Thoughts on Classics

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of classic hate. 

Now I’m not here to start defending a lot of dead white guys. I get it. A lot of classics are hard. They are from another time. They required further context to understand historical events, or a quick language lesson to understand the prose. They aren’t always fun, and sometimes they aren’t even rewarding.

However, I have a deep place in my little historical heart for classics. 

1. They have survived, often a long time. They have resonated with generations. There is a reason why swarms of girls go through Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte phases every year. It’s okay to want to be a member of the Swiss Family Robinson. Dracula can still scare new readers every Halloween. Sure, these books don’t read like new releases, but they have heart and body and life. 
2. They show us another time. Victorian England is depicted in countless films, historical fiction books, podcasts, theater…you name it! All of those representations still don’t compare to reading Dickens. There is so much detail about everyday life in Classics that you may never think about. Even current classics can give readers insight into our lives. 
3. Writing is a political act. We understand (sometimes) our current political climate. We understand our social norms. The last 100 years have turned US culture on it’s head. Men and Women can live together! Women can have careers! Everyone can vote!!! Not to gloss over all of the bad that still happens, but these things would have been unthinkable in centuries past. Many of the classics that do survive challenge the social norms of their time. They often show dangerous thoughts on paper. Appreciate the radical. Big change is started in small places. 
4. They can be fun! Not every classic is stuffy. I would have laughed in your face if you told me in high school that not only would I enjoy The Iliad, but that it would actually be fun, and actually kind of funny. But here I was this summer, laughing at my desk and enjoying the heck out of the Trojan War. I also think Shakespeare’s comedies are still laugh worthy. Capote can still entertain. 

I know not every classic is for everyone. I personally never feel the need to read Faulkner again, or to pick up Moby Dick. I do think they need to be looked at as relevant, important. I know we have a heavy focus on white males in the classics, and that is something that is hard to avoid, but there is still so much to learn and possibly enjoy. 

What are your classic experiences? Do you have a favorite or do you avoid them like the plague?