I started this post 2 weeks ago, but here it is anyway...
I believe you know that I've been trying to "improve" myself by reading some "Classics." By the way, I had no idea what really made a classic novel; I guess I thought it meant it was liked and old. Apparently, being a classic is pretty subjective. Wikipedia helped me out a little, but basically most people refer to reading lists produced by Oxford or Harvard or Penguin. There was this one quote that I felt most resonated with my thoughts on classic literature. Italo Calvino wrote, "A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." I even made that a facebook status one day. I just love it when people write something that I wish I could come up with.
I started by reading
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaneal Hawthorne. He is a great writer; he wrote some things that I thought better described feelings better than I had ever heard. He wrote a thought provoking story about punishment for sin. I however, did not enjoy the read. I didn't know anything about the story, except that a woman committed adultery and was punished by wearing an A on her chest. If that is all you know then the story drags on about the details of the town, the woods, and the marketplace in crucial parts of the story where you really just want to know what is going to happen to these poor characters. I think it would be easier to read now that I know what is to happen, but my word to describe the story is torturous! I'm sorry if it's your favorite book. I think I have spoken with respect and given it credit where it is due, but seriously it took me a month and it's a pretty short book.
I have began reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. From page one I have enjoyed it. I'm about 1/4 of the way through and still really enjoy it. Again, I had no idea what the story was about before starting it. I really like Miss Jane and find that I can relate to her in ways, but not her restless spirit. I look forward to finishing this one.
Something funny that I like about reading these Classics is these stories were both written around the 1850s and they use several words in common. Words that I know I've heard before but definitely don't use. Here's your 1850s vocab lesson for the day. Don't say I never taught you anything!
Ignominy- a noun 1.disgrace; dishonor; public contempt. 2. shameful or dishonorable quality or conduct or an instance of this.
Imp- a noun 1. a little devil or demon; an evil spirit. 2. a mischievous child.
Vogue- a noun 1. something in fashion, as at a particular time: Short hairdos were the vogue in the twenties.
2. popular currency, acceptance, or favor; popularity: The book is having a great vogue.
Zenith- a noun 1. the point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given position or observer. Compare nadir. 2. a highest point or state; culmination.
a common phrase "deuce take me" apparently means the devil take me. Very interesting!
Ok also I finished reading Jane Eyre. I really enjoyed it. I can definitely say that "It's a story that hasn't finished saying what it has to say." I love that even though there is love in the story, the theme remains about Jane's character and who she is.
Next up Call of the Wild by Jack London.
