Great article. I agree with every one of your points, especially the first one. These books are time tested. The cream rises to the top, and if there's a classic that I don't like, it just means it's not to my taste. I've read many different genres in my life, but classic literature is my true home.
I'd also say some of the themes like Chekhov, Tolstoy, or Gogol wrote about in such an interesting way are perhaps hard to find in current writing, but these themes are still relevant.
I’ve only started reading classics this year and I have found that I enjoy them so much.
There is such depth in classical books. They ask you to slow down and to expand upon your knowledge base. I have found myself researching topics, words, people, places, etc., that I otherwise would have never thought to do.
I highly recommend everyone pick up a classic and give it a read. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
This is so true. We just finished The Wind in the Willows, and I was concerned my 9-year-old might get bored with it. But we soon realized the physical book we had was an abridged version and abandoned it for the full unabridged edition. She loved it. The characters are so richly developed that it’s hard not to get swept up in their adventures.
Brava! I am reading many classics this year. Some I was assigned in school but as you said, it was only a part of the book. I remember reading the first half of Great Expectations then watching the movie to count for having read the rest. Ha! Not even close to the same experience.
You’re spot on here- classics are worth the effort. Some are high effort but the reward also is high.
I was probably 300 pages into War and Peace before things really clicked and my interest was captured. Absolutely loved the book! I watched the mini series (2016) afterwards and while it was well done and captures much of the book as I think one could, there was so much philosophy that could never translate to the screen.
I am so glad that this piece resonated with you :D I believe you commented regarding War and Peace in another post that I made and I have thought of taking the same approach as you with reading the book first and then watch the mini series (just need to find a streaming service that has it in Sweden). But I totally agree with you! After 300 pages it really picked up and I started to really love it! The Napoleon chapters are still really boring but everything else is really great and I am invested in the lives of the Rostovs, Bolkonskys and Bezukhovs :)
I started readng classics when I was very young. I am autistic and have adhd. When I was a toddler I was quite wild, but by the time I was 5 I had developed asthma and epilepsy. My mom had always read to me, and I could read at 4. Reading became a way for me to regulate my body. If I was too active or too emotional I would either have an asthma attack or a seizure, but I had that strong adhd urge to go, to move, to explore. Books became my place to go and explore without triggering my health issues. So I read voraciously. I consumed books like air. My paremts never told me any book was too advanced or anything for me, they never tried to limit my reading to an age group. By 10 I had read Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Black Beauty, The Land That Time Forgot, The Mysterious Island, The Hobbit, Greek myths, the Narnia series, and many, many others. At 13 I spent a summer reading an antique, massive Reader's Digest Encyclopedic Dictionary that included articles about punctuation, grammar, slang, etc, and had large French, Spanish, and German references as well. At 14 I discovered classic poetry, and began writing poetry myself. I read almost any genre, except horror and "fairy smut" lol, but I always return to classics. They are by far my favorite. The language has much more depth than the majority of modern books, and I love language.
Great article. I agree with every one of your points, especially the first one. These books are time tested. The cream rises to the top, and if there's a classic that I don't like, it just means it's not to my taste. I've read many different genres in my life, but classic literature is my true home.
Superb article! Agree with all your points.
I'd also say some of the themes like Chekhov, Tolstoy, or Gogol wrote about in such an interesting way are perhaps hard to find in current writing, but these themes are still relevant.
Your points are ones I emphasize with my writing students. Classics endure because their stories were well told. Thanks for this~
Fantastic article!
I’ve only started reading classics this year and I have found that I enjoy them so much.
There is such depth in classical books. They ask you to slow down and to expand upon your knowledge base. I have found myself researching topics, words, people, places, etc., that I otherwise would have never thought to do.
I highly recommend everyone pick up a classic and give it a read. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Love this! Welcome to the world of classics! :)
This is so true. We just finished The Wind in the Willows, and I was concerned my 9-year-old might get bored with it. But we soon realized the physical book we had was an abridged version and abandoned it for the full unabridged edition. She loved it. The characters are so richly developed that it’s hard not to get swept up in their adventures.
Yes! Loved that❤️ important to take your time ☺️
Brava! I am reading many classics this year. Some I was assigned in school but as you said, it was only a part of the book. I remember reading the first half of Great Expectations then watching the movie to count for having read the rest. Ha! Not even close to the same experience.
You’re spot on here- classics are worth the effort. Some are high effort but the reward also is high.
I was probably 300 pages into War and Peace before things really clicked and my interest was captured. Absolutely loved the book! I watched the mini series (2016) afterwards and while it was well done and captures much of the book as I think one could, there was so much philosophy that could never translate to the screen.
I am so glad that this piece resonated with you :D I believe you commented regarding War and Peace in another post that I made and I have thought of taking the same approach as you with reading the book first and then watch the mini series (just need to find a streaming service that has it in Sweden). But I totally agree with you! After 300 pages it really picked up and I started to really love it! The Napoleon chapters are still really boring but everything else is really great and I am invested in the lives of the Rostovs, Bolkonskys and Bezukhovs :)
I started readng classics when I was very young. I am autistic and have adhd. When I was a toddler I was quite wild, but by the time I was 5 I had developed asthma and epilepsy. My mom had always read to me, and I could read at 4. Reading became a way for me to regulate my body. If I was too active or too emotional I would either have an asthma attack or a seizure, but I had that strong adhd urge to go, to move, to explore. Books became my place to go and explore without triggering my health issues. So I read voraciously. I consumed books like air. My paremts never told me any book was too advanced or anything for me, they never tried to limit my reading to an age group. By 10 I had read Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Black Beauty, The Land That Time Forgot, The Mysterious Island, The Hobbit, Greek myths, the Narnia series, and many, many others. At 13 I spent a summer reading an antique, massive Reader's Digest Encyclopedic Dictionary that included articles about punctuation, grammar, slang, etc, and had large French, Spanish, and German references as well. At 14 I discovered classic poetry, and began writing poetry myself. I read almost any genre, except horror and "fairy smut" lol, but I always return to classics. They are by far my favorite. The language has much more depth than the majority of modern books, and I love language.
Wow! I am so impressed! Great that you found ways that worked for you and great job parents that didn’t limit your reading adventures :)
Your rich reading life is inspiring!