Reading the Classics

Many people find 'classic' books difficult to follow, hard to read and an all around waste of time. Last year I tried to alternate a classic with a new book/more modern read and that seemed to work fairly well, but both helped and hindered my relationship with those dusty tomes.

The only problem with this was choosing the classic. There are plenty of new books all the time that catch my eye to read, but the classics will all ways be there. What I mean is, there's a reason I haven't read them yet, the story hasn't attracted me before.

Choosing the classic then largely depended on what was available on the cheap. Either borrowed from my parent's libraries or as cut price Kindle Classics. Does this mean that those books would be the ones I REALLY wanted to read? No. When time for a classic came around I would huff and puff around the options and choose one at random. Then painfully slog through the text that I wouldn't like even in a more modern writing style.

There is a certain amount of dedication that I have to give to classics. Our lazy minds are not used to the work out that a good classic gives you. But once I'm settled in I find it easier. Still the focus is something I struggle to give on my commute, which a modern book is better able to tell the story, but without the linguistic and detailed gilding.

I love so many of the classics I do read. But I didn't like forcing myself to read them and then grabbing any old book. My advice would be to look a little deeper into the book and consider which of the classics would appeal as a reader. Everyone has different tastes in reading, If I was around when some of the classics came out, I'm sure I would wrinkle my nose at some of them and not bother. Now with hindsight, these books have withstood the test of time, but should I still read them just because they're old?

Classics are great, but don't put yourself out to read them, if you won't like it anyway. Treat classics like every other book. Read the reviews and choose carefully, and pay the extra to get the one you want.