Do We Really Need to Read the Classics?

Bookish Things

Jun 5

A photo of classic novels stacked up on a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Hello readers and writerly friends!

If you’re a returning reader, welcome back and if you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by! In this blog post we’re discussing a topic that’s been heavily debated in many of the bookish communities online—do we really need to read the classics? I made the mistake of asking this to another editor early on in my freelance career and she hit me with “do you need to eat to survive?” Okay, got it. She embodied the nit-picky editor caricature that new writers are terrified of encountering (you know the one—with the red pen, the beady eyes, and the too-tight turtleneck), but maybe she had a point and her comment reminded me of one of my favorite quotes.

“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

And what do you know? Emerson is regarded as a a beloved classic (albeit romantic) writer.

Writing and reading at it’s core is capturing the human experience and weaving it into the written word for all future generations to read. Reading is an integral part of the humanities and is one of the practices that sets us apart from the animal kingdom. The written word serves as humanity’s ever-expanding-and-evolving historical record. Writing and reading books is truly a tale as old as time and just as new and emerging works are essential to shaping the existing literary canon, the classics are just as important for understanding ourselves, the generations that preceded us, and the ways that history connects us all.

The Classics Teach Us To Appreciate The Evolution of Modern Literature

A photo of a metal basket holding seven classic novels on a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

So, what does this have to do with the classics? To better understand and appreciate contemporary writing, we must read older writing as well.

In her article, “Why Read the Classics?” on Barnes and Nobel Reads, “Literary Lady” Ginni Chen explains several compelling reasons for why modern readers should broaden their horizons by reading classic literature. While I couldn’t have said it better myself, I agree with Chen’s sentiments and wanted to continue the discussion over on my blog. I once questioned those that preached about reading the classics, chalking them up to stiff, boring, bookworms who seemed born in the wrong era. After college and reading my own share of classics for my courses, my mind was changed forever. Chen gives several amazing reasons to read the classics will make you want to rethink tossing your copy of Pride and Prejudice in the attic. Instead dust off the cover, open it up, and see what you can learn from Jane Austen’s renowned romance novel and the volumes it (and other classic reads) speaks about our humanity. You can find links to Chen’s article at the end of this blog post.

Chen explains that writing is a living, breathing entity that is immortalized in the way we tell stories and pass those techniques down from each generation:

“When you read the classics, you’re reading books that have had a pivotal role in shaping the way we read and write today. Books aren’t written or read in a vacuum. They’re woven by writers and consumed by readers with the influence of centuries of writing behind us. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, reading a book is never an isolated incident but part of a tradition.” (Chen 2015)

I agree with Chen in that to better understand and appreciate writing, we must also read classic writing so that we understand fully what contemporary writing and reading began as and where it came from to become what we practice today.

Likewise, classic writing captures the essence of humanity from the time in which it was written. They act as literary milestones of our own literary traditions. Sometimes, novels reflect or reject the values of the time period in which it was written. With literary and artistic movements such as realism or romanticism, or the rise in popularity of genres such as speculative fiction, literature typically tends to mirror the trends, political climate, social norms, and other aspects of culture from the author wrote it, whether intentionally or otherwise. Additionally, classics are often hailed for their challenging of societal constructs and values of the time. Take Kate Chopin’s writing, for example. Her works were vulnerable, rebellious, progressive, and even considered immoral at the time, and now she is known as one of the greatest American feminist writers of all time.

How does this make you love reading more?

A photo of a vintage typewriter and metal basket with classic novels on a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

When we familiarize ourselves with the classics, we gain a better understanding of where other books fit in. You’ll start recognizing common themes, influences, references, structures, and many more elements in your reading that perhaps you hadn’t noticed before.

Ginni compares it to developing a sudden appreciation of wine:

“It’s like developing a sudden appreciation of wine—different notes open up to your palate, you detect hidden floral, fruity, or oaky elements, and you’re better able to articulate your tastes.” (Chen 2015)

When you learn to love the classics, you also learn to love your favorite stories even more. When you go back to your favorites, you begin to pick up on these elements you found in the classics and unearth depths you had never known existed prior. Elements of these books that may have initially seemed arbitrary or like attempts at attention-seeking, but now they seem intentional, calculated and clever. These elements help you to unpack the bigger picture parts of the story and allow you to begin to understand where other things come from such as the meaning in a character’s name, the use of certain words, or the presence of certain themes and their importance with regard to both the story and society at the time.

Another way the classics aid in your growth as both a reader and writer is that they also help you better identify your favorite writer’s literary influences. Often, writers borrow style, subject, and themes from the classics and as you become more familiar with classic literature, you begin to see your favorite writers as one writer paying homage to another by reinventing their storytelling elements in a new, refreshing, and exciting way. You’ll begin to understand how we’ve been telling the same handful of stories over and over again throughout the years, and how the use of the same few techniques, in combination with unique writer voice, has birthed millions of books that can all be traced back to the classics.

Chen also compares reading the classics to travelling:

“Here’s another way of looking at it: Think about reading as traveling the world. In your travels, the classics are those must-see historical sites that you hear about and see in dozens of reproductions—the Great Wall, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, the pyramids. Like these historical sites, the classics have withstood the test of time, are part of an incredible heritage, and can change your worldview entirely.” (Chen 2015)

A photo of a metal basket with classic novels on a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

I love that comparison because its exactly right. We always hear that being well-read is a good thing and in the bookish world it’s a title we strive for, so that should include the classics, right? Of course! I could go on and on about worldview and how we have such a limited perception of things, but I’ll spare you that rant for another time. The biggest takeaway from this blog post is that to gain a better understanding of humanity, our own existence and experiences, and how they relate to the existence and experiences of others, we absolutely must read. And moreover, we must read the classics just as we must read extensively from any genre we wish to write in. I keep bringing up writing and reading, but in the creative world, the two are inextricably linked. And that link is part of an even bigger packaged deal—understanding

ourselves and others. At it’s core, reading is in essence, see humanity through different lenses.

What do you think about reading the classics? Which classics have you read? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to check out Ginni’s blog post because I would have never thought to speak out on this topic without first stumbling upon her words

Bibliography

Chen, Ginni. “Why Read the Classics?” Barnes and Noble Reads Bog, July 15, 2015.
Hayes, Payton. “A photo of classic novels stacked up on a white bookshelf.” June 5, 2020.
Hayes, Payton. “A photo of a metal basket holding seven classic novels on a white bookshelf.” June 5, 2020 (Thumbnail photo).
Hayes, Payton. “A photo of a vintage typewriter and metal basket with classic novels on a white bookshelf.” June 5, 2020.
Hayes, Payton. “A photo of a metal basket with classic novels on a white bookshelf.” June 5, 2020.
Waldo Emerson, Ralph. “I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” Goodreads Quotes, accessed June 5, 2020.