Since we've been talking so much about classics, I thought I'd open this question up for discussion. What books would you guys consider classics? You can include your own favorite books or books that made an impression on you, or you can include books you think everyone should read. Explain why you think these books deserve to be on the classics list. Also, what makes a book a "classic?"
My classics (or must-read list) would be Heart of Darkness, Hamlet, Wuthering Heights, Walden, Leaves of Grass, and The Dark Tower Series (at least the first three, anyway!).
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I think that a classic is any book that has amessage that will relate to all people, no matter what decade or century they are in. Also, for something to be considered a classic, I think that it should have to be entertaining and fairly easy to read. Sometimes, if I am reading a book that is a "classic" I have to stop because I can't understand what is going on. A few books that I would consider classics are The Catcher in the Rye, the Harry Potter Series, and The Lovely Bones.
ReplyDelete-Katie Toth
I agree with Katie in that in order for a book to be considered a classic, it must apply to people in different cultures. I also think that a book must be "timeless" and must be able to withstand the test of time. I think pretty much all of the books we read in school are classics because they are hundreds of years old and we are still reading them today. One back that I consider a classic is Frankenstein (great book), and I think that the Harry Potter series will eventually be considered "classic."
ReplyDelete-Rachel Butler
I agree with you ladies. Rachel, Frankenstein is one of my favorites as well.
ReplyDeleteI think for a book to be considered a classic has to be unique and allow people to think ideas they have never thought of after reading the book. Many people read for enjoyment, but also for knowledge as well. If a book can do both at the same time, I find that to be a classic. Books I consider to be classics are The Outsiders, A Lesson Before Dying, and Marley and Me.
ReplyDelete-Jiyun Choi
I always tend to think of old books as classics, but i guess as time goes on the new ones grow old, too. As I grew up, I read mostly what my mom considered to be "classics", like Heidi, The Secret Garden, Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, etc. But I think books can be classic without being "classics", like Harry Potter, Because of Winn-Dixie, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, the Narnia books, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe books I think are classics are the books I grew up reading, shuch as the Narnia series, Little House on the Prarie, Black Beauty, and Swiss Family Robenson. On my "must read for all fantasy and/or sci-fi readers" booklist is the Honor Harington series (the first of which is On Basalisk Station), and any and all books by Merecedes Lackey.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes a book classic tends to be on its own story's uniqueness, how influential the book was, and to have the ability to be alive for generation to generation with out losing its readers. Classics could easily vary between something as serious and touching as The Diary of Anne Frank, to something as silly and fun as Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, because each book appeals to different readers in different ways.
ReplyDeleteMary Eisenhower
I think a classic is a book that is chosen by some socially elite college professor that thinks a certain book would help students learn something. He then calls it a "classic" and soon all english teachers are required to teach it.
ReplyDeletePhilip Wolfe
I believe a classic is any book that can apply to all people no matter their age, ethnicity, gender, or beliefs. It has that something special that makes a person remember it. I consider To Kill a Mockingbird to be a classic for sure.
ReplyDelete-Kaila Harris
I definately agree with Kaila. A classic doesn't necessarily have to have been written a bajillion years ago, nor does it have to be extremely difficult to read. I think that a classic is a book that is "timeless" and can continue throghout generations without losing its meaning. Classics apply to everyone and means something different for each person who picks the book up. Some of my "classics" per say are the Bible, To Kill a Mockingbird, and one of my personal favorites, The Diary of a Young Girl.
ReplyDelete~ Melanie Pryor
I would define a classic as a book that is widely accepted by a large group of people. Books that are classics in my opinion would be: Sherlock Holmes, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Scarlet Letter, and Uncle Tom's Cabin.
ReplyDeleteBen Purinton
I think a classic book is a book that no matter what generation reads it, they all love it. It is a timeless book that never gets old. Also it is a book that has morals, lessons, and values that can apply to any age of people. Also, i believe a classic is a book that is easy to understand, which means it doesn't take you an hour to figure out one page, such as Walden. A classic can be comprehended by anyone. A classic is enjoyed by every generation, young or old. The one book that i think is the most classic is To Kill A Mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteA classic is a story that canbe read at any point in time and still have an impact and still be relevant. My classics are: Pride and Prejudice, Catcher and the Rye, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and some contemperary classics are The Lovely Bones, and Atonement.
ReplyDeleteLauren Payne
When the word "classic" comes to mind, I automatically think of old books with archaic styles that I can hardly understand; written by people who are known solely by their book titles. Then I think about what "classic" really means. Classics seem to be stories that break the mold of writing, developing a story that gets more exciting every time you read it. Some books are widely referred to as classics, but, in fact, might not be considered so by many people.
ReplyDeleteCarley Chastain
I agree with earlier posts in that I believe a classic is a book that all people can relate to in some way. Though I automatically think of classics as old, I believe that the Harry Potter books can be considered classics and they have been written relativly recently. I think that classics should also be widely liked or at least widley appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI think in a broad view that classics are books that will be read and reread throughout time. There doesn't always have to have a deeper meaning, just fun for the reader. Some books I think should be classics are the Harry Potter series. :D Hopefully in a 1000 years people will consider Harry Potter a classic.
ReplyDeleteI think we could put the Harry Potter series into the classics category by now. Because of the far-reaching implications of that series, I think it will be around for quite some time.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind when I think about "the classics" is books that are old and very well known. As I think more about it I have come to realize that my new definition of a classic is different. I believe that it is unique to each individual. A classic is something you can enjoy reading multiple times throughout your life and each time you read it, it makes a different and new impact on you. So personally, to say that a certain book is a classic means nothing to me.
ReplyDeleteIsabel, how transcendentalist of you to define classics in terms of the individual! :)
ReplyDeleteI believe that a classic is as much a matter of opinion as of history. I do agree that most of the books generally labeled "classic" are classics because of how well known it is. Most of the classics are good stories and are very well written. However, I consider my classics to be books that left me with something when I was done reading them. For instance, after reading Harry Potter, I was left with the fact that being brave does not necessarily mean going alone. I believe that any book that you can read multiple times and still find something new in is your own classic. Classics should leave you with a good lesson or something that will make you want to read them again.
ReplyDelete-Kaitlyn Sabourin
I agree with Kaitlyn, but I also think a classic is a book with a well written plot. The more books and movies I watch lately, the more I notice that I can tell you exactly what will happen at the end because everyone piggybacks off other plots. A Classic is a book that you don't even think to try to catalog it because it is so sweeping and compelling. A Classic is a book that you don't want to put down until it's finished because it's so interesting, even if you have read it before.
ReplyDelete~Hannah Petty
Personally I would consider Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy a classic as well as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Classics should be chosen depending on the individual. "His Dark Materials" is some of the best work I have read but it is not necessarily something everybody would enjoy reading as it might be considered offensive to some. That is why a classic becomes defined by the individual.
ReplyDeleteClassic books are those that highlight major types of literature, such as Romanticism, and main concepts that reoccur throughout literature, like the Odyssey and its "journey" storyline. I think the are also well-written and respected pieces of literature or pieces that were very controversal and important in their time. But who is to judge which books are more important and accepted and name them "a classic?" I despised "Great Expectations," a well known classic. Perhaps the word is attached to certain books over time, even though many books contain the comment in the very front, "An instant classic!" I don't think thats a very accurate statement. I agree with Christy, in that the Harry Potter series should be considered a classic, as well as historical works, like the Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteI think a classic is a book with either a meaning or a plot familiar to all generations. It may be famous childrens' books such as Disney stories, the Harry Potter series, and The Outsiders. Or it can be titles that are recognizable to almost anyone like The Castle of Otranto, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, and the Vampire Chronicle by Anne Rice.
ReplyDelete-Ineke Moore
Classics, to me, are books which stand out in its own unique way. Therefore the books are always remembered.
ReplyDelete-Lucero
I think that classics are books that different generations can enjoy. Classics are really timeless and can still be relatable hundreds of years later.
ReplyDelete~Amanda Akridge
I think classics are books that are entertaining to or contain lessons relevent to anybody from any time period after the book was written. It does not necessarily have to be popular. I also think that a book cannot be a classic until the author is dead.
ReplyDelete-Zhijian Xing
I think classic are books that are commonly read. Classic books make people want to read it over and over again for instance Harry Potter, is a book people want to read a lot. Also, these types of books grab the attention of majority of the people.
ReplyDelete-Harkirat Sethi