Today, most books are quick and have little deeper meaning, appealing to tropes and what people want to read rather than sending a message or a real, deep, meaningful story. When many people think of the classics, they think of wordy old English, and stuffy books that take too long to read and are hard to understand. They do not bother brushing the dust off these novels to give them a chance. Shakespeare, Austen, and Tolkien make no sense, therefore picking up their pieces would be a waste of time. Truthfully, this is how I used to think as well. I hated reading something that I had no interest in, much less something I couldn’t understand. But since reading more classics in English class and on my own, my perspective has changed. Reading the classics is important to becoming a well-rounded person, both intellectually and emotionally. The difference between the classics and any old book is that they are called the classics for a reason. There is something fundamentally different about these stories that makes them worth reading, and everyone should dive into the world of classical literature.
Aside from the fact that reading them will increase your knowledge and vocabulary, classical literature serves a purpose that many books today do not achieve. We read to discover, and if all you are discovering is a cheap story tied up in a nice bow, then it is a waste of time. Franz Kafka said, “If the book we’re reading doesn’t wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for?” I believe that is exactly it. The classics have withstood the test of time for a reason. Many of them, including but not limited to 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and The Handmaiden’s Tale all serve as warnings for the future. Reading and understanding books from the past allows us to understand the present with open eyes. The branches of literature couldn’t have grown without the roots of the classics.
Classical literature also opens the doors for experiencing lives we have never lived, encouraging readers to understand the complexities of not only the human mind but also the human heart and soul. Because you fill the shoes of the characters you read, a deeper and more thoughtful story will increase your emotional intelligence and empathy, which is oftentimes more needed than anything else. Bill Bullard said, “The highest form of knowledge is empathy.” Understanding another human being to their core is essential to creating long-lasting, meaningful relationships with others. I believe literature paves the way for us to become the best versions of ourselves, and finding books that have questions but leave you to find the answer, like so many before you, is a beautiful thing.
In my opinion, classical literature is essential to improving both your mind and soul. If you can pick up a classical book and delve into its contents, then do it. As Mark Twain said, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” If there is a classic collecting dust on your bookshelf, I encourage you to pick it up and give it a try. You might begin to wonder why you put it down in the first place.
Audrey Mitchell is sixteen turning seventeen years old, and a junior at Libertas Christian School. She has loved writing ever since she can remember and dreams of becoming a professional writer one day. She has four cats, a dog, and two rabbits, whom she loves very much. She is a devout Christian, and some of her hobbies include playing the clarinet, writing fiction on the side, reading, and hanging out with her friends. She shows lambs and goats at the Ottawa County Fair every summer and works a summer job at an ice cream shop.
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