# General > The Literature Network >  foreign literature

## fayefaye

I think it'd be a great idea if we had a part devoted to literature of non-english origin. A place for all the Dumas, Victor Hugo, tolstoy, even sun-tzu and others. I'd really like that.

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## Koa

Where? In the forum? Can't it be part of general literature? I think it was you, fayefaye, who noticed that most people here are students of English literature but I think the point is a lot of us study Literatures, full stop... Most of you are native English speakers, but if we were all Chinese, wouldn't Chinese literature be the most discussed here? 

So I don't feel this necessity... Just my opinion.  :Smile:

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## fayefaye

awww... that's a good point, but i liked the idea anyway.

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## Jay

And then, won't the other national literature would have to be in English for ALL of us to understand it? I can understand 6 languages (not all of them very good or even good, just some words and a little grammar...).
My point is: If you'd like to read eg. French literature and speak French, then go to a French site... (and I don't mean to offend or insult you)

Yep, the idea'd be good if you'd add "other national literature IN English", then I guess more guys would agree with you, I'd be one of them.

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## fayefaye

yes, other national literature in english. that's exactly what i wanted.

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## Jay

Then I'm joining your reguest Faye  :Wink: . You have anything in particular in your mind? Or just want to have a look at some...

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## fayefaye

i want to find lots and lots of ppl to talk to about dumas- in english, of course. aside from that, i really don't know... what about u?

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## Koa

I still don't see the point... I wasn't meaning that foreign literature should be kept in its languages or something, there's a lot of non-English stuff on this site, translated into English of course... But it IS of different origin... 
I don't see why the discussion about Dumas or Tolstoy or Calvino can't be in the General Literature section as it's been so far. All of it is general literature, why divide English and non-English?

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## Jay

Wait, someone intends deviding English and non-English literature? I'm so not into deviding anything... but Koa, I really don't think anyone wanted to do that... but then maybe I didn't understand? :oops:

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## Koa

> Wait, someone intends deviding English and non-English literature? I'm so not into deviding anything... but Koa, I really don't think anyone wanted to do that... but then maybe I didn't understand? :oops:


That's what I understood, and what I'm discussing, and what I'm against to... 

Now you put me into the doubt that it's me who misunderstood... (never ask an insecure person...  :Wink: )

Well let's wait for fayefaye to tell us what she really meant...

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## Jay

To make myself clear: I'm for foreign literature included, NOT separating it when more's uploaded (see the optimism hehe).

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## fayefaye

ok, never mind. maybe bad idea. i was just thinking- orwell gets his own place, so does shakespeare. general literature is incredibly broad; it doesn't really stimulate u to talk about types of literature, which might be kinda interesting. like under general lit have genres or foreign and english, or something like that.. i didn't mean division..

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## =Monkey_King=

The second most read book in the world is "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" by Luo Guanzhong... surprising eh?  :Tongue:

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## Jay

Well, not much as I don't know the book :o.

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## Koa

So it's surprising... You don't know it (nor do I) but it's the second most popular book...

And I keep my opinion: general literature is ok as it is, wide enough to discuss about anything at all. 
I've always thought Shakespeare and Orwell have their own place because Admin or someone else was interest in giving them a place... But since I'm not particularly into any of them, I hardly ever visit thos parts of the forum...

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## =Monkey_King=

Remember how many people china has... 
And also remember that someone pointed to China and Korea and said, which is China and which is KOrea?  :Biggrin:   :Biggrin:   :Biggrin:

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## Koa

> _Originally posted by =Monkey_King=_ 
> *
> And also remember that someone pointed to China and Korea and said, which is China and which is KOrea?   *


LOL  :Biggrin:

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## fayefaye

lol

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## Stanislaw

I think Having a section on foreign authors would be awesome.
Some of the best pieces of literature come from other cultures. it also gives you a chance to understand where other people are "coming from".

It should be in its own section, with different languages/cultures as subsections.

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## fayefaye

it's nice to have someone who likes my idea.

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## Stanislaw

I believe that good ideas should be supported.

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## Jay

I like the idea as well, but have kinda different kind of idea about it.

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## fayefaye

Okkaay, Jay. (I don't understand what you mean)

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## Jay

Not important Faye, seems like I've been babbling nonsenses recently, sorry.

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## fayefaye

Don't worry-I do that ALL the time! 

foreign lit-it really wasn't the best idea anyway.

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## Jay

was too  :Wink:

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## fayefaye

was not!! and you know it!  :Smile:

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## Jay

was TOO!!! I mean it.

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## fayefaye

awww, shucks. No you don't.  :Smile:  [we're not going to keep on contradicting each other on this are we?]

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## Jay

Was too!!! And I do...

And no, we definitelly are not  :Wink:

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## fayefaye

well, it certainly seems that way. Cave in, lady.  :Smile:  Ya know it wasn't. [who will back down from this first?]

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## Jay

You know, when you say it that way:



> [who will back down from this first?]


How can I let you to win?  :Biggrin: 

It was a good idea, maybe we should shout more for Chris to notice it  :Wink: . Hope he's not too busy...

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## fayefaye

I always win.

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## Jay

Ya think?  :Biggrin: 

C'mon guys, anyone else thinks having a foreign literature works on this site is a good idea? Well, to be objective, anyone who thinks it is a bad idea?

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## Azoic

When you say foreign lit, do you mean foreign to be outside of the US? And also for the lit to be untranslated?

I'm not opposed to having good texts, even if I can't read a word of it, as it'd be great for those who can.

I'd prefer lit I can read (meaning in english).

I've heard that people who can speak 4 languages are geniouses, and if you can speak 3 then you are gifted, speaking 2 languages is a mark of intelligence, and speaking 1 means you're from the U.S.A.  :Smile:

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## Koa

LOL! 
Cool, I'm a genius (if speaking not too well counts)

*show-off moment*

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## subterranean

All of the authors included here are foreigners for me and it wont make any difference for me whether there is any special foreign authors thread for discussion
 :Smile:

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## Jay

lol, me genius as well then  :Biggrin:   :Tongue: 

And I thought works originally not written in English, but to have here the English copies

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## Koa

> _Originally posted by subterranean_ 
> *All of the authors included here are foreigners for me and it wont make any difference for me whether there is any special foreign authors thread for discussion
> *


Right... Maybe that's why I still don't feel we need to separate things... what is foreign for some people, is not foreign for others and viceversa... literature is literature, full stop...

And yes I think the idea was about having the translations anyway. (another reason for not seeing why they should be separate...)

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## fayefaye

BAD IDEA!! Let it go people!!! *wishing i COULD delete this thread* Jay, you win! 

None of you even understand the idea. General literature has English literature and Foreign literature, both discussed in ENGLISH. Don't even know why I wrote it. LET IT GO!!

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## Koa

??? Why should this be deleted? it's a discussion, you made a proposal, someone liked it, someone didn't, noone was injured in the process of discussing as everyone made their point in a civilised way.  :Rolleyes:  

Then maybe we misunderstood the idea, that's possible, infact I don't understand your last explanation... :Confused:  Bah, I'm slow sometimes

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## Jay

Faye, I don't care who wins.

Ok, so let me re-phrase it, ok? What about more translated works into English, originally written in other/s national language/s? If I didn't get it Faye, just tell me so, I didn't understand it the first time around and since you explained it to me then, I thought I DO understand it now and like the idea, and think it IS a good one.

AND maybe it MIGHT be irrelevant, 'cause separating it might not be good, so if anyone has an idea of a book s/he'd liked to have included on this site, try that, huh, how's it called... yep, Book Request forum.

That enough of "caving in" for you Faye?  :Biggrin:  I don't loose easilly, but I don't want to let someone loose easilly as well, I prefer comprimises, so sue me.  :Wink: 

And you're NOT slow Koa, you just think you are  :Wink: .

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## fayefaye

*smiling* I can't believe this thing's still going, but ok. Just out of curiousity, what IS everyone's perception of the idea? Since so few people have any idea what I'm talking about.....

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## subterranean

I stated my idea Faye, I get your idea but I don't think it is necessary (IMHO)

Cheers

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## fayefaye

:Confused:  what was your idea?

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## subterranean

did you scroll back?

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## fayefaye

> _Originally posted by subterranean_ 
> *All of the authors included here are foreigners for me and it wont make any difference for me whether there is any special foreign authors thread for discussion
> *


This?

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