Do you Prefer Classical or Modern Literature?

[Kathleen]

Do you Prefer Classical or Modern Literature?

Ask me this question a few years ago, I would have said modern literature without hesitation.

However… recently I’ve been gravitating much more towards the classics.

I still think modern literature has some clear strengths over classical literature, like having fewer filler scenes and more creative and diverse premises, characters, and plot, however, classics often have so much more depth to them.

A lot of times modern literature (that I read) lacks nuance and depth that I can easily find in classics.

When I read classics I can tell the author put a lot of thought into their story and it shows. The story never feels rushed, but that they are taking their time exploring the characters and the world and dilemmas they live in.

So I would say, as of now, I prefer reading classics. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if that changes in the near future as I have read much more renowned classics than renowned modern literature. So I can’t give a far comparison.

So yeah, I’d pick up a classic rather than a modern book. What about you? Which do you prefer?

[R.M. Archer]

@kathleenramm

My answer is pretty much identical to yours! I used to largely dislike classics (or the idea of classics, anyway; I didn’t dislike as many of the classics that I read as I thought I did, lol), but in the past two or three years I’ve read more and more classics and they’ve definitely beat out modern fiction in my preference!

Classics have so much more depth a lot of the time, plus most are written from a more solid worldview simply because the most prevalent worldview of their eras was more grounded in truth than ours is today, whether specific authors fully understood and agreed with that truth or not. Plus, I’ve come to appreciate slow pacing more and more, and I often prefer taking the time to get to know characters and places instead of rushing ahead at breakneck speeds to accomplish the next task.

All that said, I’m hoping to read more modern fiction this year (including a handful of brand-new releases) because I feel like I’ve lost touch with it and at this point modern fiction feels more challenging than classic literature, lol. So I want to stretch myself again, this time the opposite direction. XD

Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

[Linyang Zhang]

@kathleenramm These days I can consume nothing but classic lit. I think when I was younger I found it boring but now I find modern lit lacking in depth and character and theme. Still, I prefer literature from the 1800’s and 1900’s, and maybe occasionally the 1700’s. Anything earlier I find, well, hard to read.

Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days

[Madelyn]

As soon as I saw this topic I had a rush of adrenaline, which very well demonstrates my passion for this topic.

100% classic–all the way

Before I dive into that, I do also really really enjoy modern fiction as well, but the messages are often unbiblical and the stories are too short/shallow. But I do find that modern authors do a really good job with putting lots of fun flare into their fantasy worlds.

Moving on to the classics…

Where to start XD

I think one of the things that stand out to me the most is how they handle their words. Where modern writers are focused mainly on what they’re conveying, the older authors also deeply consider how they convey it (which makes a world of difference). They handle their words with such delicacy, choosing only those that truly fit their purpose. They infused profound meanings into their text, expounding upon deep matters as a regular habit. They use such a beautiful variety of vocabulary, so unlike the way anyone talks today (seriously, guys, where did our vocabulary go?? XD).

I wrote an essay for a college class on this, so lemme pull up something I wrote…

“In those older works of literature, a good author would convey to the reader in a subtle way that they cherished words. They understood their worth and power and strove to shape them masterfully. The prose demonstrated in those literary works flows with life and beauty which causes the reader to see value in what words can attain. If used properly, words have incredible potential for power and strength.”

And of course, they’re so much more than just the style of the prose that sets them apart. The depth of plot, the authentic characters, the whimsical or clever humor, the realistic pacing, and the list goes on.

And just to throw in a recommendation, The Wide Wide World by Susan Warner is by far one of the best (if not the best) classics I’ve ever read. It’s enriched with biblical truths, it will make you laugh, cry, and think more deeply about… everything!!

All that to say, I wish that I could emulate the style of those classic writers (which I often *try to* do to some extent), but I do suspect that that’s not really the type of writing likely to get published nowadays.

I still might try 😉

Good job if you read to the end of this post! If you’re a classic fan, please shoot me a reply and tell me your thoughts/rants ’cause I want to hear them!! And if you lean towards modern, go ahead and make an argument for your stance!! There really is no black and white on which is better (just a matter of preference, really), but I’d love about the opposing view!

*if ya can’t tell, I’m just a tad bit passionate on this subject*

*just a tad*

~In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found~

[Elishavet Pidyon]

@kathleenramm

Classics. I love them. In fact, most of the more modern fiction that I read is in the same vein and are often called classics. (for example, The Green Ember. 😉 )

Also, I think that having been raised on them, I am not bothered by slower paced books. (Although, if the author jumps down bunny trails that have almost no connection to the plot, we have a problem.)

And like @madelyn said, the language is so much more beautiful. Not only is the vocabulary more expansive, but the paragraphs flow together so smoothly. After reading, say, Persuasion by Jane Austen, a modern dime novel just doesn’t cut it.

The imagery is usually better, and like some others have mentioned, the themes are also usually more wholesome. (Of course this isn’t always the case, but as a majority, it’s somewhat true.)

Another thing I love about them is that they help me learn to write better. They challenge me to be more creative with my descriptions and not to be content with choppy sentences (etc., etc.).

(Of course sometimes they can be discouraging when I open up my little manuscript and realize just how bland it is.)

Sure, sometimes they are too heavy, but that’s all right.

Although, as a full confession, I haven’t read much before the 1800s, so whether that would change things or not, we may never know. 😉

 

You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan

[Kathleen]

@r-m-archer

Yeah, Classic lit. feels so much more grounded. It also feels a bit more comfy and homey to read. I do really like fast paced books, but slow paced books like classics are so relaxing.

Do you have any favorite classics?

 

@devastate-lasting
I haven’t dared venture back before the 1600’s ever since I read a bunch a books around that time period and even older for school and yeah… I never knew it could be so difficult to read a few short books lol.

 

@madelyn

I really like how you described classic literature. I would totally read your essay. You put those words together so eloquently! I love when people delve deep into stories and not just point out some cool things they liked, but go deeper in to the craftmanship and even explore the phycology and philosophy behind it.

I don’t really try to emulate classics, but I always do see a difference in my writing when I’m reading a lot of classics. Probably because everything you regularly expose yourself to has an influence on you and what you create whether you want it to or not.

I guess that’s why people recommend to read as many great books as possible and stay away from the rest if you can.

I haven’t heard of The Wide Wide World before, but I’ll have to read it now!

Do you have any other favorite classics?

@elishavet-pidyon

Bro, I totally with you on bunny trail scenes with no relevance to the plot. Like, um, why are these two side characters having a fifteen page conversation about finances?

If it isn’t on the test why are we learning this? 🙁

But yeah, anyways… the description is always fantastic. It always inspires me to sharpen my own description writing skills.

Do you have any favorite classic lit. books?

[R.M. Archer]

@kathleenramm

I have a whole list. XD

• The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• Phantastes by George MacDonald
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (of course)
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (a li’l sketchy, but very well-done with fascinating themes)
• Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (Tom Sawyer, Detective, too)
• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
• Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Critias and Timaeus by Plato (I wanted to read up on Atlantis, and these dialogues were so interesting. Complicated to follow at times–I annotated almost every paragraph XD–but so fun to read.)

Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

[Madelyn]

@kathleenramm

Aww, thanks! <3 I’ve gotten pretty passionate about prose/words over the years, though I’ve found it’s really distracted me from actual story writing… that’s just an area to grow in! I guess you really never stop learning 😉

It was a fun essay to write!! 😉

Yessss, what you read affects your writing! Or in general, what you put into you affects what comes out of you (like Matthew 12:34, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”). We must be cautious and thoughtful with what we read/put in our heart!

Yes, it’s a SUPER good book (and very long 😉 ). A few fun facts, it’s considered to be the first best-seller in America (though no one hears about it nowadays) and I believe that it’s mentioned in Little Women as a book that Jo is reading (and crying over, if I remember correctly?). Also, Susan Warner ‘s (the author)  sister (Anna Barlett Warner) wrote the well-known song “Jesus Loves Me”

 

 

 

~In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found~

[Madelyn]

@kathleenramm

Anddd I forgot to answer your question XD

I can’t remember a lot of the specific classics I’ve read and enjoyed, but I do remember…

Any works of J.R.R. Tolkien

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

What are your favorites? 🙂

~In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found~

[Koshka]

@kathleenramm

Classical. I grew up on it, so the older vocabularies don’t bother me. The depths in story, the mixture of poetry in prose, all the types and shadows… I feel more at home with classics than modern literature.

But I haven’t read much truly old stuff beyond Pilgrim’s Progress, some Shakespeare, and Canterbury Tales (which I do not exactly recommend. It’s… interesting).

First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)

[Elishavet Pidyon]

@kathleenramm

I know, right? XD As long as we stay on the path I don’t mind if we take time to smell the flowers.

I do love the descriptions. Of course after reading them, my own seem very unimaginative.

Oof. That’s a fun question!

The Chronicles of Narnia, and Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

Sir Gibbie, The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and the Curdie, and The Light Princess by George MacDonald, but especially Sir Gibbie.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Men of Iron and Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle

All Jane Austen’s stuff but especially Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Mansfield Park

I loved the abridged version of Ben Hur that I read, as well as Focus on the Family’s radio drama of it.

Aunt Crete’s Emancipation by Grace Livingston Hill (if that’s a classic)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan (although I haven’t finished it quite.)

The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit

Some Conan Doyle/Sherlock Holmes

Rilla of Ingleside, and The Chronicles of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery

I am currently reading The Lord of the Rings. So far, I like it well enough, although I don’t know if I’d call it a favorite. The same goes for Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters. 

I’d like The Scarlet Pimpernel a lot better if Percy had a cleaner mouth.

And I think that’s about it, but of course I’m sure to think of one that I completely forgot that ought to be on here. 😉

You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan

[Elishavet Pidyon]

Oh!!!

Riffles for Watie by Harold Keith

A Little Princess by F. B. Burnett

And if these last two count:

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

Scout by somebody-who-I-can’t-remember-but-it’s-a-Dutch-name.

I knew I’d forget some!

You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan

[R.M. Archer]

[quote quote=109570]I feel more at home with classics than modern literature.[/quote]

This. I didn’t grow up on classics, but I grew up to develop a more “old-fashioned” worldview and I feel like I fit better with classic authors and their literature than with most modern stories.

Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

[Kathleen]

@r-m-archer

A lot of those are on my tbr list. Now that I see you also recommend then I am even more looking forward to reading them!

@madelyn

That’s really interesting! I never thought there was a ‘first’ best selling book, but now thinking about it, of course there had to be one lol.

That’s really cool! Makes me even more interested in reading it.

@elishavet-pidyon

Definitely going to have to check those books out! There’s actually a decent amount on your favorites list that I hadn’t heard of before, which makes me even more curious to check them out.

[R.M. Archer]

@kathleenramm

Aw, cool! I hope you enjoy them! 🙂

Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

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