A Guide to Classics
We've all been there. You look at the classics on your shelves and think "yeah I'll get round to it one day…". You really tried to read that book but you just weren't getting anywhere! You know you should be blown away by the writing but you can't make out what's going on!
Classics can be really daunting and, at times, frustrating. Language makes what should be fun a bit of a chore. I'm here with some of my tips on how to get into reading classics!
Where to start
Classics aren't the easiest read. I'd recommend having got into some sort of reading habit before tackling one. Get used to books and reading, then work your way towards the classics.
I'd recommend some easier classics to start off with. You don't want to jump straight into War and Peace as you won't get anything out of it! I'd suggest some more modern classics as the language will be easier to understand. Also, some of the more well-known classics are good places to start. For example, Jane Austen, books that are studied at school, even children's classics! I'd also try to avoid the heavier themes to start with as you'll probably get a lot more out of those once you're used to the language.
Most of all, pick a genre you enjoy reading. Don’t just read a classic because you feel like you should (this is true for any book!). Find one you actually want to read and think you’ll enjoy.
Translations
At first, I didn't worry about translations. Most of the classics I read were originally English or French. But now I've started moving on to chunkier, more challenging classics, I pay more attention to the translation. Some languages, like French and Spanish, I'm less fussed over the translation as there are so many out there and those languages are probably easier to translate into English. But for some languages (e.g. Russian or Mandarin), I try to research the translation. There are often pages on Google that compare translations of the same sentence or paragraph. I did this when choosing my copy of Doctor Zhivago. Personally, I cared more about being able to understand what's going on and keeping the essence of the language, rather than having a word-for-word translation. I've found the black Penguin classics tend to have good translations.
Notes and References
At the back of most classics, there's a section for notes and references. When I started out, I found myself flicking back and forth between the notes and the story, often losing track of what was going on. For a while, I stopped looking things up in the notes section unless I really had to. This helped me keep the flow while reading. I tended to look up any unfamiliar words but ignored the notes on the turn of phrase.
However, I read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov last year and my opinion on the notes changed slightly. This book was a satire on Stalin's Russia and the author made lots of subtle references to various aspects of society and also bits of his life. I found myself reading the notes at the start of each chapter. This meant I didn't have to flick back and forth, but let me understand the full meaning behind each word as I read it.
Nowadays, I tend to make a judgement on whether to keep looking at the notes section based on the first chapter or two. If I find it really helps to add context, then I’ll read the notes before each chapter. Otherwise, I’ll just opt for flicking to the back as and when I need to.
Other Tips
Character lists can be helpful, especially for longer classics. I found a character list particularly helpful when reading Crime and Punishment because there were lots of nicknames and variations on the names of the characters.
For longer classics, marking the start of different 'parts' can help as it sets out a series of goal posts and helps you keep track of where you are. I wouldn't suggest marking each chapter, just where there's a clear sectioning, either as 'parts' or 'books'.
If you’re struggling with the language, audiobooks can help. Sometimes hearing a sentence out loud can help you understand. For example, Virginia Woolf’s books are written as a stream of consciousness, so reading aloud or listening to it really helps.
While normally I hate watching the film first, with classics I find this helps. Often I find it hard understanding what's going on - who's falling in love with who and all that! By watching the film, I have an idea of the plot, making it a lot easier to follow the book. It also lets me enjoy the language a lot more.
Similarly, sometimes I find it helpful to Google what's going on, especially when it comes to Shakespeare. If the book has been on a school syllabus, sites like SparkNotes are good places to get summaries of what's going on. But if in doubt: Wikipedia!
If you’re struggling to get motivated, buddy read it! By this, I mean regularly catching up with your reading buddy, discussing what you’ve read so far and setting the next reading goal. Buddy reading helps you keep going and the discussion side helps you get more out of the book.
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