Classics for Beginners discussion

hi guys (: i joined your group because i want to start reading more classics because there are so many out there and i've only ever read them through school. but in school we dissect every aspect of them. when reading them on my own, should i do that? or should i just read it like any other book? cause with most books i usually just read for plot cause there really isnt anything else to it. are classics any different?

thanks!

I approach Classic books as complex works of art.
I read them for their beauty (unlike most books that i read for the story).
I try to appreciate the beauty of the language, the characters, the story, and the meaning. The first time through i avoid looking for the meaning because it distracts me from the other beauties of the book.
I try not to put to much stock into the importance of the story line. If i do i tend to get annoyed with the slow pace.
Maybe this is wrong but it seems to work for me.

For classics, I tend to savor the language and how the book is written first, and then the characters. I start pondering about the meaning of it all once I'm finished with the book because if I focus on the story too much it tends to feel dragging. :p

yeah that makes sense! often i do feel like the plot is dragging but thats because these books really werent written for plot. haha i need to remember that...

Great tips! Thanks :)

I tend to read classics without dissecting them. I remember it not being much fun at school as well!

Lauren wrote: "hi guys (: i joined your group because i want to start reading more classics because there are so many out there and i've only ever read them through school. but in school we dissect every aspect o..."

Several books that offer a variety of approaches, one of which may (or may not) work for you.

Harold Bloom, The Western Canon
Clifton Fadiman, The Lifetime Reading Plan
Mortimer Adler, How to Read a Book
Thomas Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Several video courses from The Teaching Company. They're fairly expensive, especially when they're not on sale (but they go on sale fairly frequently, so get on their emailing list and wait form the to on sale, or you can probably borrow them from your library through Interlibrary Loan -- I have all of these and have found them all good and useful and several truly excellent. They're from a variety of professors, so are each quite different, though there are a number of works that appear in more than one of the courses:

Life Lessons from the Great Books
The Art of Reading
Great Authors of the Western Literary Tradition
Classic Novels: Meeting the Challenge of Great Literature
Classics of British Literature
Understanding Literature and Life: Drama, Poetry, and Narrative
Western Literary Canon in Context
The English Novel
Classics of American Literature

There are dozens and dozens of collections of shorter essays about reading the classics. Ask your librarian! For starters, you could try Virginia Woolf The Common Reader and The Second Common Reader and Michael Dirda's Bound to Please. Also, try to borrow a copy of Sutherland's The Literary Detective -- it's delightful!

wow that sounds great! thanks! i will definitely have to check some of those titles out (:

Lauren, I think the best way to read a book is to read it. You might not understand some aspects, so you can seek help at this point. I don't really like the idea of being force-fed the thematic relevance of a story. If you read a classic after reading about it, you will be prejudiced against your individual perception of the book. So, that's why I say dive in. Take your time and read to understand. If you want, take notes, to follow up. Some books do have footnotes, which can be helpful.

I freely admit that I suck at reading Shakespeare without guidance. Books that have archaic language are those that you should probably read with help. Other books with language you can understand, don't feel the need to rely on help, unless you just want a buddy along for the ride.

Just my two cents.

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Lauren, I think the best way to read a book is to read it. You might not understand some aspects, so you can seek help at this point. I don't really like the idea of being force-fed the thematic r..."

I am the samw with shakespeare, I need footnotes or I feel I am reading a bunch of words rather than a story.

As regards the Shakespeare, I got a lot of help from the story adaptations like 'The Enchanted Island' afterwards reading the original was much simpler...

Yes, I feel it's better if you know the plot before reading or even before watching a play.

Yeah I know. We started reading Macbeth in english and I read the first few scenes and had absolutely no idea what was going. But then once my teacher explained the general plot it made a lot more sense.

And thanks Lady Daniel. I really like that, just read it. Dive in. That makes a lot of sense.

Hi everyone, looking forward to participating in your book club. I have always wanted to read more of the classics but they aren't my usual go to "genre"

Yes, sometimes they can seem rather daunting and they sometimes use a bit more brain power!

Yes I agree with Nicole, and thats why this book club is so valuable...I never considered myself to be "smart" enough to tackle a Classic..I always thought that they would be very hard to understand..having said that some are very hard to comprehend..but having this book club and all the wonderful people in here is great because You can always find someone to help u out!!!

Well, I think reading classics is more about taking your time to dissect through the differences in language for that time period. There are some difficult reads (in my opinion) like Sound and the Fury, of course.

One thing I would say is that one shouldn't force oneself to read a classic that you have absolutely no interest in reading. That makes it a very hard, unfulfilling chore, and if you're not in school, why put yourself through it?

Exactly.

When I started reading classics I found the ones that were easy for me to read that I was interested in. Not watered down classics, but ones that were considered children's classics which were the original work of the authors. If I found myself struggling with it I would set it aside to try later and find a different one to read. When I went back to the classic I struggled with I found I didn't struggle with it anymore, but found it to be easier to read and even enjoyable. When my reading skills and understanding developed I began to read heavier ones that I didn't quite understand fully, but wanted to read for the accomplishment of having done so. And you know, I have never been disappointed in having finished one. I feel it helped me understand more than I had before.

I think it's also important to take a good look at what you want to read. Classics like Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" are classics because of the power to bring about change (in this case in the meat packing industry). Animal Farm was specifically about the rise of Soviet style communism (thought it tends to fit the rise of any poli-social group).

Those are one way to look at classics.

Some classics are classics because they have stood the test of time and are fun stories. They may not have a powerful hidden message. They are classics because they give a good look what life was like, how much we understand about the stars, science medicine and a host of other cultural things that are linked with a certain era.

I'm talking about books by people like Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan, John Carter of Mars) and Arthur Conan Doyle (the Lost World, Sherlock Holmes). The Arabian Knights could also fit in this catagory.

Some books are kind of a blend of hidden message and exciting story, like Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Other's are simply classics because someone finally wrote down stories that may have been near disappearing from sight, that were traditionally passed down from generation to generation, like The Brothers Grimm and "Grimm's Fairy Tales, The Arabian Knights, and others.

Have an idea of what you like, and then look for what you like. Sinclair's "the Jungle" is a very serious, dark story that rivals the Grapes of Wrath (Stienbeck) for explaining misery on top of misery. However, this book was a driving force in revolutionizing and cleaning up the meat packing industry and addressed hardships suffered by the poor. O'Henry's short stories are generally humorous.

Start with something your going to like. You'll have enough to deal with the more narrative story telling style with less dialog than modern tails and the subtle differences in terms and word usage between then and now.

Sorry to run on with the post. By the time your done reading it, maybe it'll be a classic?

haha Hugh....you are such a great asset to this group!!

I hope so. I noticed somebody with a PhD in this stuff. I'm hopin that I'm not pointed out as the village idiot by them that really know what they are talking about.

(:{)>)

You know the old Navy Adage. "If your not cheatin your not..." wait.. no, this addage "It's better to beg forgivness than ask permission."

lmao....I am sure that you are not the village idiot....honestly I started reading classics so I look smarter in the park reading!!!!!

I think we are all here to learn and to grow in our appreciation for classics, so it's great we can help each other out.

Your philosophies on classics make a lot of sense, Tia and Hugh.

Teri-lynn wrote: "lmao....I am sure that you are not the village idiot....honestly I started reading classics so I look smarter in the park reading!!!!!"

Yea, I should have thought of that way back when I was single.

I just started revisiting classics last year. Some that I couldn't get through in the past when I've picked them back up I could, such as "The Jungle". When I tried before the subject matter was too dark.
Others take time to get used to the language, such as Jane Austen. Every time I pick hers back up I have to persist just to get used to the language again.
One I will mention - is Les Miserables. I didn't read it until after I saw the musical and realized what a great story it was. Even then it's one that you have to get about 100 pages in to really get hooked.
There are so many different types. That's why I'm so glad to have found this group. A little guidance is always appreciated.
Really enjoying the group so far :-)

Thanks should go to you for instigating them!

Hi all.

I haven't tried to read classics since I was a child, as I always remember finding them really difficult. I'm hoping that now (at age 26) it comes a lots easier but will keep you posted!

Hi Sarah. Just read the ones that your interest attracts you to for now. Best way to start.

you all have made some wonderful points. There are many things that give a "classic" staying power over the years.

Being a good story, having a message or theme, or effecting social or personal change/introspection are all important.

What I haven't seen mentioned, and pardon me if I missed it, is the use of language itself. Words can paint pictures...they can infuse feeling, set a mood or tone, and develop characters.

Skillful use of language, in my opinion, is one of the main things that differentiates classics from just good stories.

Kim wrote: "you all have made some wonderful points. There are many things that give a "classic" staying power over the years.

Being a good story, having a message or theme, or effecting social or personal ch..."

Wow! I was just talking about that with Pia (in a different group of boards). We were discussing Shelley's Frankenstien, particularly the final chapters where (view spoiler)[ the monster lures Victor up to the frozen wastes of the Artic Ice flows. (hide spoiler)]

I found those chapters to be to so, emotionally moving that, for me, I can't forget them and the images evoked in my mind's eye are still just as vivid now, years after reading them.

So Desolate.

Very good point. (I wonder how that hasn't been mentioned either.)

(For that matter, I just finished "The Lost World" by Doyle and the descriptions, especially of the landscape, really brought the "Plateau" to life inside my head.)

Thank you, Kim, for bringing that out.

It's hard to really understand classics when you're younger. I started reading classics when they were mandatory in high school. 11th grade and I will never forget how difficult The Scarlet Letter was. I mean, I still remember that struggle. Senior year we tore apart Beowulf and Shakespeare. I noticed as I went on, it became easier. By the time I was 19, I began to force myself to mix contemporary fun reads with stuff in the literary canon. Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice was my first dive. Then Dickens Little Dorrit had me running toward the hills. I put that off for some Thomas Hardy, which I found immensely enjoyable. It's hard because the way things are now is so different from when a lot of this was written. I approach classics by finding something in them I'd like to explore further, such as a specific time in history or a certain character I find interesting.

Mupples wrote: "It's hard to really understand classics when you're younger. I started reading classics when they were mandatory in high school. 11th grade and I will never forget how difficult The Scarlet Letter ..."

That sounds like good advice - finding something you would like to explore, such as the time period. I hadn't read classics for many years until last year and have found that they are easier to read now. I don't know if it's just more exposure to different ideas and writing styles over the years or what, but it does seem easier.

I read a few classics and I have noticed their language is detailed to create the scene as they would want it to be and sometimes I would catch poetic paragraphs describing what is happening or simple things especially characters.

So far I have read: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm and half of Wuthering Heights.

Right now my school books are: The Iliad which I didn't read because there were too many characters to memorize, The Odyssey which I also didn't read cause we watched the movie, and Dante's Inferno which we will read probably next semester and I might read this one.

I am looking forward to read: Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, Catcher in the Rye, 1984, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Little Prince, Sense and Sensibility, etc. I might pick up Moby Dick if I can't choose what to read in the future.

For classics I always carry myself differently while reading them. There is some kind of awareness on my part when I read classics. And I don't agree that when you're young you can't really understand classics. I have read a few of them and got to them easily, (except for Hamlet, that one wasn't so easy). For school I have portuguese classics because I am from Portugal, such as "Lusíadas" and "Os Maias" which are easy, I'd say, but I don't like them at all, I really dislike portuguese classics.

First and foremost, I read for enjoyment. We all have differnt tastes and interests. There are plenty of good books out there - including classics - for everyone's taste.

Like Sci-fi or fantasy? Try H G Wells's The Time Machine

Mystery is your thing? Consider the various stories featuring Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Horror? Can't get much more classic than Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or some of Edgar Allan Poe's stories

Romance? Jane Austen's your woman for her comedies of manners set in Regency England. Start with Pride and Prejudice

Adventure? The Three Musketeers by Dumas might be up your alley. Or if the length of that one intimidates, how about Jack London's Call of the Wild ?

Once you've read a book - whether a classic or not - consider your reaction. Did you like it? Why or why not? It's answering the "why" that leads you to "dissect" the book. Is it because the plot moves fast? Were you completely irritated by the weak "woe-is-me" heroine? Did the author's writing paint a vivid picture that drew you in? Could you not stand how the author just ended it abruptly without a good reason?

Lastly, if the book doesn't "speak" to you in 50 pages or so, set it aside and move on to something else. (UNLESS this is a school assignment, when you really DO have to finish reading it.) It's not the right book for you ... at least not right now.

I think you have to pay attention to the meaning of the story, to search for it, to admire the style and the language used, and focus less on the narration itself.

And don't be intimitated by their length! Also, it would be most preferred to read more than 50 pages per day and be consistent in your reading if it's a huge book, or else you'll forget the ideas you've read.

I am so incredibly relieved to have discovered this group! I was "force fed" some of the classics in high school, which caused me to steer clear of them for many years. Then when I began to read them as an adult, I always had this sense that everyone else had all these brilliant literary observations about the classics, while I was just struggling to appreciate the language and make sense of the storylines. It's wonderful to discover a group where everyone is learning to appreciate these books together.
I may even go back and try to reread "The Hobbit", which had all the magic sucked out of it by an English teacher who vaguely resembled sawdust. And, if I get VERY VERY brave, I may even try to tackle *shudder* "Heart of Darkness" one more time.

To be honest I started reading the classics because I came across movies on pbs, 21, or maybe 25 as a child and I saw Little Women (not the 90's version) and Anne of Green Gables. I know Anne of Green Gables isn't the "classics" but watching those movies put me in a warm cozy blanket, drinking hot chocolate mood. I say if those movies were based on books, then the books gave off that feeling too. Little Women was written long ago but well history does not seem at all far off from now. So all the classics don't have to be far off either. I can understand them as they are not some foreign language, some have been translated to English.

It was the same for me, Effy, classics have that 'home' vibe.

The way I read a classic depends on the classic. Some force me to read them chapter by chapter, others I can read as page-turners and still others encourage me to go page by page (Les Miserables for instance). It all depends on the style and tone of writing, the page count and basically how I'm feeling about the book I'm reading.

Rachel wrote: "I am so incredibly relieved to have discovered this group! I was "force fed" some of the classics in high school, which caused me to steer clear of them for many years. Then when I began to read ..."

I've been fortunate to have just finished my high-schooling with one of the best English teachers I have ever had. Her appreciation of language was amazing...
I recommend getting into the Hobbit I'm sure you'll find it enjoyable. And read it in your own way, everyone has their way of doing things.

I always seemed to like "classics" even when I was quite young. I remember when I was in my last year in primary school (aged 10/11), our teacher had a small shelf of books published by Peter Haddock Ltd... these included David Copperfield and Jane Eyre. I was the only 1 in my class who noticed these, or wanted to read them. They were basically classics retold, and condensed down to appeal to children - the main points of story were all there. I ended up buying quite a lot of those books.

I also had a steady diet of Puffin Childrens Classics... Little Women (and the following books), Anne of Green Gables (& all the following books), Pollyanna, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Secret Garden etc. Add in Paragon Childrens Classics... Alice in Wonderland, What Katy Did, A Little Princess, The Railway Children etc. I loved reading all those books!

I suppose because I read those before we started analysing books, themes, characters, language etc in school I find it quite easy to read classics just for enjoyment. I don't really find the language difficult. I just finished North & South and although I didn't struggle to read it, I did notice slight differences with the language as I hadn't read any of Gaskells works before - I'm much more familiar with Dickens, Austen or The Brontes.

I think that classics continue to have a life when they resonate with each individual reader. I don't think every classic will do that with every person, no more than a modern book will do this. I like historical novels, because they open a doorway to the past. The only time I feel like there is no connection to the story is when the language or the manner in which the story is written serves as a barrier to me, or if I just find the subject matter uninteresting or offputting.

Teri-lynn wrote: "Yes I agree with Nicole, and thats why this book club is so valuable...I never considered myself to be "smart" enough to tackle a Classic..I always thought that they would be very hard to understan..."

How do you all go about discussing a book when it's turn comes up? Start discussion boards like this one and start reviewing/dicussing?

Mandy, if you're referring to on this group, the moderator starts a thread for the book that was voted in for the month. Anyone can participate in the discussion. They are under monthly group reads.

We also have a buddy reads folder. You can post that you want to discuss and read a book with someone else and they will participate if they are interested. Did I answer your question?

I am so glad I found you all...I have the hardest time getting through a classic, yet I want to read them.

Anna, I say take your time. There is no race going on.

Anna, take your time and enjoy them. They are not really meant to be rushed through. I like to read them when I have some leisure time, so I can savor them.

O'm also glad I found this group. I loved the classics I've read so far, like Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights... But with some of the others it really is a struggle. I'm trying to read Crime and Punishment now, and I really want to get through it, but I'm not sure I'll do it just yet.

Crime and Punishment is a little difficult to read in the beginning. Persevere, it will get better.