Are the classics overrated?

[Annelore Trujillo]

What is it about the classics that make them classics? Do you ever think that the classics are overrated? Do you like reading classics?

I've read quite a few classics and I just can't get into them. I don't know what it is about them.

What are your thoughts?

[brendabowman89]

I have read a few of the classics that people often talk about. While I feel that some of them are wonderful and I can understand that they are called classic for a reason, there are others that I simply can't get into. I love being able to read a book that is incredibly old and has been passed down from generation to generation but still has the staying power to cause readers years from the time it was produced to be wrapped up in the story and fall in love with the characters. Unfortunately I find that many of the classics are written in unusual English and can be hard to understand, or they have so much detail and history that it makes the story seem to drag. It seems we are always in a hurry, even when doing something as relaxing as enjoying a book and that it makes it hard to not just "give up" on the book or skip through the "boring" parts to finish. Many of them are beautifully written and tell a fascinating story, but I feel that too much detail is boring and distracting to a reader. The fact that the classics have stood the test of time makes them classics and I think that they do deserve to have that title, but not every book is for everyone and just because some people like myself may not be able to get into them I don't think that is reason enough to say that they are overrated.

[DATo]

No, I do not think that classics are overrated. Classics are classics because they have stood the test of time. What they say and how they say it has appealed to people over many generations. There are "best sellers" today that will be forgotten 100 years from now, but a book of extraordinary quality will endure.

[Pipermaru82]

I don't think the classics are overrated either. I love reading most of the classics, with some exceptions.

[MsMartha]

There are "best sellers" today that will be forgotten 100 years from now, but a book of extraordinary quality will endure.

Sometimes these old best sellers are really interesting. I belong to a group that reads 19th century books. Most of the time we do read classics,but once in awhile someone will suggest a book that the rest of us never heard of. Research often shows that the book was a best seller in its time, and these are also often very enjoyable.

[Sarah_Khan]

I've read a lot of classics and for the most part after reading them I can understand why they became classics, most of them have unforgettable characters or plots that have inspired numerous other books or movies. But with that said, I have come across a classic or two that I can't seem to like no matter how many times I read it.

[annelamb]

I have enjoyed most of the classics that I have read!

[Sakuko]

I enjoy a lot of classics, though I don't feel like I need to like all of them. I don't like all current books either, and since classic can mean any genre there are just some I enjoy more than others.

In some classics I can appreciate the social criticism or portrait or some other technical aspect, even when I don't find them entertaining, and some I just feel have lost their relevance.

[Scerakor]

I think that there are some which have gained a certain popularity by being a classic. By no means does this mean that everyone should like any book that has stood the test of time and is still considered a "classic". I often come across posts where the OP is asking "What is X considered a classic", "Why does everyone think Y is so good?", and "Is Z overrated?". I think people don't realise that classics are subject to the same levels of admiration as new books are nowadays. You like some, you dislike others.

[AliceofX]

From my own journey into the classics I'd say the concept of them might be overrated. In the end they're just books. Some you'll love, some you'll hate. Being influential and enduring doesn't automatically make it good. I know some people get very snobbish about them, and I kind of used to be like that, but if it's not your thing you shouldn't feel bad about it.

[Yolanda Denise]

I don't think the classics are overrated at all. They are very popular for good reasons, but overrated? No.