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Which country has the best literature?
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I think the answer is almost certainly Russia. My main reason for this is simply the book "the Master & Margarita", I am yet to find a book written in English, or any language that can compare to it. It must be one of the finest pieces of literature ever written, also, in terms of modern Russian literature, many write in a similar style to Mikhail Bulgakov, and for cultural and historical reasons it seems to be a style that many non-Russian authors struggle to emulate.
Also, Russian literature has ultimately influnced a lot of British literature. For example, George Owell's 1984 was heavily influenced by Yengeny Zamyatin's "We".
Which country would you say has the best literature?
Also, Russian literature has ultimately influnced a lot of British literature. For example, George Owell's 1984 was heavily influenced by Yengeny Zamyatin's "We".
Which country would you say has the best literature?
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#3
It's difficult, probably impossible, to answer this question. How exactly does one define 'best'?. You also have to bear in mind that people have different tastes so you can never definitively answer this sort of question.
That said, Russia has produced a lot of great literature. My book shelves are stacked with works from the Russian canon: Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn, Turgenev etc. I think if there was a vote, Russia or England would probably come out on top.
That said, Russia has produced a lot of great literature. My book shelves are stacked with works from the Russian canon: Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn, Turgenev etc. I think if there was a vote, Russia or England would probably come out on top.
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#4
I would say it's Germany, but I'm not objective 
Goethe, Kafka, Nietzsche, Wilhelm & Jacob Grimm, Brecht, Wolfgang Bittner, Thomas Mann etc. <3 Oh well, I've read many Bulgakov's books and I love them, but russian literature is in most cases just weird. But to be fair authors like Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky or Chekhov always will be the greatest - no matter what 
Goethe, Kafka, Nietzsche, Wilhelm & Jacob Grimm, Brecht, Wolfgang Bittner, Thomas Mann etc. <3 Oh well, I've read many Bulgakov's books and I love them, but russian literature is in most cases just weird. But to be fair authors like Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky or Chekhov always will be the greatest - no matter what 
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#5
More than one in my opinion:
English
Russian
German
the USA have produced a few brilliant writers like Edgar Allen Poe, Plath and Cormac McCarthy, among many others.
English
Russian
German
the USA have produced a few brilliant writers like Edgar Allen Poe, Plath and Cormac McCarthy, among many others.
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#7
Damn it, I need to read more Russian books.
Sad thing is, I like to read Agatha Christie books that were translated into Russian.
No accounting for taste.
Sad thing is, I like to read Agatha Christie books that were translated into Russian.
No accounting for taste.
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#10
Of course, no one mentions anything outside europe.
Do you see how shortsighted that is?
Countries don't produce literature, people do, no matter where they did it.
Do you see how shortsighted that is?
Countries don't produce literature, people do, no matter where they did it.
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#11
I've only read English and American Literature. I guess I'll have to broaden out and try some new stuff, like Russian and German. Cool thread 
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#12
You've forgotten French Literature... With authors like La Fontaine, Balzac, Hugo, Baudelaire, Flaubert, Celine, etc....
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#13
The UK has just such a vast amount of literature (I think it publishes more books - perhaps per head - than any other country). So there is something for everyone.
Also the English language, with its adaptability and all its influences from the past, definately helps the creation of literature.
So I would say UK, even though (as has been discussed) there are great writers from other countries
Also the English language, with its adaptability and all its influences from the past, definately helps the creation of literature.
So I would say UK, even though (as has been discussed) there are great writers from other countries
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#14
The literature produced in a country is relevant to its culture so something that we might think is awful is actually really good in the country it has been produced in so my answer is every country has the best literature.
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#15
(Original post by Butterflyleg)
I would say it's Germany, but I'm not objective Goethe, Kafka, Nietzsche, Wilhelm & Jacob Grimm, Brecht, Wolfgang Bittner, Thomas Mann etc. <3 Oh well, I've read many Bulgakov's books and I love them, but russian literature is in most cases just weird. But to be fair authors like Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky or Chekhov always will be the greatest - no matter what
I would say it's Germany, but I'm not objective
Goethe, Kafka, Nietzsche, Wilhelm & Jacob Grimm, Brecht, Wolfgang Bittner, Thomas Mann etc. <3 Oh well, I've read many Bulgakov's books and I love them, but russian literature is in most cases just weird. But to be fair authors like Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky or Chekhov always will be the greatest - no matter what
I'm totally uneducated. I thought he was Czech. FML.
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#16
(Original post by ak56)
I think the answer is almost certainly Russia. My main reason for this is simply the book "the Master & Margarita", I am yet to find a book written in English, or any language that can compare to it. It must be one of the finest pieces of literature ever written, also, in terms of modern Russian literature, many write in a similar style to Mikhail Bulgakov, and for cultural and historical reasons it seems to be a style that many non-Russian authors struggle to emulate.
Also, Russian literature has ultimately influnced a lot of British literature. For example, George Owell's 1984 was heavily influenced by Yengeny Zamyatin's "We".
Which country would you say has the best literature?
I think the answer is almost certainly Russia. My main reason for this is simply the book "the Master & Margarita", I am yet to find a book written in English, or any language that can compare to it. It must be one of the finest pieces of literature ever written, also, in terms of modern Russian literature, many write in a similar style to Mikhail Bulgakov, and for cultural and historical reasons it seems to be a style that many non-Russian authors struggle to emulate.
Also, Russian literature has ultimately influnced a lot of British literature. For example, George Owell's 1984 was heavily influenced by Yengeny Zamyatin's "We".
Which country would you say has the best literature?
I'm going with the UK, Italy as a second choice.
Anyway this whole thing is completely subjective.
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#17
(Original post by fruitcorner)
Of course, no one mentions anything outside europe.
Do you see how shortsighted that is?
Countries don't produce literature, people do, no matter where they did it.
Of course, no one mentions anything outside europe.
Do you see how shortsighted that is?
Countries don't produce literature, people do, no matter where they did it.
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#18
(Original post by Jlx)
You've forgotten French Literature... With authors like La Fontaine, Balzac, Hugo, Baudelaire, Flaubert, Celine, etc....
You've forgotten French Literature... With authors like La Fontaine, Balzac, Hugo, Baudelaire, Flaubert, Celine, etc....
But there is such a huge range of English literature available here, obviously. Can't wait 'til my exams are over, I have a shelf full of all kinds of books that I'm just going to go through.
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#19
(Original post by MSB)
It isn't short-sighted. Even ignoring the fact that people who grew up in Europe are perhaps more likely to prefer European literature, as bizarre as that may sound, you can notice that for a long period of time in history the majority of the world's total output in literature came, for various reasons, from Europe.
It isn't short-sighted. Even ignoring the fact that people who grew up in Europe are perhaps more likely to prefer European literature, as bizarre as that may sound, you can notice that for a long period of time in history the majority of the world's total output in literature came, for various reasons, from Europe.
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#20
(Original post by SunOfABeach)
Kafka was German?
I'm totally uneducated. I thought he was Czech. FML.
Kafka was German?
I'm totally uneducated. I thought he was Czech. FML.
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