Why I Read the Classics (And Think Everyone Should)

Call me bizarre, but I actually like Classics. Not ALLLLL of them (Do NOT ask me to endure Tess of the D'Urbervilles a second time...), but certainly quite a few.

Are they hard reading? Yes, harder than a lot of contemporary fiction. But they're worth it. These stories endured for a reason, and it wasn't to make high school/college Lit difficult.

In a lot of cases, the works we know as classics changed how people thought about things. Tess shows every conceivable mistreatment of women. Mary Shelley wrote about the value of created life in Frankenstein.

I think it's important especially to writers to understand how and why the enduring stories shaped and affected our cultures and society. Just as we study history and the events that occurred-- both noble and abhorrent-- so that we can make good decisions for the future, I think we should also be educated about the writing that led us to where we are today.

There are many classics still on my reading list, but here are a few that have risen above the rest and become some of my enduring favorites:

1. Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (best ending I've EVER read. PERIOD.)

2. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald (this is a surprisingly easy read... which was his goal.)

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (ironically... I hated this when I read it in school. Now I've ready it like a dozen times, and it still remains my favorite of her works.)

4. The Outsiders by S E Hinton (okay, this one is a little bit recent to be labeled a true 'classic'... but again, as something that was a hugely meaningful piece to an entire generation and continues to speak to teens... just read it!)

5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (probably my absolute favorite story with a child narrator. An amazing snapshot of that time and place in history.)

So... yeah. If I were banished to a deserted island and could only take ten books, these would definitely be among them. Along with, you know, like handy survival guides and stuff.