Classics are boring...or are they?

Hands up if you have typed into google, ‘Books you must read before you die’. If your hand is up, then this blog post is for you, let us continue.

Nat: When I have an interest - a hobby shall we say - I always feel like I have to know everything about it. When I started listening to music, I couldn't just listen to what was in the Top 40, I had to always go deeper. I loved to research artists and their history. I had to find out about the evolution of music, the history behind it. The same thing happened when I got into movies, I had to know about how movies evolved and I became obsessed with watching all the top 200 IMDB highest rated films. The exact same thing has happened with reading! I feel like it's almost my duty to read classics, so that I can fully appreciate the books that exist today. I know that ‘classics’ can have a bad rep. But hopefully, by the end of this blog post, we will have at least piqued our reader’s interest in the world of classics.

Laura: Well, my journey to classics started a lot slower. I felt I had too many contemporary books to catch up on and so did not pay much attention to classics. However, I always knew that there was a collection of books that, similar to what you said, I felt like I had to read. I think this began when I

started reading lots of classic playwrights whilst studying acting, such as Tennesea Williams, Arthur MIller, and of course Shakespeare. So when I became more serious about reading, It made sense that I would pick up some classics. Is it wrong to say that at first I felt slightly intimidated by them?

Nat: Absolutely not! I understand you completely. It can often feel as if to be able to read books like War and Peace or Great Expectations you need a literature degree to understand them.

Laura: Yes exactly, The first classic I picked up once I started collecting the Penguin English Library was The Great Gatsby (what a classic). I had read it in High School in English Literature but I felt I had to revisit. I’m so glad I did, I loved it. It was an enjoyable read and I appreciated it much more than I had. Although it may be hard to get Leonardo DiCaprio out of your mind as Gatsby, after seeing the film, when reading, I could create such a vivid picture of the 1920s scene.

Nat: The first classic that I can remember really loving was (and I know I’m not alone in this) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Prior to studying it at the age of 15, I had tried many times to start it, however I think I wasn't mature enough to fully grasp the GENIUS that is Jane Austen. I have since read all, bar one, of her books and can say with total authority that she was way beyond her time.

Laura: Yes, Emma is the first Jane Austen I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So, so funny and yet still relatable to this day. Can you believe Emma was published in 1815 over 200+ years ago and it can still be laugh out loud funny! I would definitely like to read another Austen asap!

Nat: That's the magic about reading classics. Discovering how books written so long ago can still be so relevant today. So, Laura, if I’m one of our readers and I’m looking to get into classics, how do you recommend that I do so?

Laura: Well, Natalie, I would recommend starting with a classic that you are genuinely interested in. I really wanted to read The Picture of Dorian Gray, I was really intrigued by the premise, so I started there. I also saw Emma at the cinema before reading the book, this isn't something I would EVER normally recommend (as I much prefer reading a book first), however, when it comes to classics, it was actually very helpful to have seen the film first. Emma is, at times, overwhelming when it comes to keeping up with all the characters and the movie allowed for a visual aid to refer back to when It got confusing. The pages and pages of dialogue by the character Miss Bates is so well written by Austen, and portrayed so well by one of our fave actors Miranda Hart.

Nat: That is some excellent advice!

Laura: Another tip that I have, which isn’t for everyone, is to make notes. I actually first began making reading notes whilst reading Emma. I wrote down all the characters names, and their connections to each other including their occupations. This allowed me to keep on top of it even more, and initely the type of person who needs to write things down to further cement them into my memory. I then began writing down quotes that I liked and I still make reading notes on every book now as I think it's a lovely way to keep little reminders of your fave words from books you've read. Notes are a huge help for me!!

Nat: Yes I think notes can be super helpful. The way I was introduced to classics was through my literature exams in school, where I had to write pages and pages of notes. Thankfully I don’t need to do that now, because I’m more used to reading classics. I think it's all about practice. The more you become familiar with something the easier it is. Don’t be afraid to pick up a classic that’s been on your mind. They’re worth the extra effort.

Laura: So to conclude, Classics are cool. Thanks for reading.