# Who is on the Mount Rushmore of English Language Literature? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054 "2012-01-19T19:48:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/1 "2012-01-19T19:48:46Z")
I am thinking: William Shakespeare Charles Dickens James Joyce I am thinking an American author but I can’t decide between Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, or Herman Melville. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/2 "2012-01-19T20:06:12Z")
I’d put Twain over both Poe and Melville. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/3 "2012-01-19T20:26:15Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > James Joyce I thought you said “English language.” ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/4 "2012-01-19T20:52:40Z")
Ayn Rand. ::ducks:: I’d put Milton in before Joyce, or maybe Henry James. Twain’s a good fourth, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/5 "2012-01-19T21:07:58Z")
I’d put Twain in of the 3 mentiond in the OP. I’d probably replace Joyce, too, but I’m not sure with whom. Maybe Poe. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/6 "2012-01-19T21:09:57Z")
Shakespeare and Twain are mandatory, in my opinion. I could probably be persuaded for a large number of choices for the other 2 - in particular I’m not particularly fond of putting Dickens there. ---
**Author:** ![Bilbo1967](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bilbo1967](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bilbo1967)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/7 "2012-01-19T21:12:19Z")
How about Steinbeck? One of the very best American authors in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/8 "2012-01-19T21:32:24Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > I could probably be persuaded for a large number of choices for the other 2 - in particular I’m not particularly fond of putting Dickens there. Dickens is the Teddy Roosevelt of literature. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/9 "2012-01-19T21:38:21Z")
Hemingway, instead of Joyce (definitely **not** James) perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Bilbo1967](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bilbo1967](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bilbo1967)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/10 "2012-01-19T21:40:42Z")
For me, any Mount Rushmore of English language literature that didn’t include Shakespeare and Dickens would be a travesty. Personally, I’d have Steinbeck there (as the US representative) + one other, possibly from somewhere other than the UK or the US to try to keep it as internationally representative as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/11 "2012-01-19T21:51:48Z")
Shakespeare and Twain absolutely. I’m comfortable with Dickens. Then we need one more. If I were choosing it’d probably come down to Hemingway or Steinbeck. I think I’ll take Steinbeck, since Hemingway is a divisive choice. So in order of importance: Shakespeare, Twain, Dickens, Steinbeck. I’m not married to the last one though. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/12 "2012-01-19T22:06:00Z")
And, just like with U.S. presidents, women are apparently not welcome. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/13 "2012-01-19T22:06:21Z")
How about T.S. Eliot? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/14 "2012-01-19T22:08:49Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > And, just like with U.S. presidents, women are apparently not welcome. Why don’t you propose one? It’s not like the stonecutters are already setting up the scalfolding. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/15 "2012-01-19T22:29:14Z")
Twain, Shakespeare, Whitman, and for a little sex appeal, Austen. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/16 "2012-01-19T22:40:51Z")
No love for Stephanie Meyer? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/17 "2012-01-19T22:42:49Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Why don’t you propose one? George Eliot ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/18 "2012-01-19T22:45:54Z")
Shakespeare and Dickens for definite, plus probably Twain and Austen. It’s not just about them being good, but ‘big’ very well-known authors that quite a lot of people do think are good and have had some significant influence on other writing. Only four does make it difficult, though. There are cases to be made for a lot of authors other than Twain and Austen. Maybe after this thread you could start a poll with the most-suggested writers. A real literary Mount Rushmore would be kinda cool. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/19 "2012-01-19T22:58:27Z")
Mary Shelly for the women authors, maybe? Aphra Behn for an outside shot? And at the risk of getting off track…who ends up on the [Stone Mountain of Literature](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Mountain)? Meyer, Clancy, and Burroughs? ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054/20 "2012-01-19T23:12:36Z")
Shakespeare/Dickens/Hemingway/Joyce On the bench: Twain Austen Steinbeck Somebody modern - maybe Rushdie (his name would be a helpful reminder) or maybe even Rowling Melville Fitzgerald Faulkner Orwell Poe Hawthorne Woolf Tolkein [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-on-the-mount-rushmore-of-english-language-literature/610054.md?page=2)