I am in the middle of reading Jane Eyre and enjoying it very much. My book club has made a decision to read one classic novel over the year; somewhat of a departure from our usual best seller fare. We do have eclectic taste, but rereading the classics is still a far cry from 50 Shades of Grey.
There is a certain rhythm to reading a classic novel. There is no multitasking, as is my habit; both reading and watching television at the same time. You need to give these novels your full attention and absorb the words and get lost in the beauty and pace of the language. It has been since high school that I have read any of these novels and I wonder if my middle age eyes and perspective will be different than that of a 17 year old girl. Also, there is the joy of reading for pleasure, rather than an assignment with an exam and paper to follow.
These novels are called classics for a reason and deserve to be revisited time and time again. They evoke memories of the first time read and how the words and phrases made you feel and more importantly made you think. I can still remember reading Little Women and wanting to be Jo or my junior year in high school, the sadness I felt for Heather Prynne, in The Scarlet Letter.
I am thankful for my book club for many reasons and giving me a reason to pick up and read my favorite classic novels again, at this stage in my life, has been a great gift. I will be caught up in the world of Jane Eyre all day today and happy to be there.
Happy Thursday!
Posted with Blogsy
Reading is a restful time for me:) Enjoy your day dear friend, HUGS!
ReplyDeleteI am one of those sad individuals who got through high school without having read the classics. Do you have a list your working through or could you recommend two or three to start with?
ReplyDeleteIt's good to read a mixture of books....
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Wonderful idea . . .
ReplyDeleteYour book club sounds like the best group.
I think Itoo need to make a revisit to some of the classics.
Happy reading day . . .
I need to read some of the classics. Sounds like you are going to have a great day!
ReplyDeleteI have several classics sitting on my shelf and I never have the nerve to start them. At one time I had a list of 100 classics everyone should read and I was going to work my way through them. I'm not off to a promising start.
ReplyDeleteGlad to meet another combination reader/watcher. It drives my husband nuts when I do that. :)
You are my inspiration to get back to the classics! Have a wonderful weekend, Vicki!
ReplyDeleteHappy reading!!! I would love to join a book club.. that would give me motivation to read something outside of my normal genre.
ReplyDeleteFunny how differently writers write going from pen and paper to typewriter to PC. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Vicki. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading these classic. Your picture made me want to pick up Little Women again.
ReplyDeleteJane Eyre and Little Women -- two of the best books ever! I have 4 adult girls and they all love these books, two of them collect them. On cloudy, rainy days (which are rare where we live) we wish each other a happy Jane Eyre Day. Recently, one of my daughters did a photo-shoot with the six-year-old daughter of another; she had Izzy sitting on an old velvet chair, a stack of classics were perched on the chair and she was holding and open copy of Jane Eyre in her lap. My daughter told her to look like she was reading something really interesting -- the expression on her face is precious.
ReplyDeleteA couple of book clubs I've been in over the years also had a goal to read one classic each year. Every time I grumbled about it to myself but every time I was so glad I was "forced" to read these books for all the reasons you describe. My two favorites: Grapes of Wrath and A Farewell to Arms.
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