Comments on: ‘Compact classics’ and literary elitism

By: Lee Harris

Lee Harris — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:17:59 +0000

I’ve always felt that the following phrase is a good indication of whether or not a book is a classic:

A classic is a book that everyone wants to have read, but that few want to read.

By: Paul Raven

Paul Raven — Wed, 09 May 2007 21:39:54 +0000

Thanks for the feedback, ladies and gents. You were a lot more forgiving than this particular gentleman, that's for certain...

By: Sterling Camden

Sterling Camden — Wed, 09 May 2007 20:11:42 +0000

I loved Ulysses. But had I attempted it even ten years ago, I’m sure I would have been discouraged by the very first section.

What’s wrong with this picture is that there is no real line between “the classics” and other literature. A book is relevant if the reader finds meaning in it. The real elitism can be found in the idea that certain works have made it into The Canon. I agree with Paul that sometimes dumbing them down into excerpts can be just as stratifying as getting your Biblical interpretation handed to you in simplified form from The Church.

By: Aaron Hughes

Aaron Hughes — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:01:30 +0000

I think you may have it backwards, Paul. Perhaps some people are discouraged from reading as a hobby because they haven’t read the classics, but I suspect even more are discouraged because they have. I’m sure I would have sworn off reading long ago if I had ever felt compelled to finish Ulysses.

By: crustypaul

crustypaul — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:29:22 +0000

Who cares? If the end result is still a prioduct complete in itself then it doesn’t need to be anything more does it? Why should anyone care if other people are reading abridged editions. Its not like the fact that someone else read a shorter version makes anyones reading experience of the full version any less valid. On the other hand i’d probably be fairly enraged by a reworked version of V for Vendetta or From Hell despite the fact that nobody would be forcing me to read them simply because IT WOULD BE WRONG.
I’d suggest we are all elitist in our own particular genres, its just that people who love the so called ‘classics’ and chose to speak out on subjects such as this tend to be smug fuckwits who fill any right thinking person with fury.