What are the best pieces of Literature?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by SpencerH
So 1984 is literature because you learned that governments (can) deliberately lie. You could have learned the same from a Tom Clancy novel that you may not define as literature. Isnt that doublethink?

No, double think is deeper than that. It begins with a lie, but double think kicks in when the liar himself comes to believe the lie.

For instance, during the Vietnam War, the Nixon White House caused pro-war letters to be written and sent to the White House. They then used those letters to justify to the nation and to themselves that the war should continue.

Very strange.

[SnowFire]

Literature-literature can be a difficult thing to pin down, but as far as I'm concerned the things are that it has to be important in some fashion and impress the elites of some era (not neccesarily its own), and be somewhat aged to insure its quality.

That said, 1984 is an easy entry into the category. Oodles of literary merit, and certainly a very important book for the vocabulary and massive references it gave our society. And surely changed thinking some too.

I'll say Twain for my suggestions- he writes good stuff. You've already read him from school I'm sure, just read some more. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is my personal favorite.

As a random comment, I felt a bit underwhelmed by Candide. It felt like he was trying to write The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for his era, and yet not really getting wacky enough.