[LMB] OT: First book, second language

[B. Ross Ashley]

On Mon, 17 Jul 2006 10:10:52 -0400, "James Burbidge" <james.burbidge at gmail.com>
wrote:

> On 17/07/06, Jim Parish <jparish at siue.edu> wrote:

>> B. Ross Ashley suggested:
>  
>
>>> > Hey, what about Stephen Leacock and Hugh Garner? Or, since not all
>>> > literature is fiction, Pierre Berton and Farley Mowat?
>>    
>>
>>
>> Now, I've loved the Mowat that I've read, but would he really be counted
>> among the greats of Canadian literature?
>>
>  
>

> _Are_ there greats of Canadian Literature?

> I mean, there are some very good authors.  But greats...

> My list of great authors is exemplified (note: not exhausted! 
> I'm not trying to be complete here!) by Homer, Virgil, Horace,
> Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Cervantes, Racine, Goethe.  Is
> there anyone of remotely similar stature in Canadian Literature? 
> Anyone that is likely to be three centuries from now?

> James

Oh boy, hot button. Hee. English Canadian culture is only 221 years old, if that. Quebecois and Acadien cultures are of course older, but not comparatively by much.

I'd say that the English Canadians of today read three centuries from now would be Garner, Atwood, Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen, Milton Acorn, some of Mowat,  some of Pierre Berton. Unfortunately I am not that familar with the literature of Quebec, although I have read Roch Carrier in translation, both _The Hockey Jersey_ and _La Guerre, Yes Sir!_ 

And our descendants will be missing out on Doug Fetherling and Gwendolyn McEwen. (Full disclosure; I knew Doug when, 38 years ago; he was a fellow resister from the US.)

-- 
B. Ross Ashley
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http://brashley46.no-ip.info
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