Probably when you hear Classics, the first you think of it's Shakespeare and Jane Austen. Or maybe more recent authors J.R.R Tolkien and Stephen King. Or, more probably, your nightmares from literature class will come back to haunt you again. Either way, I know more people who like the classics than those who do.
“The author says one character's definition of a classic is any book he'd heard of before he was thirty.”
–Sinclair Lewis
Why People Hate Classics?
Every time I see someone reading a classic book I have FOMO (fear of missing out). However, when I read it I remember why I normally don't: I get bored and I don't understand more than half of what is happening.
As I said previously, when some hear classics, their memories take them back to literature class with Ms./Mr. ____ (insert name of your teacher). But why is it so dreadful to read them? Is it because our teachers traumatized us? Or because you don't like the plot, dialogue, etc.?
In my experience, I really liked my literature classes. My teacher taught me so much, and I never had to read "the classics" as most people did during high school. She gave us more contemporary books, which I enjoyed a lot. It wasn't until university, where I had to read some for my Classical and Contemporary Humanism class. Overall, the class wasn't that bad. We learned a lot about the difference between Classical and Contemporary culture and history. But the books we had to read and analyze were brutal for me.
During that class, some of the things we read were: "The Republic" by Plato, "Hamlet" by Shakespeare, "Metamorphosis" by Kafka, among others. Have you read any of these and enjoyed them? If so, please why? I would love to understand your POV.
What I don't like about these types of reading is the language. As it's not the same as the one we used and read today. The grammar is a bit more formal and complex, making it harder for teenagers to understand. Since they barely know how to write and talk. Yes, myself included, but thankfully I've overcome that stage in life. So, of course, the student will despise the idea of reading something they don't understand.
I was lucky since in my class we didn't just read the books. Yes, we had to read it before class and bring our notes and summaries (she, used to make daily quizzes). But later on, she would break down piece by piece the reading. Explaining why the author wrote that and how his writings shape our culture and history. That was when things got interesting and made sense.
The same happens with philosophical stuff. When I read by myself, they are just gibberish words put together with no apparent reason. It is not until someone else, who knows much more, thoroughly explains what the text actually says. And that's when I like to read the classics and philosophy.
I have come to learn, that people don't like what they don't understand. What for them is completely foreign and alien. They are scared of the unknown. It's a primal response human beings AND animals have. We don't trust/like it because we don't know what that means and if it will harm us. Although maybe words don't hurt us physically, they can totally transform our minds.
But, What Is Even A Classic?
Ha, ha, gotcha. We have been talking about what most people think a classic book is. But, do you even know what makes a book classic?
A "classic" book is considered a work that meets some of the most common standards society has established. It has to have an artistic quality, be present in more than one period of time, have a universal appeal, and be relevant to multiple generations.
Sounds like every classic book that has been classified that way, right? But, what about the books we –our generation– have classified as classics? You will not lie to me saying that you do not consider ACOTAR, ToG, or FBAA as classics of our time.
And what about Harry Potter? Or Twilight? Percy Jackson? Should I go on? We personally could consider any book as a classic, as long as it has one of the standards mentioned before. And it is fair to dislike one book and adore another, only if you respect the opinion of others. And understand that even though society has established some books as "classics, we can also have a personal classification.
Whatever the reason as to why you don't like the "Old Classic Books" over the years, I've learned that it's completely valid. That each person has different opinions. So, I guess it is possible to hate the classics and still read them. It is possible to dislike them and not read them. It is ok to like them but to prefer to read other genres. Or love them and only read that.
Whatever you prefer, keep doing it. Keep reading the books you enjoy and, more importantly, the ones you classify as classics.