Modern Literature Sucks
Jason Pront
December 13, 2000
After perusing the New York Times bestseller list, I see plenty of thrillers and pulp fiction written by the likes of John Grisham and Jackie Collins. Popular? Yes. Well written? Sure. Entertaining? No doubt. Future classics? Probably not.
Where are the great writers of the 1990s? Nearly every prior decade this century has produced at least one stellar writer whose works gained critical acclaim both then and now. The 1920s gave us Sinclair Lewis and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The 1930s were immortalized by the great John Steinbeck. During the 1940s Ernest Hemmingway and William Faulkner achieved great fame (and notoriety) which would continue well into the 1950s, a decade which also brought us Graham Greene, J. D. Salinger, and Jack Kerouac. By the 1960s Richard Wright was an established author, and Kurt Vonnegut saw popularity in both this decade and in the 1970s.
By the 1980s, however, we begin to see a significant dropoff. Several authors from Latin America, most notably Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, come into their own during these years, but by the time 1990 arrived the cutting edge of literature had become quite dull indeed.
These days most fiction is mass produced shock value reminiscent of a Cinemax midnight movie: fast paced, with plenty of action, almost definitely a little sex, and no deeper meaning. This is in sharp contrast to the past, when books were literature, not just novels.
So what are we to do? For starters, I highly encourage all suggestions of good modern literature. Surely the craft of writing is not a lost art. I remain ever optimistic, despite all evidence to the contrary, that there exist one or more undiscovered talents within our midst.
Further, I highly encourage everyone who reads this column to return to the writing of our roots. The authors mentioned above, as well as many others whom I opted not to indicate, are some of the finest writers of our history. I suggest reading at least one book by every one of those authors (see my list below).
Finally, talk about literature. Join book clubs. Participate in internet chat rooms. Post a response to this article in which you drag me over the coals for neglecting to mention your favorite author, or even for being so out of touch and for having no knowledge of today's greatest new novelist. Please, prove me wrong. I hope you can.
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Just to prove my point about older literature being much better than today's output, I've tossed together a short list of great books. By reading some or all of these, you will educate yourself, become more cultivated and cultured, and may even be able to impress members of the opposite sex with your powerful knowledge and deep insights into the literary arts. John Steinbeck - Cannery Row: While not as well known as his other works, Cannery Row is one of the best examples of Steinbeck's style. The reader is effortlessly transported into the lives of depression-era Californians; yet, rather than harp on the misery of the era, the focus is more on the positive aspects of life, and of finding humanitiy even in the harshest of conditions. Graham Greene - Our Man In Havana: One of the most amusing literary works by this master of the written word. The concept of a simple salesman becoming an accidental spy is accentuated by the ridiculous events that follow. However, once you scratch the surface you'll see that this book is much more than a joke. F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby: If you haven't read this one yet, do so immediately. This book's reputation as being the "greatest book ever" according to many college polls may lead you to believe that it's overrated. Trust me, it's not. Joseph Heller - Catch-22: While many consider Hemmingway to be one of the greatest writers on the subject of war, Heller puts a different (and much lighter) spin on the subject. The absurdity of the characters only enhances the subtlety of Heller's commentary. |
