Which country has the greatest literature?

Matematik   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:15 pm GMT
I believe it is a toss-up between Britain and Russia, depending on your personal tastes.
Die Hure   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:17 pm GMT
Britain? Not really...

I think it goes like this, based on overall contributions:
1) France/Germany
2) England/Russia
3) Italy/Spain
Die Hure   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:19 pm GMT
The problem with Russia is that it has a few absolutely amazing classics, but only a few. Western European countries have more, and they are spread over a greater period of time.
Penetra   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:24 pm GMT
Spain hands down.
Die Hure   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:34 pm GMT
I don't think you can't just make a list, actually.

The only thing that makes some sense to me is

1) England, France, Germany
2) Russian, Italy, Spain

Something also must be said in praise of Ancient Greek and Latin texts. I think that any educated person today should be familiar with either one of these two, with English, with French or German, and a fourth language, whether it's the native one, or one learned out of pure interest. <3
German   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:36 pm GMT
England... Are you kidding? Appart from Shakespeare (who is lying in the grave since five centuries ago) this country does not have important writers. And no, Harry Potter is not a masterpiece of literature.
Matematik   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:36 pm GMT
<<Spain hands down. >>

Yeah right, the only legendary writer Spain is known for is Cervantes, which is a peasants' version of Shakespear.
Pablo   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:38 pm GMT
The gloves are off! It's on.
Die Hure   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:40 pm GMT
Cervantes alone is great enough to carry Spain on its back through this thread.
Matematik   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:44 pm GMT
<<Cervantes alone is great enough to carry Spain on its back through this thread. >>

And yet you say yourself a few classics do not make a country a great literary nation. Mikhail Bulgakov is also great enough in his own right to carry Russia through this thread and many more!
Die Hure   Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:46 pm GMT
That's why I put Spain and Russia under the Big Three.
Penetra   Thu Apr 22, 2010 4:32 am GMT
OK!!! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!! I CANT HELP BEING SPANISH!!! I DIDNT ASK TO BE BORN IN RAPIDLY DEGENERATING SHITHOLE THAT SIDED WITH HITLER AND GOT CONQUERED BY MUSLIMS!!! ITS NOT MY FAULT SPAIN IS SHIT!!! (Sobs)
Naranjo   Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:44 am GMT
I'm afraid English literature is not as great as the European one: German, Italian, French, Spanish, Russian.
Visitor   Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:33 am GMT
The greatest literature of all time is the English literature because of Shakespeare next is French then either German or Italian or Russian.
El Zorro   Thu Apr 22, 2010 10:09 am GMT
Spain's literature (Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Antonio Machado, Garcia Lorca, etc) and Latin American literature (GarcĂ­a Marquez, Isabel Allende, Pablo Neruda, Julio Cortazar, Octavio Paz, etc) all together makes literature in Spanish the most important.

English literature (Shakespeare and Harry Potter) and North American one (Stephen King, Mickey, Donald and Hustler) makes English the second most important literature of all times.

Fighting for the third place: French-France, German-Germany, Russian-Russia.