One of the Best Reading Lists Ever

[pennswoods]

I think I'm going to be busy, busy, busy until approximately December 21st. One day before then, I will write up a recap of my trip to and interview in Texas. Today is not that day. However, today is the day I link to the best reading lists I've come across in a long while. It's from the fail_fandomanon meme on DW, which sometimes produces terrific gems like this thread:

What's your country or language's Great Literature, nonnies?

I can't tell you how fascinating I find it to see what literature is considered part of the 'great canon' in other socieites. There are obviously so many countries and languages not represented, but of those that are, there is so little I have read. Sometimes I am beyond frustrated by how anglocentric my reading tastes and experiences are. This is like a gold mine.

And so I'm going to pick up the question. What do you consider great literature (in any country or language) that others should read?

Comments

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

LOLing at the Australian commentary "and something by Patrick White, who I haven't read". 100% accurate. Although I was once forced to study one of his plays, and literally boycotted it in disgust - I even cut classes while we were doing it, which is the most defiant I ever got in 13 years of schooling *g*

I would say that the Australian responders in that thread skew very young/modern, although not a bad thing, since the books mentioned reflect both indigenous and multicultural perspectives. However, I'd say classic 'canonical' Australian literature is really the (white, European) bush poets - Banjo Paterson, Henry Lawson. And everyone continues to learn Dorothea Mackellar's "My Country" (or at least its second verse) whether they really want to or not.

[msavi.livejournal.com]

::le sigh:: I remember when I had enough "me" time for reading things more substantial than Time magazine. :(