I haven’t read classics since middle/high school when they were assigned to us. I’ve always wondered if they told us kids to read them way too early in life to actually appreciate them. And with a few exceptions, I’ve always sort of felt that they turned more people away from reading than drew them toward it. I felt that they were so boring. There was a very small percentage that I actually enjoyed. And it felt like that was the general consensus of my peers as well.
Well, now I’m 41, and I’ve experienced a lot more life since then, so I thought maybe I should read some classics. I will admit that the book I’m currently reading, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, I’m only about halfway through it. I do intend to finish it no matter what, but I am definitely struggling.
I don’t think that I’m not getting it. I think I just don’t like it. At first, it did feel like I was watching an old B+W movie, but very slow. It’s sort of like a slice of life of a particular group of friends that drink a lot.
Then I got to a point in the book where it seems like the author challenged himself to see how many times he could fit the “N” word on one page. Not long after that, he starts using slurs for gay people, and even brings some antisemitism into the book. It went from this is just boring… to why the hell is this man revered as a great American author?
Should books like this really be held with such high regard in this day and age? Or does keeping them there serve to reinforce systemic racism? I’m not saying ban the books or whatever, but why is this writing still considered great? I feel it has aged like milk. Even if you take the racism and bigotry out of it, you just have a really dull read.
I will admit, I chose this book to read, because I know what the last line is, and I love that last line… so I wanted to experience the work that brought that particular sentence into existence. But I feel like I’m going to be very disappointed at this point.
So, are all classics like this? Is there anything in the American canon that isn’t littered with casual racism, misogyny, or bigotry?
by Pristine-Fusion6591
1 Comment
I can’t say anything about that book in particular, because I didn’t read it.
But I studied (German) Literature so I have read alllll the German Classics and a lot of international ones. First of all: There is not a single person in the world who likes every classic. Even literature professors despise some renowned authors and find them untalented and/or boring to read. So I wouldn’t be that hung up about that one Hemingway book. I personally read Old Man and the Sea and I found it very uninteresting.
And secondly: If the main character is heavily misogynistic, racist, etc. it still can be great literature and worth a read. Because first of all it speaks of great talent to write such a character well. Also it is often crucial in life to get an understanding of different people, especially those people who could be harmful to you or to society.
There is also the point of catharsis meaning that you might relate to some really dark corners of a character and you work through your own darkness as you are reading.
Naturally I loved reading Classics as a teenager, I think though it would be great to touch all the genres of literature in school so everybody can find books they love. A class in my school didn’t have mandatory books but several lists of books where they had to pick books to read and present to the class, I found that concept pretty cool. I think it is much better if students can pick a classic of their own taste rather than being dragged through the one book the teacher prefers.