Thread: The classics of literature

I always liked the Superman comics.

Originally Posted by Bruce

I always liked the Superman comics.

those might be a little to intense for some readers

Originally Posted by Stubear

Personally, I think a book becomes Classic if its not just relevant to one generation.

For example, Day of the Triffids is an old(ish) book, written in 1951, but the story is still relevant today. It has actually been released as a TV adaptation by the BBC just recently.

The stuff we read at school is more of an academic pursuit, studying the use of language, metaphor and so on. Much as it shames me to say it, the study I did at school actually put me off Shakespeare and Chaucer. I went into so much detail at A level and really worked the books that I have no particular interest in reading them again.

But a book doesnt have to be used for academia to be a classic. It just has to be timeless and still relevant. Its the same with classic films, they're not just for the academics but still have a relevant message today.

My choice is Day of the Triffids.

Ah! I like that definition. Yes, I would agree that appealing to more than one generation definitely would be a good description of a classic. I think the same might be said of literature.

Tell me more about the recent BBC version of Triffids. I saw one quite a few years ago. No, not the cheasy sci-fi treatment it was given back in the early sixties. How recent is the one you're referring to?

Main Page - Gutenberg

Do a search by author, title, title words. Many Classics, many, many, many ebooks. Great siute for a reader.

How long has it been since you read Huckleberry Finn, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Cervantes, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc.

This will keep you busy.

For an interesting take on the subject of Classics, I suggest Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead. If you've seen The Thirteenth Warrior, it's the book that inspired the film, but there's more to the the strory that inspired the book. Caution: It is a must that you read the Introduction and the Epilogue Skip them and you'll miss the point entirely. By the way, I've never read a Superman story that I thought was too intense. The Green Lantern/Green Arrow series that were done by Neal Adams and Denny O'Neil in the early '70s however ... these were true classics. (As is Watchmen).

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien

Originally Posted by mjbryant

Main Page - Gutenberg

Do a search by author, title, title words. Many Classics, many, many, many ebooks. Great siute for a reader.

How long has it been since you read Huckleberry Finn, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Cervantes, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc.

This will keep you busy.

i'm glad you brought up Huckleberry Finn. one of my daughters and my sister-in-law are teachers and that book is not allowed to be read in school. it is considered to have racist content. i, like others have enjoyed the book. i know that the wording is not accepted today, but it is a part of this nations culture at the time of its writing. should a book be taken out of the "CLASSICS" just because it is no longer fashionable? it is a part of history.
another reason i was asking this question is that i am interested in collecting what are to be considered classic books for reading and to pass on to my grandchildren. again i get several answers to "what is and makes a classic book".
thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions, please keep them coming......scott

To me, a good book is definitely one of the finer things in life! They also keep me employed (I'm an editor). I just finished reading 'That Unearthly Valley' by Patrick McGinley and loved every word of it.

There is a 'fit' - isn't there? - between a liking for straight razors and a fondness for books, fountain pens and whatnot?

Originally Posted by drJustinC

There is a 'fit' - isn't there? - between a liking for straight razors and a fondness for books, fountain pens and whatnot?

Yes there is, and that is probably why we have so many threads about books in the finer things.
Among the classics I would choose:
The Works of Snorri Sturluson
and the books by James Joyce (Read them in the order that he wrote them, don't start with Ulysses)
I will also classify Ayn Rand's books as classics.

bukowski-pulp
factotum
post office
hollywood
women
ham on rye