[OriginalPenguin]

Everyone has their own opinion as to what the best literature is, just like what the best music is.

But there is also some consensus. For music it would be Beethoven, Mozart, the Beatles, etc.

For literature it would include Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Dickens, Austen, Tolkien, and many more. I would bet it will eventually include Stephen King but it's too early to make that call now.

[boca_honey]

There is no such consensus. Those are just popular answers coming from people with eurocentric tastes over the last couple of centuries. Millions in the global south would swap The Beatles for Celia Cruz or Fela Kuti. People in Asia from the 1700s to this day would tell you Tyagaraja is a way better composer than Beethoven and Mozart put together... he is a literal saint in India, actually.

Not to mention, many people would disregard your answer for putting Stephen King (and Tolkien, to a lesser extent) in the same sentence as Tolstoy and Shakespeare.

There is no "better" anything when we talk about culture. No consensus, etc. There are just opinions.

[dartharva]

I know many (including myself) who would never agree to this "consensus"

[inigyou]

The best music is Goa trance. What you're referring to as "best" is actually classic music (or as I like to call it, classic plus music :P).