Hi again, welcome back! Today I’d like to open up the discussion as to whether you “should” read classics.
Many people argue that we should be reading classic novels which hold a particular significance for a time in history, or which have been instrumental in influencing modern works of fiction in their plot devices and writing style.
But to me, this is wrong. In my opinion, reading should be for pleasure. We read because it’s fun, because we get something enjoyable out of it, and this makes us want to keep exploring and finding new books, genres and ideas. And as much as some books are seen as superior to others, does it matter what someone is reading, as long as they are reading?
Some classics are just plain boring, and sometimes it’s hard to get into a book which does not relate to modern society at all. While I love classics, and read a lot of them, I hate it when people suggest they must be read. Books by authors such as Dickens just don’t appeal to me, and therefore I don’t read them. I have tried (and failed) to enjoy ‘Heart of Darkness’ by Joseph Conrad, and I stick to the kind of classics I know I will enjoy, whether they’re modern or much older.
I believe it is important to push yourself when you’re reading, and if you stick to the same genre all the time, you’re bound to get bored. However, by forcing someone to read a book that they just don’t relate to, or don’t want to read, it can discourage people from reading in the first place.
Of course, in order to continue the subject of English Literature, there are certain books that will be required reading. But by continually forcing young people to read classics, and not offering them chance to read what interests them, this can cause serious problems. We don’t want to put young people off reading for good, just because we want to promote ‘traditional’, ‘classic’ works.
And I also have a problem with what are considered classic, traditional works. All too often, these works are by white men, and I can only remember studying two female authors while in A-Level, and one of those was because I chose to study her.
I’m not trying to invalidate the work of white men, because some of this work is genius. I don’t think there will be a time when Shakespeare will not be taught in schools, and we owe so much to his plays. But what about some African American authors? Some women? Some people who aren’t as well known, but still have contributed to the literary canon?
And this too could help young people want to read more classics, because they can see figures that actually relate to them in these novels, rather than just white men.
Let’s Discuss…
So, I open up the discussion to you. Do you think that we should force certain books on people, because of their literary and historical significance? Or is it more important to let people read what interests them? And should classic literature be opened up to consider writers from different backgrounds?
Let me know all your thoughts below! Let’s get the discussion going 🙂
Happy reading!
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October 7, 2018 at 11:36 am
Sounds like the classic argument to me. If we don’t put the great works on students, who will read them, especially now in the age of multimedia? Which great works really are great? By what criteria? Any reason to read any of them is valid. Any reading expands the mind, which is the entire point. Enjoyment tends to be a side effect of that, contrary to the belief of most students who will instead claim they want to turn off their brains. It’ll go in circles for as long as there are students and books. And it needs to happen, because the argument itself makes the students work to defend their non-answers. In any classroom, someone will pick up the book, understand it, and love it for all the right reasons. That’s why it matters.
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October 8, 2018 at 10:14 am
Fantastic points, thank you so much for joining in with the discussion! For sure many students will enjoy classics because they have been forced to read them, and I agree that it is important because it can reach out to some students. Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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October 7, 2018 at 1:03 pm
While I think there is some merit to teaching a few of the classics in school, personal choice should be encouraged as much as possible. I agree, forcing people to read what they’re not interested in will only discourage people from reading for pleasure.
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October 8, 2018 at 10:15 am
Thank you so much! Of course, I definitely think classics are important to consider, but if a student feels alienated by them, we don’t want to scare them from reading anything else 🙂 Thanks for dropping by!
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October 7, 2018 at 1:57 pm
You definitely have a good point here – I think a lot of people my age were put off reading when they were forced to read the classics. Personally, I read classics because I quite enjoy them, but that’s my personal decision – which is how it should be!
I’m just trying to think about which books I studied during my A-Levels, and my male/female author ratio is actually an even split (4 male writers and 4 female writers), but this is probably mainly because I studied the Gothic, where there are quite a few female authors (e.g. Shelley and the Bronte sisters).
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October 8, 2018 at 10:16 am
I also enjoy them haha, I think they’re fantastic books, and I’m glad they were taught in school, I just think that we need to avoid forcing just the classics, and have this idea that they are somehow must-reads… Ooh, that’s fantastic to hear- my course featured barely any women, but of course every school will differ 🙂
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October 7, 2018 at 2:45 pm
Maybe a choice of classics? There are so many! Murders, mysteries, romances, etc. Something should appeal to each individual.
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October 8, 2018 at 10:17 am
Ooh, that’s a fantastic idea- I think some of them just get lost, and it’s a great idea to reinstore them 🙂 I guess it’s the classic question of what is a classic?
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October 7, 2018 at 2:59 pm
I think it helps to recognize that there’s a reason that many books are considered classic – they address universal themes that resonate with readers, even over time. I think people should read a range of classics just to expose themselves to different ideas, even if they don’t love each one. But we should also read books by diverse authors, and we should also read just for fun. Some of my all-time favorite books are classics, and then some classics didn’t work at all for me. But how would I know if I didn’t try?
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October 8, 2018 at 10:24 am
Yes, I agree that many do, and I love the ones that do this! Diversity and reading for pleasure is so important when considering reading habits 🙂 That’s so true, thanks so much for dropping by 🙂
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October 7, 2018 at 5:46 pm
I actually want to read more classics, but I’m starting to realise that “important” and “good” are not necessarily synonyms… many classics are important for some reason, but damn, they are outdated or just plain boring/difficult to understand.
That being said, we should never force people to read things they don’t want. Assigned reading in schools is tricky, because learning literature is important, but forcing kids to read boring classics can make them completely hate reading and not pick up books for fun either
Plus, many classics are just not applicable or relatable to kids at all. I don’t think there’s any point in reading the same books in school that your parents or even grandparents read – the assigned readings should be updated too.
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October 8, 2018 at 10:19 am
So true! I enjoy some of them, but can’t bear ones that drone on and on about boring and irrelevant subjects! I completely agree! Classics are important to consider, but I agree, if a book isn’t relatable to a student, they may not think reading is relatable, which would be a shame! Thank you so much for joining the discussion 🙂
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October 7, 2018 at 6:11 pm
I think it’s good for young minds to be exposed to the classics, but there has to be a mix with more modern books. The good news is books by people of color (Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright) and women (Harper Lee,Virginia Woolf) are becoming classics. This is always a good discussion to have. Thanks for the thoughtful post.
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October 7, 2018 at 7:15 pm
Thank you so much for dropping by 🙂 it’s so important that women and people of colour become well known in the classical world! Great comment, thank you for your kind words!
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October 7, 2018 at 8:24 pm
I think people should read for the love of reading. I must admit that I read the classics because they were required, but my thought is that so many students are so lazy today that they will buy a summary of the classics and call it done.
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October 8, 2018 at 10:20 am
I guess they could yes- although I would never have gotten away with that in my school! Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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October 7, 2018 at 8:54 pm
I feel like students in high school now get to read from various genres so in that way they are doing much better by introducing them to classics and young adult. Weirdly, my little sister is not enjoying Never Let Me Go and other modern works, nor did she enjoy Jane Eyre which was surprising but even more surprising is that out of all the novels she is studying, she enjoy Macbeth best. I do think certain classics will always be timeless and the ones that offer discussion and debate seem to be the ones that high schoolers find fascinating. I’m not saying all Shakespeare’s works should be pressed upon young people to read but I have noticed that Macbeth holds quite a mass appeal. But I’m glad there’s more variety and I do think there are certain classics that are must reads but only if they qualify the debate and relevancy criteria.
I apologise for the essay, but otherwise this is a great post.
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October 8, 2018 at 10:22 am
Oh wow, that is surprising, but I guess it’s whatever you find the most interesting, and that can be a personal thing! I agree, it is always important to at least consider and discuss timeless and important classics, they should definitely not be ignored altogether! Shakespeare will always be timeless in my opinion- his themes are so relatable even to the modern reader 🙂 Don’t apologise, thank you so much for getting involved in the discussion 🙂
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October 7, 2018 at 10:02 pm
Love this post.
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October 8, 2018 at 6:51 am
Thank you so much!
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October 8, 2018 at 9:17 am
As someone who does not study literature or classics, I read them just for fun. When I was younger I was a little intimidated by them, mainly cause of the language and since English is my second language. But I found myself loving Charles Dickens and though the language might be hard for me in the beginning, the story and characters and the message behind the stories really were the main aspects that I loved about reading classics. I feel like nowadays I haven’t been reading many of them, but I really wish I can push myself to do it more. Lovely post ❤
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October 8, 2018 at 10:23 am
I do as well, I love reading classics! Wow, that’s impressive that you can read classics in a second language 🙂 Thank you so much for joining in with the discussion ❤
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October 14, 2018 at 9:53 pm
Ah me such a big question. At 16 I was made to read Great Expectations and like you hated Dickens and it. I tried again aged 40 something and loved it. Ditto Trollope but I couldn’t now be without knowing I’ve read and loved Barchester Chronicles. I think books find you at the right age and some never find you. I loved To Kill A Mocking Bird As a 20 something in the 1970s But re read it when the sequel came out and found it shallow and lacking something. The time and tides they are forever changing. Ditto Steinbeck. Genius in my 20s, misogynist in my 50s. Hmm as always it’s me who’s both wrong and right not the book. Never force a read on the unwilling, but never stop questioning whether now might not be the time. All that said I will loathe Bellow and Heller till I die… just saying.
PS. The white male writer question. For what it’s worth I don’t see any real prejudice today in what’s offered in schools or the market. There’s righty a highly eclectic range. The fact that white men mostly had the opportunity back in the nineteenth/early 20th century shouldn’t matter in deciding what is or isn’t worthy of reading today. Quality shouldn’t depend on the swing of a pendulum of prejudice.
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October 16, 2018 at 5:26 pm
I completely agree, books definitely interest you differently at different times 🙂 I think that’s true that men had more opportunities, yes, but with so many rich and brilliant women authors these days, it seems a shame to not offer a wider range of texts to which students from all backgrounds can relate, as well as the old classics of the past! I know I would have appreciated more women authors when I was at school
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October 18, 2018 at 2:49 pm
I agree entirely, the quality if authors is rich indeed and my hope and understanding is the limits of the past are just that, in the past. We all missed out before.
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October 28, 2018 at 2:05 am
True. Classics should be preserved. But its enough already they make us read it in school . Forcing someone to read classics when they don’t like it (like me) is not fair. Since I’m sort of young , i might not get the point of preserving them.. but reading them for English is enough.
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October 28, 2018 at 2:50 pm
I completely agree, thanks for checking out my post 🙂
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