I've never been a reader. I only had to read in school when necessary. I regret not taking the time to read "the classics". I didn't understand the importance of literary discussion then. Now I want that but of course I'm no longer in school. Are there any of the classics that come with literary analysis either by paragraph/page/chapter? I bought my first book in my adult life yesterday – Candide by Voltaire. There are plenty of undertones that go over my head plus I need to look up definitions at least once a page. Thanks
by Astr0cytes
2 Comments
You can find annotated versions of basically every single classic, and beyond that they all have at the very least a sparknotes (or similar) site and/or booklet for a little more in depth but still easy to understand stuff.
Usually not by the author, though, because
> A narrator should not supply interpretations of his work; otherwise he would have not written a novel, which is a machine for generating interpretations.
Look for the [Norton Critical Editions](https://wwnorton.co.uk/norton-critical-editions). I’ve found them to be excellent.