Who loves the classics?

Specterbane · 12-30-2006, 11:01 PM

And by that I mean, who loves the older books. For myself I can say that my favorites are The Three Musketeers series, Count of Monte Cristo, and probably toss in Heart of Darkness, The Secret Sharer, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

But what about everyone else?

DeviousToast · 12-30-2006, 11:07 PM

How old equates to a classic?

I'm a big fan of classic Brothers Grim fairy tales myself. Also, the Illiad and the Odyssey. Classic Greek mythology is cool.

Arlia Janet · 12-30-2006, 11:11 PM

I didn't really get into the Classics until about two years ago. My boyfriend refuses to read books that aren't at least 50 years old (if they are newer, they draw heavy inspiration from the classics), so I started to read his books when he was done, and now I'm hooked.

You can go to a used book store and pick up Aeschylus' entire collection of works for $3, and the whole damned thing is beyond brilliant. Literary fads come and go, but the stories that have passed the test of time are the ones where you can really take something away.

DeviousToast · 12-30-2006, 11:17 PM

Some things I'm not much of a fan of are things that are labeled as "Literature." Generally I find that to be a bit arbitrary... Hemmingway is a good example of books I don't find particularly entertaining, or interesting. They're well written I guess, in that they use the language well. But they strike me as... well... the template for emo.

Magus · 12-30-2006, 11:28 PM

I like a good adventure as far as classics go, I like to fulfull Robert Ebert's opinions of gamers by NOT reading William Faulkner (talk about boring). I much prefer The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson or Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Hemmingway is a terrible writer as far as the actual writing. Nothing wrong with the plots and all but the sentence structure and rhythm of his books is boring and almost childish in skill. I much prefer someone like Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, Tortilla Flat...these are much more enjoyable to me, anyway.

**Satan's Onion** · 12-31-2006, 01:19 AM

DeviousToast, Magus...you dislike Hemingway too?

Joy.

Meanwhile, back on the topic, Chaucer ain't bad. I read the Canterbury Tales for school--it's at least as full of innuendo as anything on TV today, if you know what to look for =P . Oscar Wilde's pretty good, and not just for his plays either; he wrote lots of poems and some essays and short stories, and stuff like that. If we're including twentieth-century authors, P.G. Wodehouse is also really good. He's best known for Jeeves and Wooster, but his other main characters are worth seeking out too (I particularly like Lords Ickenham and Emsworth, myself).

Fifthfiend · 12-31-2006, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeviousToast

Some things I'm not much of a fan of are things that are labeled as "Literature." Generally I find that to be a bit arbitrary... Hemmingway is a good example of books I don't find particularly entertaining, or interesting. They're well written I guess, in that they use the language well. But they strike me as... well... the template for emo.

If you think about it, Emo is basically Hemmingway minus World War II and hard liquor.

DeviousToast · 12-31-2006, 06:06 PM

No one understands me. My girlfriend died and it's raining. Stupid army. You're my only friend, shotgun. You help me let the darkness out.

Mirai Gen · 12-31-2006, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeviousToast

No one understands me. My girlfriend died and it's raining. Stupid army. You're my only friend, shotgun. You help me let the darkness out.

I think that's Hemmingway in like...four seconds? I can't tell, it didn't take long to read aloud.

You'll do very well here.

Crashtester · 12-31-2006, 09:16 PM

I'm a fan of Grimm fairy tales myself, and for authors Wilde is pretty great that's for sure and Orwell isn't too bad either. As for labeling a book "emo" that's probably one of the silliest things I ever heard. A character who is tragic and upset doesn't suddenly fall into some pop music label people keep throwing around. That's like watching Macbeth and going "God he's so emo" or Hamlet "Stop being such an emo herb Hamlet and kick some butt!" Emo from the little I understand of the loose term is short for emotion, if you can think of a single book in classic literature that isn't filled with emotion and drama (or even melodrama) then definitely send it my way. And if you think Hemmingway is emo then you'd probably go mad reading any of the romantic poets.

12-30-2006, 11:01 PM	#1
Specterbane Safety First Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Land of Gumdrops and Ice-cream Posts: 746	Who loves the classics? And by that I mean, who loves the older books. For myself I can say that my favorites are The Three Musketeers series, Count of Monte Cristo, and probably toss in Heart of Darkness, The Secret Sharer, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. But what about everyone else? __________________ http://www.nuklearforums.com/showpos...ostcount=10436

12-30-2006, 11:07 PM	#2
DeviousToast It... it's thinking!!! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 42	How old equates to a classic? I'm a big fan of classic Brothers Grim fairy tales myself. Also, the Illiad and the Odyssey. Classic Greek mythology is cool. Last edited by DeviousToast; 12-30-2006 at 11:10 PM.

12-30-2006, 11:11 PM	#3
Arlia Janet Worrying Myself Gray Join Date: May 2004 Location: Valley of Sunflowers Posts: 1,102	I didn't really get into the Classics until about two years ago. My boyfriend refuses to read books that aren't at least 50 years old (if they are newer, they draw heavy inspiration from the classics), so I started to read his books when he was done, and now I'm hooked. You can go to a used book store and pick up Aeschylus' entire collection of works for $3, and the whole damned thing is beyond brilliant. Literary fads come and go, but the stories that have passed the test of time are the ones where you can really take something away. __________________ Fortuna Saga (Complete) Hymns of the Apostate (Complete) My Guest Comics: In A World... Corneria's Kick Ass Newspaper

12-31-2006, 01:19 AM	#6
Satan's Onion Swing You Sinners! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: 4th Street Posts: 2,666	DeviousToast, Magus...you dislike Hemingway too? Joy. Meanwhile, back on the topic, Chaucer ain't bad. I read the Canterbury Tales for school--it's at least as full of innuendo as anything on TV today, if you know what to look for =P . Oscar Wilde's pretty good, and not just for his plays either; he wrote lots of poems and some essays and short stories, and stuff like that. If we're including twentieth-century authors, P.G. Wodehouse is also really good. He's best known for Jeeves and Wooster, but his other main characters are worth seeking out too (I particularly like Lords Ickenham and Emsworth, myself). __________________ Good evening, ladies. Please enter and be tained .

12-31-2006, 09:16 PM	#10
Crashtester Shyguy Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 109	I'm a fan of Grimm fairy tales myself, and for authors Wilde is pretty great that's for sure and Orwell isn't too bad either. As for labeling a book "emo" that's probably one of the silliest things I ever heard. A character who is tragic and upset doesn't suddenly fall into some pop music label people keep throwing around. That's like watching Macbeth and going "God he's so emo" or Hamlet "Stop being such an emo herb Hamlet and kick some butt!" Emo from the little I understand of the loose term is short for emotion, if you can think of a single book in classic literature that isn't filled with emotion and drama (or even melodrama) then definitely send it my way. And if you think Hemmingway is emo then you'd probably go mad reading any of the romantic poets. __________________ http://lettersandlines.blogspot.com/

12-30-2006, 11:17 PM	#4
DeviousToast It... it's thinking!!! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 42	Some things I'm not much of a fan of are things that are labeled as "Literature." Generally I find that to be a bit arbitrary... Hemmingway is a good example of books I don't find particularly entertaining, or interesting. They're well written I guess, in that they use the language well. But they strike me as... well... the template for emo.

12-30-2006, 11:28 PM	#5
Magus Archer and Armstrong vs. the World Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7,164	I like a good adventure as far as classics go, I like to fulfull Robert Ebert's opinions of gamers by NOT reading William Faulkner (talk about boring). I much prefer The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson or Dracula by Bram Stoker. Hemmingway is a terrible writer as far as the actual writing. Nothing wrong with the plots and all but the sentence structure and rhythm of his books is boring and almost childish in skill. I much prefer someone like Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, Tortilla Flat...these are much more enjoyable to me, anyway.

12-31-2006, 06:06 PM	#8
DeviousToast It... it's thinking!!! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 42	No one understands me. My girlfriend died and it's raining. Stupid army. You're my only friend, shotgun. You help me let the darkness out.

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