2006-12-15 15:45:22 · 4 answers · asked by solidsnake_kill_raiden 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
LOL. Well, to an extent it's personal taste. Some books seem to have very good PR - for example, I find Charles Dickens' novels sentimental tripe. Bernard Shaw (in)famously loathed Shakespeare and thought he was a fraud.
Also, some books just come at the right time. They serve as good examples of a particular period or genre, or they happen to fit the mood and spirit of their era - "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" by Anita Loos and "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller seem to fit this category.
But in general, yes, books considered "good literature" are usually well-written and thought-provoking, at the very least.
2006-12-15 15:55:58 · answer #1 · answered by Girl Machine 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The difference between "literature" and the Stephen King horror novel (no offense Mr. King I LOVED the Dark Tower series). Literature isn't just an entertaining story. It offers commentary. It probes ideas like social classes, religion, any number of socially relatable topics.
2006-12-15 17:41:54 · answer #2 · answered by mrtryitall 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only way you are going to find out the answer to your own question is to read some of these books and judge for yourself.
Try beginning with Moby Dick by Herman Melville, I think you will like it. And even though one of the answerers before me indicated she thought Dickens' novels to be sentimental tripe, I loved a "Tale of Two Cities," a love story which takes place during the time of the French Revolution.
2006-12-15 16:16:48 · answer #3 · answered by Sicilian Godmother 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like Sand and Sea says, personal tasye. Some people really like Russian lit for instance, but other, very literate folk cannot stand it.
Further some classic are pretty boring in General others are great reads!
2006-12-15 16:02:18 · answer #4 · answered by rumbler_12 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋