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Have you ever noticed how some days seem PERFECT for fairy tales? I'd love a visit from the shoemaker's elves, or impish fairy--even a Trickster might be a comic relief ;) Have you imagined your life as a fairy tale? Has your evil stepmother ruined your life, or your Prince Charming has ridden off into the sunset--with every indication that he won't return. Literature (and fairy tales) reflects life; and sometimes, those stories are just what we need to put some perspective on a particularly difficult day. Take a look at Celtic fairy tales, Welsh fairy tales, and Grimm's fairy tales. Even the most cheery (and perfect) days can benefit from a fairy-tale interlude! In which fairy tale have you imagined yourself? What would be your perfect fairy-tale ending? A Fairy-Tale Day... originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 01:01:56. Permalink | Comment | Email this
 I don't always like to think about it, but lots of us are heading back to school--elementary, middle, high school, college, and the school of life. It's all a never-ending adventure in learning when you are enamored with literature. But, this time of the year sets a tone, makes me remember that I need to pursue my course of reading and thinking (regardless of whether a teacher is standing over me).
But, oh, think of those days... Do you remember all of those first days of school? Every year, I'd get that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then, after a few days, the school routine would kick in... What are your memories of heading back to school? In An Old Man's Thought of School, Walt Whitman writes, "An old man's thought of school,
An old man gathering youthful memories and blooms that youth itself cannot.
Now only do I know you,
O fair auroral skies--O morning dew upon the grass!
And these I see, these sparkling eyes,
These stores of mystic meaning, these young lives,
Building, equipping like a fleet of ships, immortal ships,
Soon to sail out over the measureless seas,
On the soul's voyage." Join our discussion: Back-to-School Memories. Then, take a look at how to succeed in literature. And, read How To Study. What do you recall? What about your learning experience do you never want to forget? And, how do you continue learning? Do you consciously make an effort to read and learn every day? Sail Away... originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Thursday, August 26th, 2010 at 07:43:13. Permalink | Comment | Email this
On August 2, 1869, George Eliot (pseudonym for Mary Ann Evans) began to write Middlemarch, which would become one of her most beloved works. Middlemarch is an epic novel--one of the most representative novels of the Victorian period. Instead of following grand heroes, Middlemarch tells the story of ordinary characters--all intertwined and interlinked in a communal web of existence.
In this novel, George Eliot writes: "It is an uneasy lot at best, to be what we call highly taught and yet not to enjoy: to be present at this great spectacle of life and never to be liberated from a small hungry shivering self--never to be fully possessed by the glory we behold, never to have our consciousness rapturously transformed into the vividness of a thought, the ardor of a passion, the energy of an action, but always to be scholarly and uninspired, ambitious and timid, scrupulous and dim-sighted." Discover more of Eliot's works. Her works are among those classics that aren't soon forgotten. I hope you've discovered, and continue to be haunted by the works of George Eliot. Middlemarch originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Monday, August 2nd, 2010 at 01:01:56. Permalink | Comment | Email this
I woke up this morning thinking about a quote from Mark Twain: "Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."
I guess it was one of those days, when thoughts like that pop to mind--in the sleepy half-awake moments, as I stare over at my rows of books on the built-in bookshelves and begin to wonder what the day will bring me. Yes, with good friends and good books, what more would one need? What is life, after all? It's worth a reflection--now and then... Mark Twain wrote in his autobiography: "It is human life. We are blown upon the world; we float buoyantly upon the summer air a little while, complacently showing off our grace of form and our dainty iridescent colors; then we vanish with a little puff, leaving nothing behind but a memory--and sometimes not even that..." What do you hold onto? What memories of your life are left behind? How do you like to remember the books that have touched you in this life? What about the authors? The Good Life originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Monday, August 2nd, 2010 at 01:01:07. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Lots of us are heading back to school--some with eagerness; some with reluctance or fear. Even on the most nerve-wracking days of my early educational experience, I'll never forget many of the books I've loved and the discussions I had. If you hate school now, perhaps you just haven't found the right people with whom to sit down and enjoy your love of books. Look around--you may find a kindred spirit sitting across the library or sitting in some corner (buried in a book). If you've never had a friend with whom to discuss books, may this be the year you find on. Cherish the bookish memories... In An Old Man's Thought of School, Walt Whitman writes, "An old man's thought of school,
An old man gathering youthful memories and blooms that youth itself cannot.
Now only do I know you,
O fair auroral skies--O morning dew upon the grass!
And these I see, these sparkling eyes,
These stores of mystic meaning, these young lives,
Building, equipping like a fleet of ships, immortal ships,
Soon to sail out over the measureless seas,
On the soul's voyage." Join our discussion: Back-to-School Memories. Then, take a look at how to succeed in literature. And, read How To Study. In your past (and present) learning, what do you never want to forget? And, how do you continue your education? Do you consciously make an effort to read and learn every day? A Day of Learning... originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Thursday, August 5th, 2010 at 11:44:09. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Alex Haley was born on August 11, 1921. And, he was to go on in acclaim as the writer of scripts and novels. He's most famous for Roots, which was awarded the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize in 1977. Haley once said: "What Roots gets at in whatever form, is that it touches the pulse of how alike we human beings are when you get down to the bottom, beneath these man-imposed differences."
Some events, or books or people have a way of bringing us all together in ways the extent of which are difficult to pin down or define. We know that some books are just phenomenons. They touch us to the core with a universality, and they stand the test of time. Everyone has a definition for a classic (and many "great books" become classics) but what is your definition of a "great book"? How do you differentiate "great" from "good"? Have you read many books you've considered great? Or, do you believe that every book partakes in the greatness that is literature? (Some readers refuse to say that they've ever read a truly horrible book). What's your take? Roots originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 at 12:08:22. Permalink | Comment | Email this
 There's something to be said for creating a work of literature that can stand the test of time. Many writers of today go to great (and painstaking) lengths in the attempt to accomplish that transcendency--a universality that touches us to the core, and ensures that the author (and the work) will be remembered for a long time to come.
It seems rather simple: To reach out and touch another person. But, a great writer really does much more than that. He/She touches a whole range of readers--each with a myriad of joys/sorrows, hopes/fears, successes/failures. How does one writer touch each of those individuals in very specific ways? How did writers of the past achieve lasting value in their writings? What can we learn from their struggles (and successes)? In his article about Pride and Prejudice, John Thornton writes: "Jane Austen is a novelist with an extremely narrow focus that extends, surprisingly, into a wide range of concerns. Her books can be viewed most simply as eerily good romance novels, more broadly as sharp critiques of nineteenth-century vanity, cruelty and folly, and--broadest of all--as an indictment of a social system and economic system dedicated to the marginalization and commodification of a full half of the human experience." Take the Pride and Prejudice quiz to test your novel knowledge, and then join our discussion of Jane Austen's novels. Cover Art © W.W. Norton & Co. To Touch A Reader... originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 11:50:38. Permalink | Comment | Email this
 A 2007 Time poll places Madame Bovary at the forefront of classic novels in world literature (along with Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina). And, it's no wonder. The novel offers something for everyone: a coming of age story, a whirlwind "romance" with a doctor, and (well) a whole series of other events that really throws the novel into the ranks of banned literature. Who could love a woman who dreams outside of her accepted role? And, who could appreciate the dolt of a husband who tirelessly accompanies her through the pages of Madame Bovary?
Her actions could be considered idiotic, romanticized, and careless--her adultery and eventual escape throws the lives of those around her into utter chaos, destroying the very ones she "should" have loved. Her goals seemed so simple, so clear. All she wanted was the dream. She wanted the man from her novels. She wanted the life promised in those stories. Even Charles seemed to fit into her dream: "She compared and likened him to the characters in the books. But the circle of which he was the centre, gradually enlarged around him, and the aureole which encompassed him withdrew farther and farther from him, to shed its light on other dreams." What are your thoughts on Madame Bovary? Read it... (Quotes too!)... Discuss it... Question it... Quiz it... But, here's the real question... Do novels encourage us to dream unreasonably? Have you ever wished you could transport yourself into the pages of your favorite novel--to live the dream, to walk down those golden, garden paths, to experience everything with the characters? Have you wished that you could meet (and love?) a character from a book? How "real" does literature become? Even if you have a clear delineation between fiction and "reality," books leave marks on all of us--often in ways we may not even realize. Perhaps you're looking for your Mr. Darcy. Perhaps, you're just wishing for sisters like in Little Women; or a bosom friend like in Anne of Green Gables. Many of our most secret and dear wishes have been explored in literature: love, friendship, mystery, adventure, and beyond! Unreasonable Dreams... originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Sunday, August 1st, 2010 at 11:12:48. Permalink | Comment | Email this
 I would have thought that the renovations (and particularly, the toilet) of J.D. Salinger wouldn't be of particular interest; but apparently they are. Salinger is famous for The Catcher in the Rye. His reclusive life as a writer, as well as his recent death appears to have pushed up the value of any item related to J.D. Salinger.
Perhaps you have some dental floss Salinger used? Or a toothpick? Such an item might be worth thousands... What a world--when a toilet is being auctioned off for such an outrageous amount ($1 million, on Ebay, according to a report from Globe and Mail). I suppose such an item might have a place in a J.D. Salinger museum. Or, it could offer some bit of writerly inspiration. Anything's possible, right? How much would you pay for an item--formerly belonging to your favorite author? Do you believe that inspiration can be passed on by owning an object? There's something iconic about such a presumption. After all, they've been selling saintly and other mystical relics/artifacts for a LONG time. Personally, I'd prefer to remember him for his works and for his reluctance to be shaped by public opinion. He lived a true writer's life--what a luxury! J.D. Salinger's Renovations originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 01:01:49. Permalink | Comment | Email this
 When I was a girl, I spent many hours buried in a book. I devoured them all--and would have rather spent time curled up with a volume than participated in most other activities... Perhaps that's why I enjoyed Jane Eyre so much. I was never an orphan, but her early experience could have mirrored that of the "everygirl" bookworm--reading, imagining and dreaming of a future I could never quite foretell.
The novel was penned such a long time ago--sent off to the publishing house (Smith Elder & Company) on August 24, 1847. The novel was submitted by a "Currer Bell," pseudonym for Charlotte Bronte. She was a "scribbling woman" after all--and Jane Eyre inspired controversy and a strong emotive response. Do you know why? Did the novel affect you? How well do you know the novel? Why not take the quiz. If you've read the book, you'll find such moments of simple beauty: "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will." What's your favorite literary moment in the novel? Are there passages you detest? The Every-girl Romance... originally appeared on About.com Classic Literature on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 21:55:13. Permalink | Comment | Email this
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