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You are in fact being a huge literature snob saying that it's insulting to even compare the two. To Kill a Mockingbird was culture changing because it touched o
by cm2012 11y ago
You are in fact being a huge literature snob saying that it's insulting to even compare the two. To Kill a Mockingbird was culture changing because it touched on such an important issue to American culture (race relations, etc.), while also being a well written book grounded in the human spirit. It is not objectively better written than ASOIAF, which has surprising depth and a keen understanding of the human spirit in conflict with itself.
ASOIAF has flaws, but so does TKAMB. Atticus could be argued to be quite a one dimensional character (not counting the sequel, which comes out of nowhere and is widely regarded to NOT be well written).
- edge17 11y agoTo be fair, it was also culture changing because it was required reading for a lot of schoolchildren.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- mintplant 11y agoThe cause and the effect might be the other way around there.
- ktRolster 11y agoIf Atticus were a one-dimensional character, then a complex analysis like this one couldn't have been written: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/08/10/the-courthouse-ring http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/08/10/the-courthouse-... He wasn't one-dimensional, he was very complex and real.
- dvt 11y agoI think it's fairly obvious that TKAMB is objectively better than ASOIAF. What next? You'll tell me that Dante Alighieri's 'Divine Comedy' isn't objectively better than Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code'? Or that 'The Grapes of Wrath' isn't objectively better than 'Fifty Shades of Grey'? I don't buy your bullshit relativism.
- LanguageGamer 11y agoWhile I agree with your assessment of the comparative merit of these works, in what sense is that assessment objective? I believe TKAMB is worth advocating for, and even reflecting that worth in our institutions, for example by making one required reading instead of the other. But I can also imagine individual circumstances where ASOIAF is a more important and worthwhile experience for someone. (Edit: Typo)
- dvt 11y ago> in what sense is that assessment objective? There's no easy way of answering that on this kind of medium (an Internet forum). I took two graduate seminars and wrote several papers on it :) But as a primer, I strongly suggest reading Hume's 'Of the standard of taste': http://www.econlib.org/library/LFBooks/Hume/hmMPL23.html http://www.econlib.org/library/LFBooks/Hume/hmMPL23.html In that essay, he attempts to provide some clear-cut criteria for an objective judgment of art, food, and literature. (Note that there ARE people that are relativists and they have a somewhat compelling argument. That's perfectly fine. I just don't buy it and I think they're wrong.)
- santaclause33 11y agoInstead of saying, "It's too complicated to explain", why don't you give it a shot?
- chm 11y agoOr simply give links to the papers?
- LanguageGamer 11y agoThanks for the recommendation! I will definitely read that. I've no formal education in this area, but have read Hume's "An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding", and got quite a lot out of it.
- kbenson 11y ago
- thaifighter 11y agoI think he's right. Harper Lee was supremely significant and impactful. GRRM is just entertaining. If they wrote exactly the same, it would still read better coming from her.
- tspiteri 11y agoAtticus is one dimensional because he is described through the eyes of his adoring daughter. That's why I like the sequel, because it shows the daughter growing to understand that her father isn't perfect after all.