Just Literature discussion

What is considered classis in various countries? I mean in each respective country. For example which Nigeria books are considered classics in Nigeria, the same for Australia, Brazil, Mongolia, Croatia etc. I would like to broaden my knowledge about classic books from around the world and hopefully add them to my list around the world. Thanks for titles in advance!

Sam wrote: "What is considered classis in various countries? I mean in each respective country. For example which Nigeria books are considered classics in Nigeria, the same for Australia, Brazil, Mongolia, Cro..."

Hello Sam,

That's a big topic; thanks for posting about it.

I'd say it's quite hard to know what a 'classic' is exactly. Going down memory lane, I once (well for a long time) had the dream of reading all the classics of English Literature. An impossible feat of course.

There are a few things to keep in mind, in my opinion, about what makes a 'classic'.

To start with, each country has a canon; however, there are many issues with canons. Canons can be influenced by political and jdeological views. It is not by mistake that governements keep a very clise eye on what books are read in schools.

What is more, a classic does not necessarily keep the same 'status' throughout history. One only has to think about how Hemmingway was a demigod in the 80s and is now less popular (and much criticism has been levelled at him, especially from feminist critics). Similarly, I have sadly seen a decline in the popularity of some great writers, including Milton and Chaucer, in their home countries.

This very much depends on the educational system...