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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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
A number of the classics that *were* suitable for kids eighty years ago, no longer are; today's kids are working across a cultural barrier to understand them. American kids have no concept of the class issues in Great Expectations, and the poor-orphan protagonist is so different from the way poverty shows up in the US today that they generally can't understand anything beyond the basic plot points.
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As Elfwreck says (though I'll argue this for adults too, not just kids), it's more an issue of relatability (I am declaring that a word). I have problems relating to a lot of older works. I can tackle vocabulary, but if I can't love/hate the characters, I don't give a crap. If I'm reading fiction for fun, I prefer to read something more contemporary. Though I don't like many of the "classics", I actually really love the handful of Shakespeare stuff I've read. Shakespeare and Poe are fabulous, and I approach anything else labeled a "classic" with the same trepidation I feel for Dan Brown.