Hello booklovers! Happy Thursday! As you may have seen from the title of the publication, today we will talk about classics. Uff, the dreaded classics...
Many times we do not dare to read a classic, either because of the prestige that surrounds it, the number of pages or its level of difficulty. Well, today, dear readers, with this kind of "guide" you will be able to face that and thus enter the wonderful world of the classics. Without further ado, let's go to them!
1. Start with the basics
If you're a bookworm and know exactly what you like to read about, you can skip this step. On the other hand, if you're not a regular reader or don't have a lot of experience with literature in general, first try reading books of another genre than classical literature. Why not try Harry Potter or a thriller? Or maybe you're a reader with an inclination for romantic stories with happy endings, or how about a book on some post-apocalyptic theme? Discovering your tastes as a reader will help you find the perfect classic for you.
2. Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito...
As Luis Fonsi says, when it comes to classics, you have to go DES-PA-CITO. If you are just beginning to read classics, try to find those that are easy and short. Don't want to jump into classics like Nietzsche or Anna Karenina from the beginning; if you do, you'll probably get frustrated and give up on reading. You have to master the basics before entering the big leagues. Why not start with a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, leaf through something by Mark Twain or finally dare with something by Agatha Christie? Those are short and light books with some action that will surely captivate you and make you want to continue reading and thus be able to enter into more complicated classics such as Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë.
3. Find yourself a good translation
I can't overemphasize this. A good translation is ESSENTIAL so you can understand what the story is about and make the process as smooth as possible. If you catch a classic and you see that you are not understanding the plot, just run away.
4. Do some research
Each time you choose to read a classic, spend some time searching for information about the author's life. Many times classics are written within a certain social context, and knowing about this will allow you to place the work in time and space and thus enjoy that book more.
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5. Set goals
In order to stay motivated in life, in general, it is necessary to set certain goals that we want to achieve... The same thing happens with the classics. For example, reading Don Quixote in 6 months, reading all the novels of the Bronte sisters in 1 year, etc. This will allow us to have some kind of "control" of what we read and to have concrete objectives, which will make it easier for us to reach our reading goals.
6. Yes to adaptations
If you've tried to read a classic, for example, Little Women but you feel it's very complicated, you can try an adaptation of that work. Even adaptations of classics for children are useful. Maybe you'll get excited and hooked, and I'll leave you wanting to try the original work.
7. Don't judge the classics by your time
As I said earlier, the classics are written according to a very particular socio-cultural context that in some way defines the life of the author. Many of the classics we will read have probably been written more than two centuries ago, and obviously society has changed since then. So every time you read a classic, try to put yourself at the author's feet, try to analyze his thinking, his way of looking at life, his conception of society. This will allow you to see the work with a critical eye and make you delve deeper into the plot, which in turn will make you enjoy the experience even more.
8. Don't force yourself
If you've tried to read the same classic over and over again, but no matter how hard you try, you can't get hooked, let it go. It's okay. You probably haven't found the perfect classic for you, or maybe you didn't catch it at the right time. Literature is intimately linked to our ever-changing moments of existence, and there are times when one book may be more appropriate than another... But don't be discouraged. The classic destined for you is out there. It's about trying, like many of the things in this life.
9. Be patient
Don't expect reading one of these books to be easy. Nowadays we are very accustomed to discard almost immediately what we don't like, to close a tab of our browser when something despairs us, to turn off the mobile phone when a video gets boring, to pause a song we don't like, etc. In addition, we also have the habit of consuming instant content, of scarce duration and comfortable as social networks are. Almost any classic you choose is a product of a different era in which there was no Internet or the overwhelming technology that now surrounds us, a time in history when communications were done differently. Books in general are difficult and challenging, but they are also satisfying and, in almost all cases, the rewards they offer us when we persevere in reading them are valuable. Let us give these books a chance beyond our thirst for complacency.
10. Remember to have fun
Don't compare yourself to others. There are classics that require a lot of patience and others that you can read faster. Read at your own pace and don't rush. It doesn't matter if you need six months or a year to read a classic. The important thing is that you enjoy it!
Dear booklovers, are you into classics? What classics have you read? Tell me in the comments and don't forget to give me an upvote if you liked the post!
