Quote:
Originally Posted by spellbanisher
Unfortunately, I think people are afraid of classic literature in general. Perhaps our expectations need to be managed better, so that we do not approach every classic work as if it is supposed to be a ton of work, or that it is supposed to transform our lives somehow.
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Half the problem, though, is that we put children off great literature for life by forcing them to read what are very definitely NOT children's books before they're able to appreciate them.
It will come as no great surprise to many people that one of my favourite authors is Dickens. Like every other British schoolchild I was force-fed Dickens at school and HATED his books. It was only when I was in my late 30s that I rediscovered him and learned to love his books for the great literature that they are. You just can't appreciate Dickens' biting social satire when you're a teenager (or at least I couldn't).