fans. So i guess she's the greatest writer of the 20th century!

Answer 10

Kalki for his master - piece Ponniyin Selvan.

The grandeur of the story, the narration and the history behind makes him the greatest story teller.