Opinion: Why read the classics?

Classical literature displays many ideas for readers to find interest in. (photo by Camille Beach)

By Camille Beach | Staff writer

Books have been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mother used to read my bedtime stories and growing up I wanted to own my own bookstore. My favorite thing to do is sit down with a good book, and I feel that the “classics” are a big aspect of being an adamant reader.

Books such as “The Great Gatsby,” “Gone With the Wind,” “A Tale of Two Cities” and so on lead to a better understanding of the world we live in.

Professor Dylan Smeak of the English Department at Augusta University says reading the classics can teach us a lot. “My favorite classic is “The Great Gatsby.” The classics teach us a lot about the world and ourselves,” he said.

From this point of view, we can see that when we read these books – and relate to them – we are learning to appreciate different viewpoints we may not have even known we had.

Smeak also noted that “we should add to the list [of classics.]” He said that the world has changed a lot since the time periods that most of these classical books were written in. If we, as readers, can seek out new “classics,” we can move more people to find themselves in the written word.

Many people have told me that they actually “hate words,” as their reason for not reading, and that can be a valid choice. Reading is not for everyone. I have been told that “writing is going out of style” and that “authors will become obsolete.” However, I believe that as long as there are people searching for a place to belong, there will be writers.

Writers give the lonely and the broken a place to go. A home far away from the ones that they know; the homes that are less accepting. The written word itself has a power to enthrall readers and create worlds. As a writer, my goal has always been to create a place where everyone can go and find themselves or feel heard and understood. In these classic novels, the authors have found a way to take readers on a journey through a life we only dream of. The authors themselves have not necessarily lived these lives themselves, but use the stories as an outlet for young readers to find themselves in.

That’s why reading books will live on, because a novel is only made by the people it reaches out to.

Contact Camille Beach at cabeach@augusta.edu.

This story is published in the Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 print edition of The Bell Ringer.