Comments on: Readable Reading http://www.literally-blogging.com/2005/09/readable-reading/ Classic and Contemporary Literature (and a little bit of popular fiction, every now and then) Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:38:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: John (SYNTAGMA) http://www.literally-blogging.com/2005/09/readable-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-30 John (SYNTAGMA) Sat, 01 Oct 2005 19:48:10 +0000 http://literally-blogging.com/?p=13#comment-30 Eliot was one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, in my view. As for readability by a modern audience, well, who would have understood the reference to the Fire Sermon even then, except a Buddhist scholar? Great writer plough their own furrow. We just have to follow them. Eliot was one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, in my view. As for readability by a modern audience, well, who would have understood the reference to the Fire Sermon even then, except a Buddhist scholar? Great writer plough their own furrow. We just have to follow them.

]]> By: Jacob Murphy http://www.literally-blogging.com/2005/09/readable-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Jacob Murphy Thu, 29 Sep 2005 18:45:14 +0000 http://literally-blogging.com/?p=13#comment-27 JeroenR, you make a good point. Pop-Culture infiltrates art, and these days more than ever (how's that for vast assumption) is often considered art. I think you are correct in saying that culture will be vastly different in 2080, and what we are reading today will not speak to that culture in the same way. I suppose that my hope is that some literature will transcend the notion of 'context as king' and continue speaking. This is what I envision for the body of 'classic literature'. And as you say, that body is not static, but growing. I love reading Eliot, I particularly enjoy "the Lovesong of J.Alfred Prufrock", and that certainly was written for a different culture than the one I find myself planted in. But it speaks to me all the same, and that is good. JeroenR, you make a good point. Pop-Culture infiltrates art, and these days more than ever (how’s that for vast assumption) is often considered art.

I think you are correct in saying that culture will be vastly different in 2080, and what we are reading today will not speak to that culture in the same way. I suppose that my hope is that some literature will transcend the notion of ‘context as king’ and continue speaking. This is what I envision for the body of ‘classic literature’. And as you say, that body is not static, but growing.

I love reading Eliot, I particularly enjoy “the Lovesong of J.Alfred Prufrock”, and that certainly was written for a different culture than the one I find myself planted in. But it speaks to me all the same, and that is good.

]]> By: JeroenR http://www.literally-blogging.com/2005/09/readable-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-26 JeroenR Thu, 29 Sep 2005 14:04:29 +0000 http://literally-blogging.com/?p=13#comment-26 "I think that the world is better off now that quality works by a diverse authorship are readily available, not too expensive, and are predominantly readable." I do think it is important to step back a bit here and think about what we mean by 'readable'. While you're right that Elliot wrote for an elite audience, his contemporaries (as you point out) would understand his references. I think many reader in 2080 will find today's literature just as unreadable. Current literature has become so intertextual, especially in its' references to pop culture, that it will also be relatively 'unreadable' in the future. The classics will very likely maintain their place in the canon of literature (although the canon is not, and never should be, a static entity), but it remains to be see how we'll study today's popular culture in the future. “I think that the world is better off now that quality works by a diverse authorship are readily available, not too expensive, and are predominantly readable.”

I do think it is important to step back a bit here and think about what we mean by ‘readable’. While you’re right that Elliot wrote for an elite audience, his contemporaries (as you point out) would understand his references. I think many reader in 2080 will find today’s literature just as unreadable. Current literature has become so intertextual, especially in its’ references to pop culture, that it will also be relatively ‘unreadable’ in the future. The classics will very likely maintain their place in the canon of literature (although the canon is not, and never should be, a static entity), but it remains to be see how we’ll study today’s popular culture in the future.

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