How to Enjoy Reading Classics
This month I revisited Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I first read it in my very early 20s in 2008. After always hearing it heralded as one of the greatest love stories of all time, a favorite to many, I was unimpressed by my reading to say the least. While my review acknowledged the themes as timeless I also called it a chore to read (something I vividly recall now, more than 15 years later). At the time I found the characters flat, the story lacking depth, I had no idea why everyone thought this such a great novel. It was my first and last Austen.
I’ve always wondered if circumstances at the time were to blame for my lackluster reading experience so I decided to do a reread and I loved it! My reading experience this time around was so different, and much for the better.
I’ve always enjoyed classics, though in 2008 most all of the classics I had been exposed to were in an educational setting. While I was willing and interested to pick up classics on my own, I don’t think I had yet discovered what made for pleasurable classics reading for me outside of a classroom. More than 15 years and many classics later I’ve found strategies that work for me.
5 Tips For Reading Classics:
- Before reading take the time to gain context on the novel. I like to research historical events happening around the time the story was written, familiarize myself with social norms and customs of the time, etc. Searching “historical context for [title]” will typically yield useful results. I find this information to be so helpful in understanding novels written many generations ago.
- Research themes for the novel. Having an idea of what the author intends to explore within the story is very helpful context.
- Read closely. A huge mistake I made with my first reading of Pride and Prejudice was to just read it straight through as I would any novel I was reading for pleasure. I find I get way more out of novels by reading closely; slowing down and making sure I understand as I go. Pride and Prejudice is a subtle, nuanced novel. The reason I found it flat the first go around is because of the way I read it. In my experience classics typically require closer reading as the language, norms, and events are less familiar than contemporary books.
- Which brings me to my next point: annotate! Just because you won’t be required to write an essay after reading doesn’t mean it isn’t helpful to highlight, underline, makes notes in the margins. I love to note impactful passages, parts where the themes really show themselves, big plot points, etc. This aids me in deeper understanding. For this purpose I love to buy a cheap (I’m talking <$5) used copy so I can feel comfortable marking it up to my heart’s content.
- This brings us to my #1 tip: Read with friends. I think classics lend themselves really well to a buddy read or book club type setting, but especially a buddy read! Read along with someone who is willing to discuss and tease the story apart as you go. This helps with clarification, understanding, and just deeper enjoyment of classic stories. Discussing afterwards is also useful for deeper appreciation/understanding, but I find the insights that come from real time discussion have more impact. I find having a reading buddy (or a few!) provides motivation, support, and really adds a lot of value to reading classics.
That Bookish Life 