I think The Classics Club’s prompt for October meme is the basic thinking we ought to
reflect when we decide to dedicate our times and efforts to read classics. But
before coming to why I read classics, maybe we ought to describe ‘what is
classics’ first. I believe the exact description of “classics” itself will vary
among us, but I think it’s basically the same. These are what for me classics
represent,
"A classic is a book that has never finished
saying what it has to say." ~Italo Calvino
“A true classic, as I should like to hear it
defined, is an author who has enriched the human mind, increased its treasure,
and caused it to advance a step; who has discovered some moral and not
equivocal truth, or revealed some eternal passion in that heart where all
seemed known and discovered; who has expressed his thought, observation, or
invention, in no matter what form, only provided it be broad and great, refined
and sensible, sane and beautiful in itself; who has spoken to all in his own
peculiar style, a style which is found to be also that of the whole world, a
style new without neologism, new and old, easily contemporary with all time.”
~Charles Sainte Beuve
For me
personally,
Classics are
books that hit at the heart of its readers; that their influence continue to
resonate long after the book was published or the author passed away. Classics
are books that continue to be read for generations, because what is in it is
universal, even though times have changed. Classics also contain things that
teach values worthy of being role models.
Now we come to this month’s prompt:
Why are you reading the classics?
Looking at ‘what
is classics’ stands for me, I read classics because they speak about valuable
things in life: humanity, love, friendship… ; because they show us the reality
in human life: passion, kindness, hatred, poverty… I read classics because I
can learn something from the past that I can use as a compass or barometer for
the future; because the authors wrote it in their era but their works resonate
until now. Or, I read classics merely because they were beautifully written,
and I love them… :)
So, why are
you reading classics, then?....
Sadly, not everyone learns from the past. :( Personally, I see classics as a way to experience emotions, ideas and such that I might not likely do so in reality.
ReplyDeleteYeah...many thinks classics are boring because they are 'old'. Well, the setting might be out of date, but not the values. It's history which made us what we are now, isn't it?
DeleteI love the classics! :D
ReplyDeletehttp://eternal-simplicity.blogspot.com
Me too! :)
DeleteI like the first definition; it summarises it all. I love your definition and reasons for reading the classics. The values are eternal, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteExactly! It's something that echoes from generations to generations.
DeleteI am reading to build a list for my daughter. As a home educator, I want her to read all these lovely, timeless books. So much better than the dry, boring school day.
ReplyDeleteHave a most wonderful day.
That's a wonderful idea, Amy! My father used to guide me to choose my readings when I was a child. There are a lot of good values in classics that children could learn from the books.
DeleteBeautifully said, Fanda. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Joon Ann :)
DeleteHow's your 'Beloved' reading? Have you started it? I'm on page 55 right now.
I like your definition :)
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
DeleteI've been having a difficult time defining "classic" ever since I joined this club. I finally just decided on a cut-and-dry definition of when it was published. Otherwise, I spend too much time thinking about whether something is appropriate. It's nice that you can enjoy the use of more open definitions!
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm not so sure myself whether a book can be called classic or not, I'd take a look at the classification in Goodreads or classiclit[dot]about[dot]com
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