Comment by ajarmst | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ajarmst | Hacker News Reader

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I agree on all of that, but advancing age has forced me to qualify it. I now own more books that I want to read than my expected life span and average reading speed can support. I don’t regret a single moment spent reading crap genre mind-candy. I regret every single moment spent forcing myself through a book that I wasn’t enjoying, because it was something I ‘should read’. I don’t regret starting any of them, and I’ve enjoyed the hell out of some Dickens and Shakespeare, T. S. Eliot and Tennyson. I studied Latin and Hebrew at school. I’ve read half of what Kipling wrote and everything Keri Hulme did. Hell, I used to teach the publication history of the Bible.

But I’ve read four Jane Austen novels (three for credit, one for a failed shot at a Women’s Studies major) and not enjoyed a moment of the experience. Intellectually, I get the quality of the work, but it wasn’t entertaining. It wasn’t pleasant, and life is just way too short for that. Books, even technical ones, get about three chapters to make their case now, if I’m not voluntarily choosing to read it after that, I’m moving on.

Funny aside: for my sins, I own a complete more-than-a-ventury old set of leather-bound Jane Austen works, because I was the family member who was ‘into books’. I’ve promised myself to make sure they go to someone who will enjoy them when they pass from my custody.

I, for one, volunteer to be their new caretaker. :)

I like reading „classical literature“, and I find I enjoy a lot of it more than I expected to. Often I do have to push myself, because it can take a fair bit of concentration/perseverance, but it‘s usually worth it.

However, I do know the feeling you describe: sometimes, it just doesn‘t „click“. And in that case, I will eventually move on to the next book, and try not to feel guilty about it ;-) (I started „Paradise Lost“ twice. I love the absolutely epic poetry and vivid imagination, but I still ended up getting stuck both times...)

I'm a believer in audiobooks as a great way to experience the classics, you don't get derailed when there's a lengthy genealogy or dedication to a long dead patron. It's true to the original experience of the works too since there was much more recitation and reading aloud when copies were scarce.

So many are free on librivox (or from a library): https://librivox.org/

PS no audiobook version could redeen Paradise Lost for me either, it was my peast favorite reading in high school. To paraphrase, better to be ignorant in hell than well read in heaven if you have to trudge through Milton to get there.

Dickens and Jane Austen seem to be mutually exclusive. I adore Jane Austen's work, but have only made it through Dickens with struggle. I have heard similar things to your position and mine from many people, but rarely heard someone say, "Oh, yeah, I love Jane Austen and Charles Dickens!"

Have you probed a bit further to ask them why they like Austen and not Dickens, and vice versa. I for one like reading works of both Austen, and Dickens.

Your point is much closer to the articles main question, which I understand to be "should you force yourself to read the classics" as opposed to "sould you consider reading classic literature".

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