Quote:
Originally Posted by JSWolf
We could make it so that in the non-classic months that if a book is nominated and it's considered a classic, it cannot get voted on as it's a classic in a non-classic month.
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The rub here is, you can't even define classic. If you consider Harry Potter and HHGTTG classics that's fine. Personally, I don't.
As the single remaining founding member of the book club the point of the whole thing was to get exposure to books that I wouldn't normally read.
It's pretty clear when you take literature classes in University you won't be reading and discussion Harry Potter or HHG... you will be reading stuff like the Penguin 10 Essential Classics:
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pa...ntialclassics/
Esther Lombardi, About.com’s resident classic literature guide, offers this handy definition of classic:
“A classic usually expresses some artistic quality--an expression of life, truth, and beauty. A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic. A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses. A classic makes connections. You can study a classic and discover influences from other writers and other great works of literature.”
So, what is modern classic, well sounds like an oxymoron to me:
"A modern classic, then, would have to be a book written after WWI, and probably after WWII. Why? Because those cataclysmic events shifted the way the world sees itself in irreversible ways.
"Beyond content, modern classics also demonstrate a shift in style from earlier eras. This shift began in the early part of the century, with luminaries such as James Joyce expanding the reach of the novel as a form. In the post-war era, the hardened realism of the Hemingway school became less of a novelty and more a requirement. Cultural shifts have meant that obscenities once viewed as outrageous are commonplace. Sexual “liberation” may be more of a fantasy than a reality in the real world, but in literature the characters certainly sleep around a lot more casually than they used to. In tandem with television and movies, literature has also shown its willingness to spill blood on the pages, as violent horrors that once would not even have been alluded to now become the basis of best-selling novels."
So, seeing as there is something to the idea of modern classic and some folks here see two classic months as a "duplication" here is my proposal.
Classic - pre World War 1 (pre-1914)
this would be the month for those great books written long ago that you can still buy at borders. Most will be in the public domain so people can download them for free.
Modern Classic - post World War I
this would be your On The Road, Catch-22, A Canticle for Liebowitz, Harry Potter, Hitchhickers Guide, etc. This can also include those Pulitzer prize winners as well.
yes, I know there are classics in every genre but I still think there is merit in having months set aside for classics... especially since I don't have time to participate in the "literary" book club.
thoughts?
BOb