Classic Literature: Pros and Cons?

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Recently, I have had the opportunity to read one of the greatest classics of all time: Pride and Prejudice. I was guilty of the unspeakable crime of watching the movie before reading the book. Now, understand: I had been in possession of Jane Austen's complete collection of books for over a year. Me being me, I opened Sense and Sensibility, read half the book, then moved on to a "more thrilling" novel.

Oh, the woes of childhood.

It could be said that I have very mixed feelings about classical literature. It's more of a love/hate relationship. In this blog, I will be stating the pros and cons of reading a classic. Hopefully, it will help you know a little bit more about what styles of writing you would be interested in reading.

If you know me, then you know I am a "pro" reader. When I read a book, I try to just focus on the good stuff about them. (Though I am, hands-down, a biased Harry Potter fan.) In reading Pride and Prejudice, The Maiden's Bequest, and other such tales, such as the Anne of Green Gables series, I have formed a few theories.

First being that you have to really be dedicated and willing to finish one of those books. Because I can tell you that there will most certainly be sections in any of them that can completely bore the socks off of you (guilty!). But you must persevere! There is a 99.9% chance that it will be so worth your while.

They do get better, I promise. For example, I know that Lord of the Rings is a great series, but the part about Tom Bombadil and his millions of songs and poems totally discouraged me from reading it for a long time. On the other hand, I developed a like for writing poems, so it's a win win, right?


Eh.

In Pride and Prejudice, there is not really a lot going on. I love the book and it's a great novel, but still. There's a lot of talking, dancing, and drama. Plus, Mr. Darcy is kind of an idiot. He really needs to get it together. Eventually he does, but almost when it's too late. There are some really good characters, and in most classics you can really see the main characters' development and growth. All the talking might be kind of boring, but in the end you can really see the point the author was trying to make. I love books with great morals. 

If you are looking for an adventurous novel, or one that keeps you enraptured all the way through, some of these older classics might not be for you. But also keep in mind that classics have an element to them that those other books don't possess. Jane Austen's works were written in the early 18th century, so you get a pretty good idea of how life was back then. Common etiquette, etc., were very different from today's world.

If you want a good read, one that will take you back, and that will introduce you to some terrific (fictional) people, then classics are for you. Go give one a try, they hardly ever disappoint.  

Below I have a list of some of my favorite older classics, if you want to check some out:

  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  • Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
  • Heidi by Johanna Spyri
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
  • The Princess and the Goblin by George McDonald
  • The Maiden's Bequest by George McDonald
  • Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
  • The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Sophia
Teen Blog Writer

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