Classic Literature Debate

I generally find it very difficult to read/enjoy old classics... I much prefer the analyses of those text that explain their relevance for our culture and the context in which they were written. I will make some time to read this article.

That seems a bit silly, people read stuff that was written long ago.

Yes exactly. It's a product of its time. Many people consider Asimov or Heinlein equally impenetrable. Hell, many people consider Joyce and Proust tedious. And I wouldn't be at all surprised in a few years if Atlas Shrugged is attacked for glorifying smoking and pollution too...

People don't really read fiction outside their bubble anymore, especially in the HN community; there are a few hacker 'classics' that get repeated over and over (like Heinlein or Rand), and that's it. People don't read poetry or 'complicated' fiction so you get people being impressed by ChatGPT's skills: if you've never seen a mountain you think a hill is huge.

That's a common complaint about literature. I remmeber one person who wouldn't read fiction because they said "it was just all lies". Literature isn't just a recitation of facts, it reflects the organizing principle of our values. It sparks creativity.If the classics feel to archaic or they are too inaccessible, you also might try some contemporary authors. Michael Crichton is very accessible. I think his works can be equally inspiring and creative.

How does reading the classics shelter from engaging with ephemeral works?

What people often forget about classical books: They were written to be enjoyed. That's true even for Finnegan's Wake although it requires a special kind of person to enjoy it.

I don't think that it's that big a deal. It's something that has been said for many generations. Each generation complains that our art has been "lost," by folks without the patience to learn it, etc. In my day, we complained about Cliffs' Notes, and calculators in the classroom.I grew up, overseas, where the TV sucked, and I became a voracious reader. I didn't read James Joyce or Chaucer. I read J. R. R. Tolkien, Alistair McClean, and C. S. Lewis. I have al

> Try reading 1800s literature. Some of the most gripping literature I've ever encountered - thank you :-).But seriously, why be dismissive (perhaps too strong a word - but mildly derisive at least) of such a wide swath of human culture that many admittedly find interesting to make a point that has nothing to with literature or writing style for that matter?

That’s really weird. People are making all kinds of books and stories. And stories are relevant to their time. The matrix wouldn’t be written in 1900, a tale of two cities wouldn’t be written in 1200, …It is true though that if you have a culturally diverse set of friends and are open to their experiences and opinions, a lot of “the classics” start to smell bad. Imagine being black and reading Grapes of Wrath. You might think the situation of the main characters as humorous or infantile, cons