Litterary Canon

[Sergius]

Couldn't it be in the interest of the Stirpes to create a canon of European litterature? I would gladly do mine to contribute to it, and see members from all over Europe with each their knowledge.
What do you say?

[svin]

Interesting idea. I'll try to participate too.

[Sergius]

I am glad to see that from a solid member. I hope that several members would contribute.
Given that they will indeed do so, I'd like to pose a few questions already at this point:
1. How far back in time should we go when choosing litterature for the canon?
2. What requirements are their, id est: how far can the European theme be stretched? I personally think that Russian litterature must be included, but how about American writers? Personally, I say no, for a number of reasons that I hope we can discuss later on. Works written by colonists elsewhere, then?
3. Do mythological texts qualify? Homer? The Poetic Edda (question of artist versus verbal traditions)? Mahabharata (non-European, yet some may claim that it's relevant)?

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by dorje

2. What requirements are their, id est: how far can the European theme be stretched? I personally think that Russian litterature must be included, but how about American writers? Personally, I say no

Count me in.

for a number of reasons that I hope we can discuss later on.

Only if you want to discuss them.

Works written by colonists elsewhere, then?

We can keep strictly to Europe.

3. Do mythological texts qualify? Homer? The Poetic Edda (question of artist versus verbal traditions)?

In my opinion, they should.

Mahabharata (non-European, yet some may claim that it's relevant)?

Still, non-European.

[Laocoon]

Hmm, I like the idea. Can't wait to see your contributions, all.

[Sergius]

In his canon (I'm not that ambitious, don't worry), Harold Bloom divides world litterature into the following categories. We can use these or similar ones, with national subcategories, to keep it simple and chronological.

-The Ancient Greeks
-Hellenistic Greeks
-The Romans
-Middle Ages
-The Aristocratic Age
-The Democratic Age
-The Chaotic Age: A Canonical Prophecy

[Errigal]

It would be important to establish early on whether it was meant to be a list of influential works, or a list of admirable ones. The two are clearly not the same thing; the works of Sigmund Freud would make it on the first list but not the second.

I would vote for it being a list of works that had a great impact on European thought, not just those works which are admired.

[Sergius]

Agreed, but then again, I was also hoping to see more than Goethe-Boccacio-Joyce-Homer-Pushkin folks. Of course, the focus would, and should, be on works that have "had a great impact on European thought," as you said, but lesser-known artists from not so obvious countries in European litterature would have their place on the list, too. There may not be a Wilde of Malta or a Schiller of Slovenia, but if they've had national or regional importance on some level, it would be interesting to see them listed by people from these particular areas.

[Faísca]

Originally Posted by dorje

In his canon (I'm not that ambitious, don't worry), Harold Bloom divides world litterature into the following categories. We can use these or similar ones, with national subcategories, to keep it simple and chronological.

-The Ancient Greeks
-Hellenistic Greeks
-The Romans
-Middle Ages
-The Aristocratic Age
-The Democratic Age
-The Chaotic Age: A Canonical Prophecy

Great idea, great idea indeed. Count me in as well.

Regarding the division, why not use the usual literary movements division?

Something like (I'll start in the 18th century just for you to get the grip):

• Romanticism
• Gothic Novels
• Transcendentalism
• Realism
• Naturalism
• Symbolism
• Modernism
• Surrealism
• etc...

[Errigal]

Yes, I think it is fair for people to say "I recommend it because it's important" and "I recommend it because it's good and interesting". Both are valid.

I'll start:
"The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde - because it's good.

[Apostolica]

Hello to All,

klick for a visit at www.ellopos.net , and you'll have best offers of European literature. (Use only one "t" in this word !)

[Sergius]

Do you think it is necessary with subdivisions within the ages and centuries? For instance:
-Greek
-Roman
-Medieval
-Renaissance
-16th century
-17th century
-18th century
-19th century
-20th century

Am I oversimplifying things, or do we need genres and lesser movements?

Also, if we have enough interested members, perhaps we could make geographical groupings. They could have separate discussions (or at least a foreman who could gather the group's proposals) of their areas before we started compiling the canon. If we have enough members, that is...

[Sergius]

I had actually given up on this, more or less, but now that I have nothing else to do with my time, I would like to revive the thread.

Well, to start somewhere: 19th century. These are all easy picks. If anyone else still cares for this list, please add more, as I know that there are many good and/or obvious artists that I haven't included in these lists.
For now, I operate in English titles (unless the original title is better known), simply for the convenience. In an eventual final list, all titles will be in the original and the most commonly known translation.

Russia
Fyodor Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment
Fyodor Dostoevsky - Notes from the Underground
Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Leo Tolstoy -War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy -The Power of Darkness
Aleksandr Pushkin - Eugene Onegin
Aleksandr Pushkin - Boris Godunov
Ivan Turgenev - A Month in the Country
Ivan Turgenev - Fathers and Sons
Segey Aksakov - A Family Chronicle

France
Gustave Flaubert - Madame Bovary
Honoré de Balzac - The Girl with the Golden Eyes
Charles Baudelaire - Flowers of Evil
Victor Hugo - Les Misérables
Théophile Gautier - Mademoiselle de Maupin
François-Auguste-René de Chateaubriand - Attala

[Sergius]

these are the periods. I will post my list later tonight.

Ancient
Medieval
Renaissance
Eighteenth Century
Romantic
Modern Literature
Contemporary Literature