My father who taught English literature and speech until he was 91 told me that when a person approaches the ancient literature, he or she should read about eight explanations and one valid explanation, he said, was "The Cliff Notes," and another he said was a graphic novel of the piece of literature. I did this during the pandemic and read eight explanations from his shelf of "Ulysses," by James Joyce. I got through it. I also would read aloud at night ten pages and then read three books of explanations ten pages each.
I am 53 but I remember liking these classics when I was young: Frankenstein The Count of Monte Cristo The Picture of Dorian Gray The Jungle To Kill a Mocking Bird Huckleberry Finn Slaughter House Five Little Women Grapes of Wrath The French Lieutenant's Woman Animal Farm All Quiet on the Western Front What I can recommend now is The First Law Trilogy, The Warlord Chronicles and The Empire Trilogy!!
Love the confession towards the end. Literature is for everyone and there's no shame in feeling differently from the masses after reading a classic. We all have our own perspective... our personal thoughts, beliefs and experiences can be seen in the way we perceive a great classic. I'm in my last semester of grad school and the arguments/debates never stop in my class. There's always room for debate when it comes to literature. Love the way you handled this topic.
Literature like all arts is subjective, one man's diamond is anothers trash. It's always so interesting the way stories can split people on their impressions.
As a kid, I was fascinated by the Great Books of the Western World collection which sat atop my dad's bookshelf. One of the coolest features was a 10-year reading plan suggested by the editors which started with both Plato's Apology & Crito, ending years and years later with T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land. 15 year old me never got far into the collection, but I would daydream about what sort of person might be on the other end of the decade long journey.
I find this very validating. I love so many works of classic literture but there are some that are very popular and beloved that I can't stand. It's important to remember all classics are not Wuthering Heights and I can just read classics that I want to read, not ones I feel like I "should". Also getting back into deeper literature after months of sleepless nights it's a great idea to start with small wins. A recommended reading list would be great!
Great to hear from you, Suzanne! Sometimes even our best intentions to read can be thwarted when life's obligations get in the way. I'm going to try to work on that reading list.
Never actually read classic books as a kid. It's not like it wasn't presented to me. It's just that I wasn't interested as a child. Now as a 33-year-old man have been turning to the classics. What a journey! Almost done with the count of Monte Cristo. I could do bicep curls with that book!
The fact that you really spoke to the importance of EDITIONS is so important!!! So appreciated!! Even just like reading the Signet edition of Les Mis is excruciating compared to the Penguin edition and the translations are different as well. I hope you will explain how different editions also mean different translations which is also important.
Very helpful and appreciated, especially the part about the language being difficult. What I tend to do is read the material, think about what I think is going on. Then I’ll go read a summary of sorts that explains it better, and see how close I was to what was being said.
As a keen mountain climber and reader? There's a concept in the former called 'type 2 fun'. The fun that doesn't feel fun at the time. It took me about 6 years and four attempts to get through Ullyses, for example. I ended up having to read it with a guide to each chapter open whilst I read that chapter. That novel made me feel so small and so ignorant at times. But I got through it, and more so I found myself loving those moments where everything started clicking into place. I love the novel now, but only because I spent months putting in the work. That said, there are other classics that I found deeply engaging and readable from the get go. Most Kafka, Crime & Punishment and As I lay Dying spring immediately to mind.
I am auditing a class at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry's Bay, Ontario. I decided to take a class called, Restoration and 18th Century Satire. Very enjoyable and though I won't do the research paper or tests, I did do the satire poetry assignment and that was fun! We are just starting to read Cecilia by Frances Burney. My professor has had us read books and authors that influenced Jane Austen. Next September I am taking the Jane Austen class!
I agree with you about the Oxford World Classics - the introductions and notes are really good and the bindings, at least for their Shakespeare series, have sewn bindings, so they're really durable.
When I was 13 years old I have read Miserabilii by Victor Hugo for the first time.From that on, I felt in love with classics and read almost all of them during highschool and university. It’s all about that first book you read. :)
What I'm looking to start, or perhaps the term is, revive an intellectual discussion group, much like Oxford profs like C.S. Lewis attended. Maybe it sounds like "an old boys club" in stuffy rooms with heavy drapes and overstuffed chairs, but that's EXACTY what I want to recreate! I long to discuss poets and prose authors amidst a Victorian environment. To me, ambiance is everything!
Adam Walker Close Reading Poetry is a great channel here on yt. It’s virtual so no ambience but you can create your own while you listen. Benjamin McAvoy is great for novels
Hi Dr Moore, thanks so much for the video. Great tip about googling the course syllabi! Just wondering if you've done a video on Frankenstein that I might have missed? Or can I request one? :)
Have you read Achille Mbembe? I made a video about his book Necropolitics. Might be relevant: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pX_Ql-8HIhI.html
Hey Prof! Love your vlog. You motivate me to read more classic literature. :) Wanted to know: What is the version of 'The Aeneid' on the thumbnail of this video? I'm looking for a good translation to read. Any recommendations welcome, too.
I grew up surrounded by and enjoying many classics because that is what my parents read. However I would your advice on where to start with modern literature, would be grateful for your guidance, can you recommend a site or do you have a list to hand? Thank you 🙏
