GREAT BOOKS AND “TRASH”:
THE CANON WARS.
We could
say that “Canon books” or “Canon authors” are the most important books or
authors of the global literature that have become a reference for the current
literature and that have inspired writers to make the literature of our days.
In spite of this, I think that Canon literature has always been changing, that
is to say, current authors haven’t always been inspired by “the Greek
Canon”. I think that the society of the epoch has also influenced in this
Canon, because if it weren’t like this, all the novels would have the same
plot. For instance, it isn’t the same an Ancient Greek book than other from the
Middle Age. An ancient Greek book is not the same as another written in
the Middle Ages.
Moreover, I
also think that this Canon is “fading” as the author says, because we have
a very large kind of readings that traditionalists wouldn’t include in this
“Canon”. In my opinion, you do your own Canon from the moment you begin to
read. It’s obviously true that every young child should read first all these
classics to make his own Canon in order to be a good reader. In addition to
this, I think that it’s a pity that comic books, magazines or detective books aren’t
considered as a “Canon” since I really enjoy them. Fromm y point of view, The
books that traditionalists consider as “trash” have also inspired good novels
or films, which could be considered as a “a Canon or a a Classic”, like for
example The Adventure of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin) or in Spanish
“Mortadelo and Filemón”, which I reckon they should be part of these classics
is a few years’ time. But, the best example we have got in Spanish literature
is “El Quijote”, which is obviously considered a canon, but whose origins are
based on chivalry book. These books were considered as “trash” literature at
that time.
All in all,
I think that “my Canon” is not the same as that of others. And you, what is
your “Canon”?
