Experiment

Another thing which I found interesting about class today was the point Professor made about the civil war book. He said that “the best” civil war book was written not by someone who lived it but by someone who did not. I know I am a literary amateur in comparison to Mr. Sexson, and I have not read either of the books, but I feel as though it is hard to say one work of literature is better than the other. Especially if literature is a person experience. I feel as though different novels or poems or whatever inspires different things in different individuals. The best known or the most highly praised books aren’t worth reading if they don’t give you the best experience? At least that’s my attitude towards it…but anyway I got off topic, back to the civil war book thing, just because the account which most interesting or the most is well known isn’t written by someone who participated in the war doesn’t mean it’s more accurate. I mean imagine the guy who wrote the book who actually participated in the war. Imagine his facial expressions while he writes the memories which probably have the power to bring men to tears. Just because he isn’t as eloquent or articulate doesn’t mean his account couldn’t be more interesting relative to someone else. The popular vote is usually overrated, I feel like famous literature can sometimes be like the New York Times Bestseller list, great books for sure but not necessarily the best or most interesting to everyone.
Not all books are great for all people. Hence genres, yes some books are a work of art but I mean look at Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, if you go to the Louvre there are dozens of people crowded around it taking pictures and getting super excited, and they focus so much on that they miss out on other works of art they might enjoy more. Reading should be like anything else, you can only allow people to tell you what to read and what you should enjoy to a certain point, you have to branch out try new things try new genres, different artists, needle in the haystack type of stuff even.