Article written by Ashleigh Lowry.
So, we've read the classics in school and had them as recommended must-reads for most of our lives. You'd think, by now, they would have faded in obscurity. Instead, the classics are celebrated with retellings and references in almost every piece of entertainment we have today. So, why is it that we still love these iconic pieces of literature?
The classics of the past now have this sense of romanticism to them, as if reading them instantly gives you a degree in literary culture and all the world’s knowledge. We see guys who read them as ‘scholarly’, and girls as ‘bookish’. Romantics are defined by how many of Jane Austin’s novels they've read. Horror fans need to have read Frankenstein or Dracula to be allowed to have ‘real opinions about horror’. There is this invisible sense of respect for those who have read these books outside of school. Once someone has read one, they seem to be viewed as more intelligent and cultured. They are supposed to make you feel smarter, internally and externally. For some, that is enough – to have this fake sense of knowledge is enough to pick up a classic novel to read.
However, for some, we read the classics because we enjoy them. We like the characters, or the way the books make us reconsider our thoughts on society. We find beauty in the words and sentences, and a sense of wonder as we take part in the story. There is no doubt, that if given the time to be read properly, these classic novels are fulfilling and pleasurable reads. But this doesn’t mean that if we like one classic novel, we like them all. On the contrary, similar to more contemporary novels, everyone has genres and authors they prefer.
We can use these classic novels to escape the complicated world of today and explore simpler times, from the days of the Regency era to the trenches of World War I. From these classic novels, hundreds of retellings and adaptions have been created for people to watch and enjoy (or tear apart, depending on how you enjoy things). Time and the creation of movies, TV and the internet also gave these new life as the classics took their part in the storytelling platforms of the current era. We can tell new stories with the bone of the classic one (Pride and Prejudice remake anyone?) and invite a whole new set of audiences to take part in enjoying it, which could inspire one or two to pick up the original novel and read its story. Reading the classic just for entertainment is still a large reason why these novels are still around.
The classics are a great way to look back at the creative history of the world. With each period of writing, we can see what was normal, abnormal and downright strange when it came to novels and other forms of literature. Some of the fun is seeing how each generation influences the one after. Reading through the evolution of idea gives us this great sense of the innerworkings of the popular and cult followings of the times, as the popularity of certain genres and styles of writing came and went throughout the years. Some popular novels of the past are now seen as controversial and vice versa. Many generations have a sense of pride when it comes to ‘the books of their generation' as they were the popular literature of the time, used as conversation starters and a way of making new friends. Books still have that social aspect to them, whether it may be online or just in between friends. From all different ages, we discuss, ship and argue about the story and characters, forming (and sometimes breaking) friendships through reading these classics. In a way, the classics are almost a universal way to make friends.
The experimental classics are always fun to read and discuss today, as people look at the fantasy of the past that predicted the present and see how close it got to our lives today. These once obscure and unbelievable fictional events become scarily similar to what was beginning to occur all over the world. These almost conspiracy worthy novels make for a fun and, at the same time, daunting read. People enjoy the thoughts of conspiracy and the rush of ideologies that were from decades ago coming to life. The sense of ‘they were right all along’ gives some the push to find more evidence that aliens may exist, and there are many more things that barely make sense without a five-day sit down with the author and a therapist. Even to this day, these novels push us to question, think and ponder what it means to be human, to feel, to think and to have free will. Something that allows us a chance to battle the questions and find a sense of self-understanding, because these experimental classics allow us the chance to internally (and, sometimes externally) verbalise these hard questions.
No matter why you read the classics (for entertainment, for connection, for knowledge, or to be challenged), these novels have withstood the test of time and cemented themselves in our history for many centuries to come.
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