Classics- Love Them or Hate Them?

These are books written years ago- of people in times of war and misery. These books have stories of innocent romance and tales of bravery too. There are adventures on the sea and tales of treasures discovered. Yet, classics aren’t a favorite pick of most book lovers. They are considered to be boring, difficult to understand and have a tendency to put one to sleep. I don’t disagree with any of these points. In fact, many such classics have worked as a lullaby on nights when sleep eluded me. However, slowly and steadily I have managed to transform my dislike into passion. Reasons to pick up classics In our fast paced world today, what sells is gut-splitting action and heart wrenching romance. Why must one even bother to pick up a classic? The language isn’t as contemporary as the current day fiction that is published. The characters aren’t relatable and the narration moves at a snail’s pace. Why pick it up then? Classics help you develop your personal word bank- of not only pure English words but also ones derived from Latin and Greek. They are character driven books, laying emphasis on a prime character. Their stories bring out various shades of a human persona, which could be devoured by one and all. They are power packed with emotions, values and traditions. Classics have a unique way of stressing on the importance of these aspects of life. They give you an opportunity to understand history. Whether it is the American Civil War or the French Revolution, classics give you a perspective of a kind. They challenge your brain. Yes they do, when you try to decipher each character and the meaning of every little situation. Classics and Whisky A friend of mine once mentioned that reading classics is akin to drinking whisky. Your first sip of whisky is never a pleasant experience. One may even wonder how it is even palatable, with its bitter taste on the tongue and probably a burning sensation in the throat. But a few sips on a regular basis, you begin to develop a fine taste for it, beginning to appreciate the soothing effect it has on your nerves. Classics are similar in many a ways. You need to develop a taste for it. And after a point in time, you start to appreciate the timeless principles and values the great classics hold within its pages. Get on board the classics journey To get you started on the journey of appreciating classics here’s what you could do Start with the abridged versions of the original classic literature. This is the best way to get familiar with the story. You could get to the original work at a later point, and reading would become easier as you would already know the characters and the plot. Choose your reading level. There are plenty of classics around, and all in different reading levels. Choose the easier ones to get used to the language and narrative style, before you touch on the tougher ones. Read small portions at a time. It helps to shrug off the boredom, before you get used to the style of narration Here are easy classics you could start off with- Five Easy to Read Classics for Beginner Readers *Featured Image: Pixabay

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