British Literature vs. American Literature

[Brendan Madley]

Which has provided great work? Britain: Shakespeare, Dickens, Doyle, Eliot, Hardy etc. or The United States: Steinbeck, Twain, Melville, Fitzgerald etc. I know many will say British and so would I, but I want to hear your opinions.

[PeterL]

Both countries have produced great literature. If you want to see which has prodduced more or better literature, then it is partly a mattter of taste, and literature has been produced in Britain for a longer time than the US has had writers.

[JBI]

I prefer the language in British, specifically English literature far more than in American literature. Though that is not a fair statement, since Britain has been writing books for a longer time than the States. Modern literature however is a toss up. For science fiction and fantasy I would say The United States wins hands down, but for more literary work probably Britain. For work in general though, right now I do not consider either of them to be "The Best".

[WriterAtTheSea]

Hello!!! Let's not forget Jane Austen!!

[McGrain]

Like you say, opinions, but i'd say that the works of Shakespeare are worth more than the entire output of American literature.

No-one's touching the US for movies, though.

[zigzig20s]

I think I tend to like American literature better actually...probably because it's more foreign to me - a bit of escapism.

[ennison]

One writer may be better than another, one text more impressive than another but the literature in one political entity compared with another can only be different. The idea of Britain as a political entity is archaic as well as limited since it only existed from the first decade of the eighteenth century until the third decade of the twentieth.
America has produced a stupendous quantity and quality of literature

[McGrain]

The idea of Britain as a political entity is archaic as well as limited since it only existed from the first decade of the eighteenth century until the third decade of the twentieth.
America has produced a stupendous quantity and quality of literature

I'd agree with all of that, but Britain as a [I]cultural[I] entity can surely be treated as a linear entity.

[kilted exile]

I'd agree with all of that, but Britain as a [I]cultural[I] entity can surely be treated as a linear entity.

I would suggest that britain is even less of a cultural entity than a political one. There are as many cultural differences as similarities.

[McGrain]

I would suggest that britain is even less of a cultural entity than a political one. There are as many cultural differences as similarities.

OK, yeah, but in the sense that it can be traced back and beyond the 18th century political cut-off suggested above. If you feel like it you can, as you say, cut of any sense of cutlural lineage due to divergance in its history, but you could also choose to follow it all the way back, no? I mean it is not really controversial to suggest that there is such a thing as British literary history - as opposed to political history - even if it would be a massive undertaking to trace it.

[aeroport]

The idea of Britain as a political entity is archaic as well as limited since it only existed from the first decade of the eighteenth century until the third decade of the twentieth.

But are we considering only the British Lit which falls into this category? This would exclude Chaucer, Shakespeare, Spencer, Sidney, the Beowulf poet, Milton, and several others from the question who are, I would venture to say, some of Britain's best writers.

America has produced a stupendous quantity and quality of literature

Quite so. I do not really think the two are comparable, as each has went through a great many "phases". I am impressed, though, that, given its comparatively short existence, America has dashed off such an amount as it has of really excellent literature. It has really only been about 200 years. We've finally reached the early 1800s in my American Lit class, beginning with Emerson, Thorough, and Fuller, and I have to say it is a great relief to be reading something other than preachers' diaries and accounts of the captives of Native Americans (also generally church-related folks, as they were the only ones who could read and write...). In my own opinion, the quality of this country's literature increased considerably when the religious influence began pulling itself into the background, beginning with Franklin and Jefferson, then the "Transcendentalists", and then going on to Irving, Melville, Poe, and the like (and finally James!). This gives Britain about four-hundred years on us at least, plus the Old and early-Middle English stuff. I do think it safe to say that, in general (though obviously with several exceptions), British literature - particularly from the Victorian era - is massively satirical. I'm not sure American writers ever were so concerned with social matters in the same way - with that one enormous exception of the slavery question. Perhaps I'll find more evidence to the contrary as the semester progresses...

[livelaughlove]

I definitely think American lit has a more contemporary taste, while English lit is more classic & refined. I love both for different reasons. We shouldn't forget the great poets, either-- Frost & Sylvia Plath, Wordsworth & Keats,etc.

[starbuck]

I defintely agree that British literature overpowers American lit. I have taken courses in both literatures and British is FAR more interesting and in depths than American literature. There is no American Shakespeare, Austen, or Bronte..period.

[Pensive]

I defintely agree that British literature overpowers American lit. I have taken courses in both literatures and British is FAR more interesting and in depths than American literature. There is no American Shakespeare, Austen, or Bronte..period.

There has never been a British Steinbeck, Poe and Irving, too. I personally can't seem to decide whether I find American Literature better or British Literature attracts me more, but I think that calling British Literature "far more interesting than American Literature" is something I would not feel comfortable to say with all great American writers around. Anyway, that's a matter of opinions.

[kilted exile]

Regarding "British literature" and what it includes (whether to include chaucer, shakespeare etc) I think it would be best to use the term "Literature from the British Isles" instead. I know this may seem pedantic but it is a more fitting term.