January 20, 2008
What is it about classics that we tend to romanticize? I always envision myself curled up beneath a warm blanket in front of a glowing fire with a cup of herbal tea at hand. Kristen at Delightfully Dawgmatic got me thinking about this with her wonderful post about reading Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. She found her romantic vision of the book shattered when she actually sat down to read it. I must admit to a similar experience.
I picked up Great Expectations to read for My Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge (being hosted by the women of Estella’s Revenge). I looked forward to becoming entrenched in the book, my husband unable to pull me from its clutches. But, reality is that I’m struggling. I find my eyes drooping after only a few pages. I’m constantly doing the math to see how many more pages I must read to get me to the end. I re-read the same paragraph over and over with the dull realization I’ve stopped paying attention.
I want to love this book – it’s a classic! It’s Dicken’s, for goodness sake. Who doesn’t love Dickens? I remembering reading and loving A Tale of Two Cities in high school. Why can’t I remember reading Great Expectations way back then? Is it possible it was entirely forgettable?
Perhaps I am just not in the mood for Victorian era fiction; maybe if I read this six months from now it would fascinate and bowl me over. Maybe not.
Lest you think I just can’t stomach a good classic – let me share with you a book I read earlier in the week. So Big, by Edna Ferber (read my review) is one of those classics that I adored. Rich characterization, a strong lead female character, beautiful setting, and a story that will never grow old. Now that’s a classic I can recommend!
= Excellent
= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
‘Great Expectations is one of those books that I periodically re-read, always with the same reaction – I want to brain Pip big time! Give me Herbert Pocket any day. The thing is I suspect it has to be great writing on Dickens’ part that can get me so worked up every time. Leave it for a bit and come back, see what you think then. I hate you to miss out on a wonderful book just because it isn’t quite the right time.
I have to admit that I really struggled with Great Expectations myself. While I did read it for school, it was one that I chose for myself. Despite my desire to really like Dickens and the initial promise of the book, I felt that the middle just dragged on and on. While the end did, if I recall correctly, validate the slog through the middle, it’s not an experience I’m likely to ever repeat and (sadly) sort of puts me off Dickens to this day. One of these days, I’m going to need to get over this bias and try Dickens again just to see if my not liking him was just a fluke!
What I’ve wondered, along the same lines, is why did I love classics soooooo much when I was in my teens and twenties, but I just can’t get through them now? For book club last year we decided to re-read classics. We started Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel, which I remember with great fondness, and The Grapes of Wrath, which I read three times in my teens and twenties. And not ONE of us got through them! I am choosing to attribute it to being “this time” in my life when I am caught up with children. Perhaps I’ll enjoy classics again in my later years.
Visiting from TSS,
SmallWorld
SmallWorld: Thanks for visiting! It’s funny – there are certain classics I’ve read in the last year that I absolutely LOVE (The Grapes of Wrath was one of them!)…and then there are the ones that I should like, but don’t (Heminway’s novels come to mind). I think, for me, I have to be in the mood to sort through language that is not modern…and some of the classics tend to ramble on without much action.
Megan, Luckily I’ve read a couple of Dicken’s novels I loved…so this one won’t put me permanently off of Dickens – but I understand your point. If I have a bad reading experience with a certain author, I’m less likely to try them again.
I’m going to keep plugging along. There are certain characters I like…and some parts are reading better than others. I just so wanted to LOVE this book!
Just ran across your blog and had to comment on this post… I just posted myself about feeling the same way! I wanted to completely love this book but so far I’m just kind of making it through. Like you I’m going to keep working on it, but I might need to take a break to read something else a little shorter.
Kim, It is good to hear someone else is also struggling! I’m getting closer to finishing it – it has gotten marginally better in the last 1/3rd. My next book needs to be something light!!