Hi all, I’m an eighteen year old college freshman, and I’ve always enjoyed reading, however I’ve started to feel guilty recently about my taste in books. Recently one of my professors spoke on the subject of literature, according to his definition, true literature is not written nor read for a sense of entertainment or escapism. He used an example of two books, The Grapes Wrath by Steinbeck and Cujo by King. According to him the former is literature while the latter is entertainment. This got me thinking, have I ever truly read literature? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy novels that tackle philosophical and political subjects and encourage thinking, and I can find enjoyment in complex and beautiful prose, but these books still serve as a sense of entertainment for me. I usually struggle with novels that are considered “classics” and true literature. For instance, I’m currently reading through one of my many pulpy Sci-Fi Asimov novels, and greatly enjoying it, but on the shelf across from me sits The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Pride and Prejudice, all of which I’ve made it half way through before giving up on, and frankly I do feel a sense of guilt over choosing to read anything, regardless of how enjoyable it is, rather than drudging through one of the aforementioned classics. I suppose all of this is just to ask, has anyone else found themselves struggling with classics and true literature when younger, but eventually found it worthwhile? Or am I simply dumb? I truly do want to read these one day without having to force myself through them. I’m sorry if this is a stupid question, and I absolutely do not mean to criticize any of the classics, it is purely by fault of my own that I have so much trouble reading them.
by WiseKoala3454