Classic Books

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any classic books or any very old fiction books or series.
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imodelmichelle
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Re: Classic Books

Post by imodelmichelle »

We learn from all the books we read. But classics have a new lesson to show you everytime you read one <3
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Post by prarich »

O Henry's short stories series are worth a quick read. I used to love them. Little Women was a sort book too.
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Post by Alpona »

Classics are rejuvenating!
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Post by sarah_jane »

A lot of Jane Austen's works revolve around the way society runs and how gossip and people's choices can affect each other- Pride and Prejudice for example basically reiterates the classic 'don't judge a book by it's cover', which is still a concept people talk about today. Classic books and their ideas, concepts, and morals will never die because society's beliefs in those three things don't change.
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Post by Jessib »

I absolutely love Animal Farm, the Great Gatsby, and To Kill a Mocking Bird. I haven't had the chance to read many classics in my life time but I defiantly love those 3.
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Post by alex_ »

I wish My classes discussed classic books more. I just feel that classic books especially need to be discussed, because there is so much depth to them.
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Post by salberson 10 »

Classics become classics for a reason
- in other words they have stayed around for a reason
-times may change put people and are problems rarely do so I think that is a big reason this books are still around
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Post by godreaujea »

I absolutely love classics. However, they can be a little heavy sometimes, so I read/listen to mysteries, thrillers, and young adult novels as my "guilty pleasures."
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Classics earn a bad reputation because schools force students to read them. I remember that I hated "The Return of the Native" by Thomas Hardy for the same reason. I recently bought a copy of "The Return...." so I can give the book another chance.
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Post by DATo »

Miriam Molina wrote:Classics earn a bad reputation because schools force students to read them. I remember that I hated "The Return of the Native" by Thomas Hardy for the same reason. I recently bought a copy of "The Return...." so I can give the book another chance.
I think the reason most students turn off to classic literature in school is because the teacher does not define the purpose of reading the specific books which are chosen for the curriculum. The stories are not chosen for entertainment value but rather to explain the devices used by the author in the construction of the book. Most of the books chosen are excellent examples of the mechanics employed in story construction. In this manner the student gets exposure to classic literature as well as WHY these books have historically endured. Things like metaphor, climax, denouement, and character analysis are best illustrated by having a book which clearly and effectively demonstrates them rather than simply making the student memorize the definitions of these characteristics out of context.

Now if the teacher were to inform the students up front that they may or may not actually like the story but that is not the intention of taking it on then the student will concentrate on the lessons rather than fostering the expectation of being entertained and sometimes, lo and behold, the student finds that he/she actually DOES like the story.
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Manang Muyang
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Wow! Thanks DATo for taking the time to write that very enlightening piece. I totally agree.
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DATo
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Post by DATo »

Miriam Molina wrote:Wow! Thanks DATo for taking the time to write that very enlightening piece. I totally agree.
I had The Return Of The Native in English Lit too and I felt the same way you did; however, I had an EXCELLENT teacher who could even make Thomas Hardy the subject of a lecture that I would (and did) literally run to the class to hear.

OK, now you've put a bee in my bonnet ... I am now very tempted to reread it too *LOL*.
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Post by Storygamer88 »

Hmm, though I agree in some ways, I think the iterative nature of books means that stories will be repeated, and honestly, I would rather read a modernized Shakespearean play for example than the older language classically used. Its just more digestable and relatable to me personally now.
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Post by Nikolas Farmakis »

I think classic books, such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Oliver Twist, will always have their place in literature.
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Post by leareiler »

I love classics because I feel like they inspire a lot of modern works. Like Emma by Jane Austen inspired the film Clueless, many of Shakespeare's plays have been made into movies, and I think if you look hard enough, many books today will have some sort of allusion to classics. I also like how classics give us a chance to experience what "pop culture" essentially was for societies a hundred or more years ago. It shows us how the people thought of political issues, societal issues, and just how they lived in general. I think classics will remain popular because they are the backbone to a lot of literature and film today, and knowing anything about humanity, we love to go back in time and explore, so our curiosity won't let us leave the classics alone.
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