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• Reputation: 2173 Q&A: 44 0 19 988 85 2 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 2 MyrnaMinkoff

  2 0 I totally get you. I had the opposite problem -- I did a medieval studies degree, so by the time I'd gotten out of college, the closest thing to modern lit I'd ever read was a whole lot of Shakespeare and Milton's Paradise Lost. Every two or three months, I head to Half-Price Books and buy a few things that qualify as "classics" -- a little Nabokov, a little Hemingway, maybe a book by Thomas Hardy or Dickens, or whatever. It's best if I know NOTHING about the book before I pick it up. And then, I carry one of them around with me the way I would a trashy novel; I read it at the bus stop, before bed, while waiting for my computer to start up at work, etc. Some books, I never make it past the first ten pages. (I've started F Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise four times now and have never made it any further...even after accidentally buying a second copy of the book.) Others, I manage to stick with, and am often very glad I did. (This is how I discovered my favorite book, Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls.) There's a reason that the classics are considered classics -- they are generally very well written, and say something profound or universal about the nature of love, war, loneliness, aging, etc. The other thing I've realized with this approach is that you can grow into a book. Just because you were bored silly with Pride and Prejudice in middle school doesn't mean that you would be now. I keep trying again with that Fitzgerald book because at some point, I *will* have the attention span for it, and it will become interesting. So, I guess what I'm saying is that you shouldn't get discouraged if you do find something boring. There's so much great writing in this world that you shouldn't beat yourself up if you can't get into a book, you know? MyrnaMinkoff answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report 1 comment by David Wright… 0 0 I love this approach, Myrna, and what you say about not creating artificial pressure around a book - I think so many of us when we approach the classics feel stunted by an unconscious feeling that we have to be reading for some test that we'll never be given. Just approaching a classic knowing that there is probably something in there, although it may or may not be there for you, but it is worthwhile and kind of fun to look for it. Just take the ride, and draw your own conclusions, and then afterwards - if you feel the need for more clarity - read the Introduction or other matter on the book. David Wright commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 103 Q&A: 3 0 0 45 2 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 5 topics Books & Writing Book Recommendations General Book Discussion Other Books & Writing Book Club- A Visit from the Goon Squad Follow Following 0 mishalibrarian

  1 0 Myrna and others hit all the right notes. There are loads of great books out there often considered "classics," but you may not find that not every classic is the right classic for you. We all have our own definitions of good writing or find that something may or may not engage us when we pick it up. What makes a book a classic? Italo Calvino said "A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." It's up to you which books speak to you. Since you have limited time to indulge, might I suggest the library's newly revamped Short Classics list? David, who is also an expert here, wrote some of the snappy annotations. Here is my new personal favorite: The Metamorphosis By Kafka, Franz (Book - 1986) FIC KAFKA 1986 Annotation:“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” So begins the creepiest classic ever. (60 pages)  Good luck finding some classics you enjoy!   mishalibrarian answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report 1 comment by David Wright… 0 0 Thanks for linking to that. Yes - we actually get this sort of question quite a bit at the library, and the list of Short Classics comes in handy both for students who have procrastinated and need to read a book and write a paper about it in no time, but also for readers who are interested in exploring the classics, but maybe don't want to get bogged down in something as big as "Bleak House" or "Don Quixote" or "War and Peace." A lot of these shorter works, such as "Billy Budd" or "Metamorphosis" or "The Death of Ivan Ilych" or "Heart of Darkness" pack an incredible lot of meaning into a short space, so much so that you may find yourself wanting to read them again. David Wright commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 0 Start with short stories, then read more from the authors you like. If you don't like "Bartleby, the Scrivener," don't waste your time with "Moby Dick." If you don't like "Young Goodman Brown," you can skip "The Scarlet Letter." It'll give you a taste of what's out there and allow you to drop big fancy author names to your friends (who, by the way, probably never actually finished "Middlemarch" themselves.) DrewCourt answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 366 Q&A: 3 0 5 216 10 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0 Gloria

  0 0 Try Daily Lit. They'll mail you snippets of classic books each day, and you can speed ahead at whatever pace you want. Personally, I really just can't hack 19th century fiction. I can't stand it. Jane Austen still hasn't worked for me, even though I was surrounded by fangirls in high school. I find some of the barriers with classic lit is the language. I don't really get past a lot of the language use. If you're like me, maybe try the classic classics -- the ancients. Bonus: You read poetry! The key to classics is that there are many translations, some more contemporary and accessible than others. Ovid is funny, sexy, and often feels modern; try Peter Green's translation The Art of Love. The Odyssey is quite exciting. Robert Fagles' translation is widely available and classic. Also, sometimes the inaccessibility is because the story is based so much on an audience of a particular time. Annotated versions are very helpful in penetrating all the references, presumptions, and short-hand that an average 21st century reader would not grasp. It's a super rewarding experience; you feel like you've done more than just read, but absorb. Gloria answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report 2 comments by MyrnaMinkoff and David Wright… 0 0 One additional comment about "classic" classics -- if you are starting from zero, start with Ovid's Metamorphosis. It covers most of the more famous tales of Roman gods, and will give you a sense of the themes and language of ancient literature. The Art of Love is great, too, though if I recall, Ovid wrote it as a satire. (The folks in the Middle Ages didn't catch the joke -- this book was the cornerstone of the courtly love tradition, which includes arthurian romances and ladies in fancy gowns sighing in towers waiting for prince charming to come rescue them.) For something more meaty, go for The Odyssey, because the language is amazing. You will understand what an "epic" truly is. It's also nicely episodic -- as Ulysses travels from one island to another, he has adventure after adventure. Each one is like a mini-novel. Reading this will also set the groundwork for attempting James Joyce's Ulysses, which is a modern retelling of the Odyssey, taking place in Dublin over one day. MyrnaMinkoff commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 I'm nodding my head strongly to all this, and Hooray for Homer! In additoin to the Fagles translations, I enjoy the versions by Stanley Lombardo, which have a freshness all their own. Also, consider the possibility of LISTENING to Homer on audio - there are some good recordings, including an Odyssey performed by Ian McKellen and Iliad by Derek Jacobi that are terrific. Ditto the Aeneid read by Simon Callow - these are great ways into these works, which just feel right for listening. Another 'Classic classic' you might consider is Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, which offers up such fitting, timely advice on how to get through all the nonsense of life in the 21st - or 2nd - century. David Wright commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 I'd probably consider "To Kill A Mockingbird" to be a classic, and it's easily one of my favorite books of all time. I'd also try some Steinbeck too. Start with Cannery Row and see how you like it. Sacrelicious answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report 1 comment by Sacrelicious… 0 0 Also, and this feels a little disloyal to books, but if a certain tome is too impenetrable, sometimes finding a well-done movie version makes the story more accessible to me, and then the book becomes much easier to follow. I didn't tackle Pride and Prejudice in book form until I watched the (wonderful) 6-part BBC version with Colin Firth. Sacrelicious commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 You could google a list of the top 100 books taught in school and work your way through it. It would also be fun to google banned classics, as those tend to be the best ones. Jessica Baxter answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report 1 comment by David Wright… 0 0 YES! Banned books lists are filled with terrific classic reads, many of them quite provocative for one reason or another. We do banned books displays at the library and they always generate more interest than the exact same books labelled "classics" would. David Wright commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 One thing that might help is to commit to reading a certain number of pages of a book, then decide whether you want to continue. Nancy Pearl recommends reading 100 pages before deciding, but I think it depends on how long something is and how difficult it is to read. There's no reason to force yourself to read an entire book if you just aren't feeling it. And get the books from the library if you can so you don't waste money buying books you can't finish. Judey Nitcy answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 My idea of a classic is the Epic of Gilgamesh. It has action, sex, humor, and tragedy. And it's not very long! rogitator answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 639 Q&A: 22 0 0 205 6 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 5 topics Books & Writing Book Recommendations General Book Discussion Other Books & Writing Book Club- A Visit from the Goon Squad Follow Following 2 David Wright

  0 0 Some terrific responses here, to which I have little to add, though you may find it enjoyable to have a guide such as Jack Murningham's Beowulf on the Beach to ease you into some titles, and help you figure out just what titles you might enjoy more than others. There are so many different kinds of books that get labelled "classic" ( a distinction that is highly disputed and seems to mean something a different to everyone - is "The Maltese Falcon" a classic? Is "Valley of the Dolls" a classic? Some say yes, some say no), that it is possible to track down classics that fall in line with your taste in reading. Like love stories? - try "A Farewell to Arms" or "Jane Eyre." Big on adventure? What about "The Odyssey," "The Argonautika," "Captains Courageous," or "Treasure Island" or "Robinson Crusoe." Enjoy crime stories? "Crime and Punishment," definitely. "Moll Flanders." Self Help? Marcus Aurelius is there for you. Like books with some edge? "Notes from Underground," "The Stranger," "Hunger," or "A Season in Hell." Feel free to comment on this answer with some contemporary titles you've especially enjoyed, and I'll try to think of some classics that have a similar feel. In addition to the Short Classics list that Misha mentioned, we have lists of World Classics, American Classics, and British Classics for your browsing pleasure. David Wright answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Great answers already. I had the same issue that Myrna described, and the book I grew into was 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'. That book bored the crap out of me in junior high. I read it in college and loved it. Maybe the highly stylized romance and social commentary in P&P just didn't jive with Middle School You. That said, not every classic is universally loved by everyone. Some of those "great books" will just not resonate with you ever, and that's perfectly fine. Take the aforementioned list of 100 books and read things that look interesting to you. For me, James Joyce's works never get old, and in high school, I read 'Fahrenheit 451' in two hours while sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor. The process should be about finding the books *you* consider to be classics. Another tip I'd offer would be to get the annotated copies of these books. Sometimes, classics will be made much more interesting if you know the circumstances that went into writing them and understand the references being made. For instance, I'm not sure 'Frankenstein' would be quite as groundbreaking to people if it were written by someone other than a very young woman in the early 1800's. It's an extraordinary book (to me), but the author's life adds another dimension to the story. Oh, and 'Jude the Obscure' is extremely bleak. That book is nine kinds of depressing. I'd probably wait to tackle that one until you aren't experiencing law school stress. I'm just sayin'... rickibot answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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