Why You Should Read the Classics

In today's world, classic books are the things people most avoid. They make excuses that they're too hard or boring or too long. And that makes me sad, because I grew up reading classics. When I was young, I devoured a tons of them, since that was about 50% of our bookshelves.

There are lots of great reasons that people should read the classics, so I'm going to try to convince you of that today. Buckle up and get out your notebooks, people. You'll probably want to take notes.

They're classic for a reason (most of the time)

Classic books are called that because they withstand the test of time. Sure, the time might be very different from when the book was written, but the best classics are ones that you can find meaning in even hundreds of years after they were written. They encompass themes like love, loss, growing up, and more. They remain timeless and can be enjoyed forever.

Not to say that all classics are equal. There are the ones that you wonder how it became classic if no one likes or reads it. But there are so many great works that it seems silly to stop reading them just because of a few bad ones. You wouldn't stop reading YA because of Twilight, as a non-specific example.

They teach you things

Classic are known for the things we learned from them. Jane Austen helped girls realize they could be independent and still have love. Tolkien taught us about sacrifice. Louisa May Alcott reminded us that being womanly is wonderful. These are all important lessons and something every generation needs to be reminded of.

And they don't only teach you life lessons. Classics can remind us what life was like a long time ago. They record the passing of history. And they can teach you new words. I highly suggest having a dictionary on hand while reading a classic book, because you're bound to come across words you don't know. It's a great way to increase your vocabulary.

They've got great stories

How can you not enjoy the stories of Sherlock Holmes, Anne Shirley, or Beowulf? There are stories of every kind in classic literature, from fantasy to realistic fiction. Some are slow and thoughtful, others keep you at the edge of your seat. There's bound to be some sort of story you would enjoy reading.

They're also great for studying writing. Classics often have good story structure, writing, and more. There's something about the way the wrote back then that was just so much nicer than what we do today. Not that today's literature is bad or anything. Only different.

They're full of beautiful prose

Want to learn to write prose that makes people re-read a sentence four times? Read classics. Again, it's a time difference between our writing today and the writing back then. We're all about clear prose these days, whereas back then they used a wider variety of words and descriptions.

Shakespeare alone has given us many of the phrases we like to quote today. It's impossible to read a classic and deny that's it's beautifully written. Again, not all classics are equal, but I find that more of them are well written than not. I wish my writing had even a drop of the elegance theirs do. (Laini Taylor's writing style reminds me a lot of classics, if you were wondering.)

They're still thriving

Even to this day you can still see the influences of classic books on our writing and culture. Classics are still being remade into movies every year. They inspire us to write our own versions of these classic tales, or retell them. We quote lines from them, watch our favorite versions over and over, and inspire us to learn Regency era dancing (or is that just me?).

No matter what people say, classics are not dead. No more than Latin is. As long as there are readers in this world, classics will be loved and appreciated. You don't understand the beauty of something like Shakespeare until you've seen a play performed, or the intricacy of Austen until you watch the BBC mini series. And just think about what novels of today could be the classics of tomorrow.

Bonus: They give you life points

I have to say, I'm impressed whenever someone talks about a classic book they've read. I feel accomplished every time I can say I've read Les Miserables or Gone With the Wind. I don't suggest reading classics just for that, but it is a great feeling knowing that you've read so many wonderful old books. Even if it took you over a year to plow your way through.

Final Thoughts

• Give classics a try. They don't deserve to be ignored just because they're hundred years old. Your next favorite book might just be a classic book.

• Try an audiobook or movie version. I find classics so much easier to absorb when hearing the lines said out loud. I'm currently working through Jane Eyre that way and it's been super helpful. A good movie version can also help you keep characters straight in your head.

• You don't have to go for the super hard ones right away. Or at all, if you don't want. Below I've listed a few easier classics that you could try if you're ready to test the waters.

-The Hobbit
-Dracula
-Treasure Island
-The Secret Garden
-War of the Worlds
-Journey to the Center of the Earth

What are your thoughts on classics? Do you have a favorite piece of classic literature? Tell me in the comments.

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