|
1. By any measure I would be extremely well-read: I've read most of the authors listed in the article, many (Kafka, Chekhov, Simenon) in the original language.
2. Being well-read doesn't mean that you are smarter.
3. Reading classics won't make you smarter. It won't. I like Trollope, and I like some David Weber. I think that Trollope is much better, his stories more interesting, his characters more realistic, and his style much more engaging. But in the end, reading novels is really just about entertainment. While I find Trollope more entertaining, I'm no smarter after reading Trollope than I would be after reading Weber.
4.To my mind, the difference between reading the classics and reading conventional genre literature is basically like the difference between skiing the green circle trails or skiing the black diamond trails. In both cases, you are skiing. If you are used to skiing on the green, it's hard to just jump onto the black trails...and even if you are able to finish the trail/book, you may not enjoy the experience.
Until you get used to them, a lot of classics *are* harder to read. The language is typically different, and the novelistic conventions are also different. You kind of have to build up to them (which is why so many students get turned off by the classics in HS - they weren't prepared for them yet). However, once you are able to comfortably ski/read the black diamond runs, you can find it a richer experience than sticking to the green runs. You may find some green runs are now too boring, or too predictable, but there are some you will still enjoy.
5. Reading classics gives you the opportunity to read some really really good books. They aren't like medicine - if you find yourself really struggling through one, just put it down and read something else. (But don't give up too early, either). The reason people still read Trollope (or Jane Austen or Theodor Fontane) is because they write really good, really entertaining books. The reason these books are still in print is not because people force themselves to read them out of a sense of duty.
6. At the risk of being repetitive, reading classics won't make you smarter and it won't make you a better person. It will just make you more entertained. But it does so by giving you access to a form of entertainment you can't get anywhere else. That ought to be enough.
7. [Edit] A lot of those books are kind of weird choices for classics - P.G. Wodehouse, Simenon, Evelyn Waugh. I think they were actually put in the list because there have been popular PBS shows/miniseries based on works by these authors.
|