How to Enjoy Classics (from a literature teacher’s perspective)

My job as a literature teacher is to help people not just LEARN from these books but also ENJOY the adventure. If you are HUMAN, you have a right to explore the human experience through classical literature. Classics: well-written books that have withstood the rest of time and capture something IMPORTANT about the human condition. But it’s not always easy to read old books so here are five tips: 1. Pick a fun one. There’s a wide variety of classics out there - pick one that fits your vibe. 2. Be patient. In a world filled with pinging notifications, loud commercial, and adrenaline packed stories, classics can feel slow. Why read a book that feels a little tedious at first? Because it will have greater pay off than the other stories and will be more life changing due to the richness of the story and the way helps bring more space for calm in your life. 3. Get to know characters and setting. Enjoy getting a close up into a new world, time, and place! Have fun exploring the similarities and differences between your world and the story world. Enjoy getting to know the characters and don’t put pressure on yourself to know them all. 4. Ask questions. What drives the characters? What do they want? What does this book claim about humanity? What does it say it means to live a good life? Do you agree with it? We are all bringing memories, sounds, joys, personalities with us when we read a book; asking questions can help us unpack our own perspectives as well as the deeper meanings in a book. 5. Make it a dialogue. What do you think of this story? Maybe write a journal entry or blog post about it. Talk to someone else who has read the book (dm me @JacquelineRoseGold ). Don’t “leave it to the experts.” We are talking about a look at humanity! If you are human, you have a place in this conversation and your voice and opinion matters! Sometimes people treat classics like an advanced level of sorcery as if you need a degree or historical background to learn how to get all the good lessons and enjoy the same words that people been enjoying for centuries. Nope. All you need is a little bit of patience and a bit of humanity in order to unlock the adventure. Happy Reading, Friends!