I want to 'rescue' three classics

[PhilW]

We all have our likes and dislikes. But I see three of my favourite classics belittled on here too often for me to stay silent any longer!

Wuthering Heights - unique, powerful, dark, even a little disturbing.
Silas Marner - heart-warming, a beautiful tale of loss and redemption.
Pride & Predjudice - social satire and a study of human nature of the very highest quality.

There - now have your say. I don't mind if you simply don't like any (or all of them). But I challenge anyone to deny that each of them is a timeless classic in its own right.

 

[The waveguide]

Classics

We all have our likes and dislikes. But I see three of my favourite classics belittled on here too often for me to stay silent any longer!

Wuthering Heights - unique, powerful, dark, even a little disturbing.
Silas Marner - heart-warming, a beautiful tale of loss and redemption.
Pride & Predjudice - social satire and a study of human nature of the very highest quality.

There - now have your say. I don't mind if you simply don't like any (or all of them). But I challenge anyone to deny that each of them is a timeless classic in its own right.

The problem with classics. Hm. That they were wtitten too long ago in order to become a classic. I broke my tongue and my head on Silas Mamer. I read it in English language in school when my English was still terribly poor. I've got the idea, passed the exam and was happy. Some people would claim that "Anna Karenina" is classics as well, heart-breaking and cute. But today I just do not get the idea. Why to throw yourself under a train? Why just not get a divorce like all normal people and marry another guy?

The same with the Classics of the Classics. The Bible. Why to work 7 years to marry a girl? Just go ahead and get married! But 7 years? Are you crazy? No wonder Leah could not have kids after all that time!

So no, thanks a lot. No classics that are outdated. People change, customs change and I want to read the classics of today. Or at least something that is still relevant - such as adventure (Mark Twain, Astrid Lindgren...)

Even some "classical" SF is outdated. I just re-read some Artur C. Clarke - something about moon and life there. People are conquering moon and Jupiter and Venus, but never heard about digital photography! People have crazy space technology but they are developing their films when they make photographs from their telescopes which scan the skies for super novas! It was soooo embarassing to read!

So I prefer the classics of today, Just now, before they became "classics" in a sence of time.

I guess that my classics is "Lolita". May be in 50 years people will not understand it any longer. May be police will arrest such Humbert-Humberts even before they think of a crime, so for next generations it might be lost (for good and for bad). So read it before it's too late

 

[nomadic myth]

I've read all three (having read "well-known" classics is not always a given considering the sheer numbers of them) and I like each of them.

Sure the content is dated, and that comes as no surprise considering the original publication dates. A good reason to read literature is to experience something you know little about, such as life in the 19C. Another good reason for literature is that it is timeless, so the true themes never expire.

Wuthering Heights was a while ago for me, but the visual and emotional impression still remains. My lingering feeling is that it is dark. I'm not a big fan of Pride and Prejudice in the sense that its topic is not of direct relevance to my life, but when read as good writing and a good story, I really enjoy it. I find it quite humorous and witty.

My theory is that I shouldn't waste time reading crap when there is not enough time to read even a small fraction of the great books. Didn't waste my time with these three. Actually, I find defending classics to be stating the obvious, but there's no accounting for taste.

 

[imhere4beer]

All I can say about Wuthering Heights is that it is on my bookshelf, and I vaguely remember reading it, but I don't remember any of the story. Nuff said.

But Pride and Prejudice is one of my faves.

 

[The waveguide]

Defending classics

My theory is that I shouldn't waste time reading crap when there is not enough time to read even a small fraction of the great books. Didn't waste my time with these three. Actually, I find defending classics to be stating the obvious, but there's no accounting for taste.

You should define crap. As I told you I also like classics (Jules Verne - does it count? It is old enough to become a classics ).
You also told something about "defending classics". I do not believe in it. Trully good books will defend themselves, and will never get outdated. I just do not believe any more in suffering when reading books. Even if it is "the greatest all-times classics in the world".