Reading the Classics discussion

There are several classics that I am considering reading in the upcoming year, but I thought I would set up this thread to invite input on how to get the most out of certain books.

In particular, I would like to read On The Road by Jack Kerouac. However, this book has been widely criticized on this website and by writers such as Truman Capote. Truman Capote aside, I suspect that some people on this website may possibly enjoyed this book more if they had prepped a little more for it in advance. Has anyone else read this book and enjoyed it? How may I ensure that I get the most out this book?

I also am considering Pilgrim's Progress, which looks intimidating and Robinson Crusoe, which has had some really good but also some really poor reviews.

I think it's possible to get too heavily influenced by reading other people's reviews. So I try not to read too many of them before i start, in order to not come at a book expecting it to be something.

I would, however, go for something like the Penguin classic's series (no, I'm not related to the penguin on the cover) where there is usually a pretty comprehensive forward that is more of a scholarly article. they often help put the book into it's historical context and explain what else was going on in the world at the time. it's not analysing every sentence to the nth degree, but it does pick out key passages and themes, relates where they may have derived from.

it's trying to strike a balance between enjoying the reading, understanding what's been read and analysing what's be read - too much the latter can take away the enjoyment, but sometimes it's hard to understand the book without some help & pointers.

I think Helen's advice is excellent. When I pick up a classic I usually look up some information on the author and a little about the book, so I begin with a grounding in the history of the period of the book and a some information on what to expect and not expect. Times and fashions change, but I can still enjoy and learn from almost any book with adequate preparation.

Whenever I read and review a classic I always like to include in the review a little about the state of play during the time the book would have been written. I think it adds so much when you know a little about what was going on during those fabulous writing days!

I like knowing about the culture and the historical context. I also like learning about the author so I can understand his point of few.

I agree with everyone's comments and would add that I find it helpful to keep a really open mind about how the book is written. For a book like On the Road, if you aren't in the mood for a "different" style, maybe put it off. I find that classics have rich details and layers, so they may be more challenging than a lighter book - so it may take more time to read and process. Whenever I read a classic, I allot more time to read it.

For a book that is translated into English, look at reviews of the translations and see which works best for you. I am currently reading Doctor Faustus and I wish I had looked around at the translations because I think the one I have (which is not the exact edition linked here) is a little clunky.

Hope you enjoy the books!

I don't like spoilers, so if I don't know the plot of the classic beforehand I don't really do pre-reading. I do after-reading, though. I might read the Norton Critical Edition. Or read a book or two of critical essays on the work.

Susan wrote: "I am currently reading Doctor Faustus and I wish I had looked around at the translations because I think the one I have (which is not the exact edition linked here) is a little clunky."

Yes....I started reading a rather archaic translation of The Magic Mountain and after a bit I switched over to the John Woods translation. Archaic translations, like archaic writing in general, do have their charms, but a modern sensibility certainly goes down easier.

Glad to hear the Woods translation is better, Lobstergirl. I have the Woods version of Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family.

I do too. It's good.

I recommend finding a vague summary in either a Cliff's Notes format or even Wikipedia to give you a general idea of what to expect. Often a forward in a book gives away too many plot details, so be wary if you like to see the story unfold as hit happens. You can read a commentary along with it to help with cultural context. I particularly recommend this with a longer novel set in a country where you have less knowledge of the time and politics going on. I find listening to older classics on audio to be very helpful, especially with very wordy books like The Scarlet Letter. It slows down my reading so I have to really listen and pay attention and in that way I find I actually pick up more things than I would have reading the pages and possibly skimming sections with my eyes.

I do agree not to pay too much attention to other people's reviews, unless they are people with whom you generally agree on books. Readers vary widely on what they think of books, especially classics from different eras, so what one person thinks of Robinson Crusoe may not be close to what you think. Just depends on your style and your life experience to relate to the adventure. (That particular book has a lot of religious references, too, so depends how you feel about that. I particularly found the spark notes helpful on that novel because it was put in much better context for me).

Honestly, though, you just have to find what works for you; every reading experience is different.

Try Robinson Crusoe,Jennifer.I enjoyed it very much.This is a classic site,why not start at the beginning.Crusoe is the first English language novel in history,1719.If you like adventure, you'll like R.C....Henry.

Henry wrote: "Try Robinson Crusoe,Jennifer.I enjoyed it very much.This is a classic site,why not start at the beginning.Crusoe is the first English language novel in history,1719.If you like adventure, you'll li..."

Thanks Henry,

I think I will give it a try in the upcoming year. I guess that I just needed a little bit of encouragement to read this book.

I enjoyed it, but parts are difficult. There are long sections where he's just describing how he's setting up his home, etc, that were not very action packed, so you just have to continue reading there and not give up. Thankfully, it's not a long novel. I think the insights and changes you watch him go through in the latter half are very compelling. I'd be curious to see what you think.

Lobstergirl wrote: "I don't like spoilers, so if I don't know the plot of the classic beforehand I don't really do pre-reading. I do after-reading, though. I might read the Norton Critical Edition. Or read a book o..."

If you like a lot of supplemental material, the Norton Critical Edition can't be beat. It usually includes many reviews of the work in question, many of them contemporary or by other famous authors, maybe some letters by the author, essays about the historical context, etc. It can take almost as long to read all the extra stuff as the novel itself!

I don't have any Penguin Classics, but in a similar vein to that series, I usually get the B&N Classics or Oxford World Classics edition. Not liking spoilers, I usually don't read the introduction until afterwards unless it's a reread for me, but there are plenty of footnotes throughout the work that help to understand it.

An interesting footnote to Robinson Crusoe is how it brought into prominence the term novel for a tale of fiction. Crusoe was based on a true story of a man shipwrecked and later rescued. The times were full of stories of mostly sailors shipwrecked in exotic settings who returned to tell the story of their "novel" experiences. The term stuck to the new mode of stories of made-up adventures and lives.

I read a 1950s edition of Robinson Crusoe which was rather long - 500 pages or so. Although it was titled Robinson Crusoe, I realized after that it included the sequel, his further adventures, after his stint on the island. There are a few odd scenes, including one where he opens a can of whup-ass on some people in Siberia because they are worshipping idols.

A "Robinson" became a genre term for any story set on a desert island or involving shipwrecking. Thus the story "The Swiss Family Robinson" doesn't involve a family with the surname Robinson, it's about a Swiss family involved in a Robinson-type adventure.

Swiss Family Robinson was a very fun story, though :)