Is Literary Glory Worth Chasing?

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From The New York Review of Books:

Is writing worth it? Does it make any sense at all to pursue literary glory? Are the writers we praise really the best anyway?

In 1824, the Italian poet and philosopher Giacomo Leopardi decided to take on the subject in a thirty-page essay, of kinds. In fact, he puts his reflections somewhat playfully in the mouth of Giuseppe Parini, perhaps the finest Italian poet of the eighteenth century, a man from a poor family who spent all his life seeking financial and political protection in the homes of the aristocracy. Leopardi imagines Parini—“one of the very few Italians of our times who combined literary excellence with depth of thought”—responding to an exceptionally talented and ambitious young writer seeking advice. What follows here is nothing more than a brief summary of what he says; I take no responsibility for the ideas expressed. Readers can decide for themselves how much of this rings true today.

. . . .

Young man, literary glory, or the fame that comes from learning and then writing, is one of the very few forms of glory presently available to the commoner. Admittedly, it’s not as impressive or satisfying as the glory that derives from public service, since action is much worthier and nobler than thinking or writing, and more natural. We weren’t made to spend our lives sitting at a table with pen and paper, and doing so can only be detrimental to your health and happiness. All the same, as I said, this is a glory that can be achieved without initial riches and without being part of a large organization.

. . . .

First, only a tiny minority of people are able to judge great literature. Since literary achievement depends largely on style, and style is intimately tied to language, anyone who isn’t a native speaker won’t be able to appreciate the immense efforts you’ve put into developing a refined style. So that puts most of mankind out of the picture. Then those who do share your language will have to have put in the same effort that you have if they’re going to enjoy your achievements. Only people who have learned to write well themselves can really judge writing. There are only two or three such experts in Italy today, and don’t imagine the situation is much better in other countries.

Second, perception of literary achievement is very largely a question of celebrity. I am convinced, for example, that the reverence felt for the best writers of the past mostly comes from blind tradition rather than individual judgment. We enjoy the classics in part for their celebrity as classics, the same way we admire a princess to a degree because she’s a princess. A poem as good as the Iliad, written today, would not give the pleasure of the Iliad. We wouldn’t feel the warmth of its centuries-old celebrity. Similarly, if we were to read a great classic without knowing it was a great classic, it wouldn’t please us so much.

Link to the rest a The New York Review of Books

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https://youtu.be/VCLxu2yHVaM

 

14 thoughts on “Is Literary Glory Worth Chasing?”

  1. Title be a question so ‘no’ …

    Much better/more fun to chase the fans that like your work –
    and the money!

    MYMV

  2. First, only a tiny minority of people are able to judge great literature.

    And they should be pitied and prayed* for.

    (*If praying is your thing.)

    • And why should we care what they think about anything? I confess. I can’t name any of them in the US (or anywhere else). Can anyone name one of the US Tiny Minority?

      • I meant pity/pray for them as in, they’re so hopelessly focused on finding “great literature” that it’s hard to see how they enjoy reading. 😛

  3. “Is writing worth it? Does it make any sense at all to pursue literary glory? Are the writers we praise really the best anyway?“
    ………….

    Mickey Spillane had several things to say about that.

    “Hemingway hated me. I sold 200 million books, and he didn’t. Of course most of mine sold for 25 cents, but still… you look at all this stuff with a grain of salt.”

    “I don’t give a damn about reviews. What I like to read are royalty checks.”

    “Those big-shot writers … could never dig the fact that there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar.”

  4. Mickey Spillane had several things to say about that.

    “Those big-shot writers … could never dig the fact that there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar.”

    “Authors want their names down in history; I want to keep the smoke coming out of the chimney.”

    “Hemingway hated me. I sold 200 million books, and he didn’t. Of course most of mine sold for 25 cents, but still… you look at all this stuff with a grain of salt.”

    “I have no fans. You know what I got? Customers. And customers are your friends.”

    And the money shot.

    “I don’t give a damn about reviews. What I like to read are royalty checks.”

  5. Huh.

    You can leave your name and email blank and it will post as anonymous.

    Sorry about the double post, the puppy climbed into my lap and hit the wrong spot on the iPad.

  6. I think he was right (considering literacy was much lower then). And I agree that many people only ‘like’ classics because of the celebrity value.

    • Wow. Some things never change.

      I thought this whole thing was hilarious. I’m a mostly recovered English Major and, while no one I went to school with was this douchey about literature, many of the literary critics definitely were.

  7. OED Glory

    1 High renown or honour won by notable achievements
    Can you have high renown with just three people ? Would that not be just a reputation or someone who knows someone?
    Or maybe it’s

    2 Magnificence or great beauty.
    Which really does not need someone else to tell you that’s in the eye of the beholder and those three don’t matter .

    3 Praise, worship, and thanksgiving offered to a deity
    Ahh gotcha

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