This may sound ridiculous but with such a vast cannon of books considered to be literary classics as someone who only occasionally reads a book from start to finish I often feel guilty picking up a new release that has gained some popularity or has a notable author, for example I am big fan of Keanu Reaves and checked out his new book at the library and I feel like I should be using my limited free time to read something like Gilgamesh which I never read but understand is a foundational work of literature?
by Foreign-Road4355
7 Comments
Why? Books a book. Just because old white men considered a book popular 400 years ago doesn’t mean I have to read it. Books are books. Modern books have modern messages.
Because it’s fun. If you limit yourself to a specific number of books, you’ll start to feel bored. The trick here is to strike a balance between classics and modern works. Also being influential doesn’t mean it’s gonna be enjoyable. Beowulf, influential as it is, is basically unintelligible to a modern English reader. So at the end of the day, read both. Find your own taste. If you can’t get through a book, just leave it for later when you feel like you’re ready for it.
As someone who largely reads classics, I understand. I am *very selective* with which books I read.
That being said, some of these new books will one day be classics just as our classics today were once new books.
There are real gems out there being published today that expand upon the work of their literary forefathers, pushing our understanding of literature and genre even further. Non-fiction even more so is a continuation building upon the writers of the subjects that have come before and can provide great new insights into our world.
Beyond all that there are countless new experiences and old stories that have yet to be told in written form that only today are being put to paper by those who experienced them. If we only read classics then we miss out on all that.
Lastly, I think there is some room for “trash.” We don’t always need to tax our brains reading exceptionally written literature. I like to give my brain a break every now and then and read some easy entertaining YA or pop-lit. It’s not exquisite, but I enjoy it. And after all, those books are largely what keep the bookstores open.
At the end of the day, read whatever you want, wherever your passions take you. It’s hard to go wrong with the classics, but if your passions take you elsewhere there are many exceptional books, fiction or not, that aren’t considered classics that you would probably enjoy.
It is ridiculous. Life is too short to police yourself. If a new book sounds good to you, then read it. I read a lot of stuff that could be considered “fluff” when comparing it to literary classics. A love romantasy. Is it going to have a profound impact on me like Dostoevsky? No, not likely. But it will still be an enjoyable experience and thus a good use of my time. The moment I start policing what I can and can’t read is when I’ll stop enjoying reading.
“It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow oneself another new one until you have read an old one in between.” CS Lewis
Read both, but classics are tested by time. I’ve found wonderful modern books, but I’m very picky with them and even still find I have a high miss rate. With classics it’s rare that I find a dud.
Read what you enjoy 🙂 Think of it as similar to being active. The best form of exercise is the one that you’ll stick to because you enjoy it. The best books are ones that resonate with you or are good at inviting you into a new experience or world. By all means explore the “greats” when you can but if you feel more drawn to something else, it could be great in its own way.
Because most “classics” were determined to be so by a very restricted group of culturally monogamous men. I do still read some but I use the tools that newer books have given me to be able to recognize where those books are lacking. I read learn about other cultures and perspectives, and unfortunately books published before basically the 90’s were reduced to a very limited perspective. Nowadays access to female, bipoc, LGBTQ, and international authors is much easier. Also research and study of history/sociology/etc is ongoing and I like to have up to date information.