Mario wrote:
The question of lasting value is slippery... and impossible
to know when you read a recent book. Each generation makes
its literary icons, many of whom are later thrown out by
later generations. The question of lasting value is also
immaterial to the reader, isn't it?
************* Wonderful comments, Mario. This is getting to
the heart of the matter. It's important to know what one is
talking about when referring to a particular term, but beyond
that discussing definitions isn't overly productive. Since
"classic" is the desired terminology here, I'll use it. No
problem. It is the concept which is important, not the word
used to refer to it.
The question of lasting value is slippery, but it's
worthwhile. It is not only possible but probable that the
elements which give classics an enduring quality reflect
something intrinsically important about people. We are
talking about literature which transcends mere period pieces
to become classics. They have something in them which
resonates down through the ages. What those elements are is
not a hopeless quest, either. There's a buttload of classics
out there to examine and compare. And by comparing elements
in existing classics to contemporary ones it is possible that
one could predict whether it will become a classic. It might
not be simple, but I don't see it as the impossible task you
claim it to be.
Although the above is generic, it has a direct and specific
bearing on the subject of hardboiled and noir. For example,
"What are the elements in I, The Jury which will make it a
classic?" Or the flip side,
"What is the novel lacking that will eventually make it a
forgotten period piece?"
That brings me to your closing question. The answer as to
whether lasting value is immaterial to the reader, is a
resounding "no," at least not to this reader.
miker
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