Depends on what you mean by "greatest" - and yes I know that's the point. I'm tempted to say The Count of Monte Cristo for reasons, but it definitely doesn't win on originality nor technical grounds.
I'm actually reading The Brothers Karamazov for the first time right now. So far it's not my favorite of the Russian realist stuff I've read, but it's still building up.
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"Virtue, Jacques, is an excellent thing. Both good people and wicked people speak highly of it..."
Interesting question. I would have to break this down by the various mediums, as I can't pick one particular item as being absolutely stand-out.
Literary Novels: Michael Moorcock's Elric saga, beginning with The Stealer of Souls and culminating with The White Wolf's Son, which goes full circle to events in the second Elric novel, Stormbringer. Epic in scope with musings on individual responsibility, freedom, metaphysics, and the nature of Good and Evil in relation to Law and Chaos.
Honorable mention to Stephen King's Dark Tower Cycle (all eight novels) and Clive Barker's Weaveworld.
Film: Bruce Wayne's journey through the Dark Knight trilogy. The ending to TDKR got me weepy and Bane was a marked improvement over his comic incarnation and a worthy successor to Ledger's Joker. Bane's quest for apotheosis and presentation as what Bruce could have become were pleasantly subtle.
Video Game: Resident Evil 0-5, including the Code Veronica-X game. The series was convolluted and nonsensical; great pulpy fun.
Trading Card Game: Magic's Kamigawa Cycle.
Role Playing Game: Richard Lee Byers' Brotherhood of the Griffon tie-in novels.
Television: A Game of Thrones; this is a rare case where I like the adaption moreso than the source material.
Oedipus Rex. Mel Brooks summoned it up w/ Gregory Heins, w/ the best one liner that Oedipus could here (I'd repeat it, but I'd get a slap on the wrist, lol)... Give to Oedipus...
I think that Code Geass exemplifies what I would consider to be the ideal traits that most people would look for in a series. It has high production values with a beautiful art direction, a well fleshed out plot that appeals to multiple audiences and some killer acting by the Japanese VA's. I realize this is an answer not many people would agree with, but as far as visual media goes, there are few that come close in my mind, and I believe a story is better communicated as a series than as a movie or even a series of movies.
As far as literature is concerned, the really enjoy the Riftwar Cycle, principally by Raymond Feist. It has many facets to it, and numerous authors have dipped in to add their flair to the works presented to the universe. It is a vast series, and there are plenty of books in it for people who don't like typical fantasy. The opening 4 books of the Riftwar Cycle are critically acclaimed, powerful books with a vibrant world to explore and a classic fantasy feel to it, akin to a Star Wars in the fantasy world for a different time. Don't mistake me, while similarities can be made, the Riftwar Saga is far removed from Star Wars in both actuality and in the feel of the material. I have read the entire series multiple times, and plan to do so again.
The Bible seems to be the clear answer to this question.
From a purely literary analysis, it's inconsistent and not very well structured. It isn't bad - hell, some passages have quite amusing visual metaphors and descriptions - but it isn't particularly good either.
I always thought Oedipus Rex was really, really childishly written. Not even close to the level of things like the Oresteia from the same time period.
So much that I like falls apart down the road, so I definitely cannot answer based off favorites...great plots/premises like (the original) The Prisoner TV series have the wheels come off soooo often. I mean some of the greatest works like Metropolis basically never even have the wheels on in the first place and are just exploring a medium, and most comedies never even have a plot in the first place ;_;
Definitely the FUNNIEST mix of plot, pitch perfect tone, and art I have seen is Uzumaki, the spirals man the spirals. I am sure several old books like Hunchback of Notre Dame kick it to the curb in a conversation about "best" though.
"A rich man thinks all other people are rich, and an intelligent man thinks all other people are similarly gifted. Both are always terribly shocked when they discover the truth of the world. You, my dear brother, are a pious man." - Strahd von Zarovich
From a purely literary analysis, it's inconsistent and not very well structured. It isn't bad - hell, some passages have quite amusing visual metaphors and descriptions - but it isn't particularly good either.
From a world impact stnadpoint, it's pretty much the greatest. Assuming greatest is refering to the strict 'largest' meaning.
Not really much argument that world history has been shaped more by some other narrative than by the biblical narrative...
I dunno if I would describe it as lazily done. It just differed a lot from the previous books (primarily setting). And while I wouldn't go so far as say it was lazy, I do think more effort could have prevented the quality dip (basically a willingness to redo the thing or rethink certain parts. The wait may have bothered me, but two years for a perfect ending would have been worth it). Certain elements were pretty darn good. Other things just didn't feel like the prequels. Not all change is bad, but I think change at book 7 of a series probably is.
Personally i find a lot of books can get me a sense of "wow" but i have found very few books to get even close to how I ended up feeling after reading the entire Elfen Lied Manga, man that thing was an emotional roller coaster the likes of which i have not seen again.
Also maybe im alone in this but as far as movies goes Bicentennial man still reminds me i have feelings.
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Very few stories, specially in television, are as intrincated and coherent while being both fun and disturbind to watch as Breaking Bad.
I'll have to go with that one.
I took a long time thinking about this one. I've gone from Game of Thrones to Fight Club to Count of Monte Christo and back again, but I think I've finally settled on one.
Casablanca.
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"[Screw] you and the green you ramped in on." - My EDH battle cry. If I had one. Which I don't.
The Lord of The Rings needs to have some sort of nod in this regard. It basically established High Fantasy, and is one of, if not the largest novels in scope I have ever read. Although Tolkien's style is problematic at times (he is very descriptive, and with a setting like this it can drag on...), you simply cannot deny the sheer grand nature of the novel.
I'd like to also put my vote in with the Odyssey or the Illiad. Both are incredibly influential to story telling in general, an both are fantastic examples of ancient literature. Beautifully written, it's no wonder why they are being studied to this day.
Books: Tough call. I have a soft spot for Arthurian Legend, and the Warlord Chronicles told a story that was so grounded in reality (compared to The Round Table and Merlin the Magician and magical Camelot story times teehee!) that when you read it....it was like you were there. Like you were there and if Arthur was a real historical figure, then those books made you feel like that's how it happened.
TV: Still doesn't get better than the Sopranos. Yes. Its an epic.
Movies: LotR does deserve love, but maybe not as much as you'd think. The second and third movies I felt were very lacking in almost every area. I mean...come on. How many under-the-breath growly mumblings from Aragorn can one really take? Legolas using a shield as a snowboard? I know, fantasy, yada yada. But it got too....cheeky.
Honorable Mention: Bladerunner. Because Bladerunner. Also, I didn't mention The Godfather because this thread seems to be about opinion. Not fact.
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"Some say that time is cyclical and that history inevitably repeats. My will is my own. I won't bow to fate."
I would have to say The Brothers Karamozov.
I'm actually reading The Brothers Karamazov for the first time right now. So far it's not my favorite of the Russian realist stuff I've read, but it's still building up.
Literary Novels: Michael Moorcock's Elric saga, beginning with The Stealer of Souls and culminating with The White Wolf's Son, which goes full circle to events in the second Elric novel, Stormbringer. Epic in scope with musings on individual responsibility, freedom, metaphysics, and the nature of Good and Evil in relation to Law and Chaos.
Honorable mention to Stephen King's Dark Tower Cycle (all eight novels) and Clive Barker's Weaveworld.
Film: Bruce Wayne's journey through the Dark Knight trilogy. The ending to TDKR got me weepy and Bane was a marked improvement over his comic incarnation and a worthy successor to Ledger's Joker. Bane's quest for apotheosis and presentation as what Bruce could have become were pleasantly subtle.
Video Game: Resident Evil 0-5, including the Code Veronica-X game. The series was convolluted and nonsensical; great pulpy fun.
Trading Card Game: Magic's Kamigawa Cycle.
Role Playing Game: Richard Lee Byers' Brotherhood of the Griffon tie-in novels.
Television: A Game of Thrones; this is a rare case where I like the adaption moreso than the source material.
As far as literature is concerned, the really enjoy the Riftwar Cycle, principally by Raymond Feist. It has many facets to it, and numerous authors have dipped in to add their flair to the works presented to the universe. It is a vast series, and there are plenty of books in it for people who don't like typical fantasy. The opening 4 books of the Riftwar Cycle are critically acclaimed, powerful books with a vibrant world to explore and a classic fantasy feel to it, akin to a Star Wars in the fantasy world for a different time. Don't mistake me, while similarities can be made, the Riftwar Saga is far removed from Star Wars in both actuality and in the feel of the material. I have read the entire series multiple times, and plan to do so again.
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From a purely literary analysis, it's inconsistent and not very well structured. It isn't bad - hell, some passages have quite amusing visual metaphors and descriptions - but it isn't particularly good either.
So much that I like falls apart down the road, so I definitely cannot answer based off favorites...great plots/premises like (the original) The Prisoner TV series have the wheels come off soooo often. I mean some of the greatest works like Metropolis basically never even have the wheels on in the first place and are just exploring a medium, and most comedies never even have a plot in the first place ;_;
Definitely the FUNNIEST mix of plot, pitch perfect tone, and art I have seen is Uzumaki, the spirals man the spirals. I am sure several old books like Hunchback of Notre Dame kick it to the curb in a conversation about "best" though.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Story_Ever_Told
From a world impact stnadpoint, it's pretty much the greatest. Assuming greatest is refering to the strict 'largest' meaning.
Not really much argument that world history has been shaped more by some other narrative than by the biblical narrative...
Spoiler: Jesus Dies
Harry Potter though, had the greatest finish to any story ever, in my opinion.
What?
I thought people agreed that the harry potter ending was very lazily done?
I'd categorize that as the three Robot novels, Robots and Empire, and the seven Foundation Novels.
Meh, maybe I just don't read/ watch tv enough. God damn magic steals all my free time somehow... :/
Also maybe im alone in this but as far as movies goes Bicentennial man still reminds me i have feelings.
I'll have to go with that one.
Casablanca.
Pristaxcontrombmodruu!
The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy is nothing short of awesome.
I'd like to also put my vote in with the Odyssey or the Illiad. Both are incredibly influential to story telling in general, an both are fantastic examples of ancient literature. Beautifully written, it's no wonder why they are being studied to this day.
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G Omnath, Locus of Mana U Arcum Dagsson BUG The Mimeoplasm GW Gaddock Teeg X Karn, Silver Golem
TV: Still doesn't get better than the Sopranos. Yes. Its an epic.
Movies: LotR does deserve love, but maybe not as much as you'd think. The second and third movies I felt were very lacking in almost every area. I mean...come on. How many under-the-breath growly mumblings from Aragorn can one really take? Legolas using a shield as a snowboard? I know, fantasy, yada yada. But it got too....cheeky.
Honorable Mention: Bladerunner. Because Bladerunner. Also, I didn't mention The Godfather because this thread seems to be about opinion. Not fact.
Volrath the FallenB Empress GalinaU Oona, Queen of the FaeBUAgrus Kos, Wojek VeteranRW