Classics: To Read or Not to Read
By Adalyn Lowe
A lot of words can be associated with classics. Monotonous. Assignment. Wordy. Headache. Tedious. Intimidating.
And I get it. Really, I do. When Victor Hugo decided to describe the French sewer system for pages and pages, I also considered running away to the woods and never returning—all to never see a book again. However I just decided to close Les Misérables and never open it again. That’s always an option.
I think when reading classics, there is a certain necessity that arrives with them to not only read, but to finish with a changed mindset and deeper knowledge than ever before. And I agree, that is an important thing. However, when starting to read classics, the most wonderful thing to know is you can just stop. Not even the most well-loved books are for everyone, and that’s true of any era. I am partially ashamed to admit that I was slogging through Little Women for months before giving up four-sixths in. I could not care less about what Jo was doing, or perhaps I just could not care less for the plethora of filler that seemed to occur every two pages and would extend for ten after that. My best friend has Crime & Punishment on her to-be-read list this year again, which has held a spot there since 2022. My distaste for Little Women, perhaps, will not be everlong. But not finishing it and not getting anything from it does not say anything negative about my character or intelligence.
In comparison, I ploughed through Jane Eyre quite quickly, and it is now one of my favorite books ever. Reading in any era is subjective.
It’s difficult to have different opinions on some popular books or authors that are deemed classics. Their place in history is established, so one is most certainly supposed to enjoy the literature. How could one disregard something that has been so highly regarded for so long? So important to be preserved and read throughout history? Well that’s stupid. You’re allowed to not like something no matter when it’s from.
Personally, I cannot stand Jane Austen. I would love to; I forced myself through Pride and Prejudice and tried to read Sense and Sensibility before realizing I was not enjoying myself. I was not going to waste ample amounts of time on books I do not like. But I let myself dwell on this: was I not smart enough to read classics? I thought it was a problem that required a lot of self-introspection to combat. Because everyone else liked these books, I was meant to like them too. And then I wasted ample amounts of time worrying about that. However, I now realize that I am not the only person to not enjoy Jane Austen. I’m sure there was a women who closed Pride and Prejudice in the 1800s, and thus, I am not very special.
But everyone should absolutely read classics. It is so important to acknowledge the literature that came before us and shaped the world we know today.
I think the important thing to acknowledge though, is that just like today, there is variety in classics. Hence, there is no pressure to read the ones that are just uninteresting to you.
Here is my guide to read more classics:
Start with short ones. This is not a crime and it is a still a book you’re reading. I read The Old Man and the Sea in a board meeting that I was not paying attention to, and now I can tell everyone I’ve read Ernest Hemingway.
Read things that have movies or shows you like. I know people like the Little Women movie by Florence Pugh. Perhaps start there. Or I enjoyed Anne With an E which correlates with the Anne of Green Gables series.
Read a classic children’s book. It’s a nice way to get situated with a time period without diving into a five hundred page novel.
Please read a classic. I promise it’s good for you to diversify your literature. But don’t take it too seriously if you don’t need to. It does not define your intelligence.
