who is the most argued author?

[mike thomas]

Given the last six hundred years, which author has caused the most debate?

[janesmith]

Hardy has caused a lot of controversy, particularly with his later, supposed anti-marriage novels. However, in terms of an over arching influence in relation to literature I would suggest Darwin has made a profound impact.

[dfloyd]

probably Voltaire and Rosseau.

[PeterL]

I think that the era that you specified is much too long. There were aiuthors at the beginning of that period who are essentially forgotten today, but who evoked great debate at one time.

[Jassy Melson]

James Joyce and Shakespeare

[grechzoo]

have to agee with joyce, either people who have a high amount of patience love him, or people who are looking for a close to instant expereicen come away unimpressed (im on the latter end, really dont have the patience to work for it)

[PrimordialBeast]

I'd put Nietzsche on that list.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I'll add Marx and Freud. Really the 19th century wouldn't have been the same without Darwin, Marx and Freud, they blew it away!

To a smaller degree in that period, I'll put my poor Oscar in too. His trial and imprisonment was certainly, and obviously the most controversial and scandalous event of the 1890s.

[Alexander III]

I am quite sure that Byron and his life has been a topic frequently touched

[mal4mac]

Shakespeare - he got several hundred years start on the rest and still tops the list of "the greatest". He's a central part of the curriculum in most (all?) English speaking classrooms so every English speaking schoolkid alive will have debated his works at some point (surely!)

The Germans philosophers & literati have been obsessed with Shakespeare from the 17th century onwards. Tolstoy was obsessed with trying to surplant him, which generated a lot debate across the world. The Japanese are obsessed with him (Think "Ran", etc,...)

[JBI]

As a practical answer, in the last century probably Lu Xun, then, as a writer, probably Mao Zedong. Though, Marx would be a good choice for the last 600 years. Still, on artistic grounds, one could probably find Mao the most controversial, as he actually was a pretty damn good poet and a fantastic prose stylist. Marx is more of a controversy for his political legacy, rather than his actual writing - which, if actually read, isn't perhaps as radical as people make it out to be.

Voltaire and Rousseau though - if you look at Rousseau, he is remembered for a few works, but ultimately, his collection as a whole is hardly different - similarly with Thomas More, who is also remembered for one work. Rousseau himself was hardly the model romantic that later interpreters made him out to be, and Voltaire's remark of him as "syphilitic slanderer" is quite fitting, as he was quite objectionable on any decent grounds in many ways. That I guess adds to the controversy, which would make him a good candidate, and arguably his range was quite vast - North America and beyond.

Still, I will go with Mao, since he will be a debated issue long after I am dead I am sure - still though, I find it kind of strange to play this game - the most controversial moments generally are quite boring today.

[Desolation]

I'm going to agree with Darwin, Marx, Freud, Nietzsche, Joyce, and Shakespeare.

In the US, the works of the Founding Fathers deserve mention, as what they said and what they meant and who understands them better has been among the most frequent and annoying debates in American history.

[Pensive]

how about the most argued writer in the contemporary literature?

[minstrelbard]

I think Ayn Rand gets a lot of arguing going.