Maybe 'most important' is more apt, but I think that's what Grungeman was getting at
You'd be hard pressed to find someone who thinks James is the more important writer than Shakespeare, and I don't think you'd have too much trouble writing a dissertation refuting that. I just think saying James is the better writer is essentially analogous to that, but it's semantics
If someone likes James better than you can't really dispute that. They just plain like her better. Kinda like I'll always like John Mellencamp more than Bob Dylan