Greatest author of all times

[Ursa major]

Debate the subject all you want - venture into ad hominem attacks, and the Wrath of the Mods will surely smite thee...

Making thee the greatest author of thine own misfortune.


(Apologies if the olde pronouns and possessive determiners are wrong.)

 

[ghostofcorwin]

Making thee the greatest author of thine own misfortune.


(Apologies if the olde pronouns and possessive determiners are wrong.)

Hey, I suggested we keep the question to novelists, and the next poster offers Moses... what's a poor literary type supposed to think? But I get the point. And that's nicely Shakespearean, Big Bear. My vote is the Bard....

 

[paranoid marvin]

The greatest author of all time is the greatest author FOR all time. His work is funny , sad , scary and thought provoking - sometimes all at the same time. His themes are ageless and most works of literature since have surely been influenced in some way or other by the genius that is Bill Shakespeare.

 

[Urlik]

shakespeare has to be at the top or very close to it
the breadth of his work, from comedy to tradegy, history to fantasy. plot twists aplenty. and a lot of poetry as well.
he was so prolific that not many can compete

many of my favourite authors have been quite prolific, but even I have to admit that most don't come close to WS's skill with a quill.

but I think gold old Terry Pratchett deserves an honorable mention for his blending of comedy and tradegy as well as his insight and portayal of what it is and means to be human

 

[Pyan]

I'd go for the Immortal Bard as well - not just for the plays and the poetry, but also for the amazing number of words he coined that are part of the English language.

There's a list here: - have a look, it'll surprise you just how many there are...

And then there's all the phrases that we use that come from his work - that's another long list...

Phrases Coined by Shakespeare

Astonishing chap - Bill Bryson's book is well worth a read.

Shakespeare: The World as Stage : Bill Bryson

 

[manephelien]

I'd say Shakespeare too, at least in the English language.

 

[mosaix]

I fear it really is a nonsensical question, very much like asking "what is the best color"

That one's easy J.D. - Blue. Manchester City's colours.

 

[mosaix]

How about the question: If you we're stranded on a desert island and could have the works of only one author with you, who would it be?

Good question.

Although I agree with the majority on here that The Bard is probably the greatest, for me Conan Doyle is probably more enjoyable.

I can honestly say that I've never actually sat down in an evening and read a Shakespeare play for enjoyment, but I've done it frequently with a Sherlock Holmes story.

 

[j d worthington]

Whilst I would agree that Shakespeare would be in the group counted as "greatest authors of all times" (I once again stress the plural), again I have to question the entire concept, on several levels. What about some of the writers already mentioned, such as Homer, Thucydides, etc., whose works have been around a lot longer, and who have influenced culture(s) for a longer period -- including having their effect on Bill himself? What about other cultures? Again, while Shakespeare is certainly known, read, seen, and appreciated in all (or nearly?) all languages, would he be given title of the greatest of all times across the board? Or even enough to make it a general consensus? And so on....

I just don't think it is really possible, given the entire history of literature, worldwide, to pick a single "greatest" author....

Oh, and mosaix: Ah, but you have now given the question I posed a context... which opens up an entirely new can of vermicelli....

 

[Urien]

I think it is possible. Of all the authors you've read who to you is the greatest, it's a subjective question with subjective meanings but eminently answerable.

In the vasty depths of time and distance there might be greater authors (IMO), but I haven't met them yet, until then...

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Might I throw in the Rosetta stone - Anon.

 

[J-WO]

Any Hemingway fans out there?

Great writer. People like him and Bukowski (the legend himself!) just describe the story and have narrative that's like a pane of glass. Something that's often underrated in writers. Orwells got that going on too.

 

[j d worthington]

I think it is possible. Of all the authors you've read who to you is the greatest, it's a subjective question with subjective meanings but eminently answerable.

That's my point, in a way... in order to answer it at all, you must make it too subjective to have any real meaning. The question wasn't "Who is your favorite writer of all time?" or something of the sort, but instead something with much broader (and therefore more objective) scope and criteria. Yet by doing so, the possibilities become too vast to narrow down to a single person, given all the great writers throughout history. Again, the formulation makes the question simply nonsensical.

 

[Urien]

"I know it's a very hard question, but who is for you the greatest author of all times???" The miscreant in the first post.

It appears to be; who for you is the greatest author of all time.

 

[j d worthington]

"I know it's a very hard question, but who is for you the greatest author of all times???" The miscreant in the first post.

It appears to be; who for you is the greatest author of all time.

Yes, but it once again leaves you with no context or criteria. Again, it is the formulation which is at fault here. Greatest in what way? In what context? In any event, you'd need to apply objective, not merely subjective, criteria to even begin to narrow down the field; and, once you do that, you run into the other problem I've mentioned -- something which simply becomes greater the broader and deeper your reading is...

In other words, without the context given, what you end up with is (once again) "who is your favorite writer of all time?", but that isn't the question; the question as stated is simply unanswerable....

 

[Ursa major]

Perhaps it would be easier to answer the question: "Which author grates with you the most?"

 

[Urien]

Context and criteria... Who for "You" (objective), "greatest" (subjective, your meaning of greatest) and "author" (of all you have read, you cannot judge what you haven't read)... I have to say it looks like context and criteria to me.

But that's my take on it.

But then one should never listen to a raven.

 

[The Ace]

Burns is a poet rather than a playwright or novelist, but he does have his moments;

"The English steel we could disdain, secure in valour's station.

We're bought and sold, For English gold.

Such a parcel o' rogues in a nation."

 

[j d worthington]

Burns is a poet rather than a playwright or novelist, but he does have his moments;

"The English steel we could disdain, secure in valour's station.

We're bought and sold, For English gold.

Such a parcel o' rogues in a nation."

Quite fond of Burns, actually. The man's work has provided me with a number of delightful experiences, whatever the faults may be....

 

[j d worthington]

Perhaps it would be easier to answer the question: "Which author grates with you the most?"

Ann Coulter?