Depth in Literature?

[JC Denton]

This thread is for you to post your opinions about the best literature of anykind that you have experienced.

If you can, give three examples of very well formed characters, with perhaps some detail about the depth and scope of their character and what made them great.

And then, what pieces of literature as a whole do you favor as sublime, and for what reasons?

And what do you think makes an epic, depthful story?
(besides being entertaining)
Just looking for your opinions! (and cluttering up the board)

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Old, but I love it, esp for the language.

 

[FredLC]

Herman Melville's "Moby Dick". Captain Ahab is a wonderful caracther. He was the incarnation of obssession, and yet, he was still so humane.

I also love Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables", where the heros were a bit stereotypical (though in a intended form, as he wanted heros in a pure sense of the word), but the Villans are masterfully crafted, the entire Thenardieu family and specially Inspector Javert.

Regards .

 

[col]

Heart of Darkness. It can be read on so many levels and remains for me still one of the finest novels in the English Language. Apocalype Now was based on it but the essential themes of exploitation, madness and the darkness at the heart of men's souls are timleless. Even more impressive when you realise that Conrad was a native polish speaker.

Kurtz - successful guy but his methods were 'unsound'

 

[roadrunner23]

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Contains a microcosm of the space time continuum and the human condition. Even in translation the language is impeccable.
Anything by Vladimir Naboakov but especially Ada. Levels within levels. Multi-lingual Scrabble. Incest.

 

[ltcoljt]

All the Kings Men, Robert Penn Warren

Boss Stark- a man who determines to do good but finds nothing to make good with except badness

Jack Burden - whose search for absolute truth leaves him holding an empty bag

The Judge - a good man who does bad things and in the end refuses the path more well traveled

Adam Stanton - the proof that the best of men can come to ruin

Anne Stanton - the heart has no master but itself

Sugarboy - all a good hound dog needs is to be scratched between the ears every now and then

 

[JohnRM]

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Old, but I love it, esp for the language.

Oh, absolutely fantastic!

also...
The Bible, by God
Walden, by Thoreau
Romeo & Juliet, by Shakespeare

Moby Dick has been excellent, so far, but I'm not finished with it, yet.

 

[thestonesfan]

Atlas Shrugged

 

[cgannon64]

Atlas Shrugged

Boo!

Atlas Shrugged is the kind of book I hate - written with a theme in mind, with flat characters built around it.

If Atlas Shrugged had real character, I might be a Randist right now.

 

[Giotto]

It's so difficult to find a single work of literature to say is the best! So I will just say some of the most memorable single characters to me.

I agree with FredLC, in terms of a single great character I would be hard pressed to find one comperable to Ahab! Also deserving mention would be Holden Caulfield, Gatsby, Tom Sawyer, R.P. McMurphy, Edmond Dantes, Dracula, and heck many others that I have for the moment forgotten!

 

[thestonesfan]

Boo!

Atlas Shrugged is the kind of book I hate - written with a theme in mind, with flat characters built around it.

God forbid someone actually make a point.

If Atlas Shrugged had real character, I might be a Randist right now.

It's an outline for a philosophy, not a romance novel.

 

[test_specimen]

Heart of Darkness. It can be read on so many levels and remains for me still one of the finest novels in the English Language.

Very true, one of the few books you can read over and over again, and each time you will find another layer. Read it first, then watch Apocalypse Now! the best movie made from a novel ever. Conrad's language is much like Kafka - precise, descriptive, accurate. They are the two authors you'd recognise from a single sentence.

Auf dem Rennplatz in Clayton
wird heute von sechs Uhr früh bis Mitternacht
Personal für das Teater in Oklahama aufgenommen!
Das große Teater von Oklahama ruft Euch!
Es ruft nur heute, nur einmal!
Wer jetzt die Gelegenheit versäumt, versäumt sie für immer!
Wer an seine Zukunft denkt, gehört zu uns!
Jeder ist willkommen!
Wer Künstler werden will melde sich!
Wir sind das Teater, das jeden brauchen kann,
jeden an seinem Ort!
Wer sich für uns entschieden hat, den beglückwünschen wir gleich hier!
Aber beeilt Euch, damit Ihr bis Mitternacht vorgelassen werdet!
Um zwölf wird alles geschlossen und nicht mehr geöffnet!
Verflucht sei wer uns nicht glaubt!
Auf nach Clayton!​

 

[Narz]

The Power of One.

This is the best book I ever read. The characters are developed just enough without extrenious trivial details.

I would elaborate further but it's 4:51am and I told myself I'd be in bed by 5 tonight.

- Narz

 

[Akka]

The Vorkosigan saga by Bujold.
All the characters are masterfully described and felt. Never I was wondering "who could have said that" or "that isn't what I would expect from this one".

And the best part, is that the characters evolve through time, change opinions and viewpoints, and still stay themselves (in the sense that you still feel they are the same ones, but changed).