It's So Classic
The good folks (I don’t actually know em, but assuming they are) at Rebellious Writing have launched the – It’s So Classic Tag. Not a lot of rules, but I’m gonna break one that is sort of implied: I have to give more than one answer for most of these. I consider the rules more like guidelines.
The Wanderer’s answers:
What is one classic that hasn’t been made into a movie yet, but really needs to?
100 Years of Solitude, I don’t know how it would be done, but I’m sure Ron Howard could figure it out.
Others: The Catcher in the Rye, Invisible Man, Nostromo, and Lord of the Flies – which has been done, but not well.
What draws you to classics?
Return on investment. Reading a book is an investment of time. Classics have stood the test of time, and therefore I have confidence my time investment will be rewarded. Classics are the blue chips. More times than not, they give me a return on investment. What is the return? Powerful feelings, exalted thoughts. Reading the book – adds to me.
What is an underrated classic?
Dune – because Sci-Fi doesn’t get a lot of love in the classics, and this is the gold standard.
Nostromo – Better than Conrad’s more famous novel in my opinion.
The Man Who was Thursday – I will have to reread this throughout my life, and I doubt I’ll ever comprehend all its meaning.
What is one classic that you didn’t expect to love, but ended up loving anyway?
All the King’s Men – The synopsis didn’t excite me (political corruption in the South), and it isn’t a happy story, but the intellect, philosophy, and insight of the narrator, Jack Burden made me think and feel.
What is your most favorite and least favorite classic?
After I cringe a little over “most favorite” and then again over “least favorite” (it’s me, it isn’t you), my answers are:
Favorite? Easy – The Lord of the Rings, marvelous, magical escape, yet easily relatable: terror and courage, loyalty and betrayal, sacrifice and greed, epic contests and personal struggles, triumph and tragedy, and love of peace and beauty.
Least favorite – see, now technically that means, pick out my favorites (say top 10), and then which one of them is #10 – the “least” of my favorites. But I think the spirit here is which classic did I most dislike? Easy – Remembrance of Things Past, all 1.2 million words of it.
What is your favorite character from a classic?
So many: Atticus Finch, Ma Joad, Alyosha Karamazov, Starbuck, Nick Andros, but my hero of heroes: Sydney Carton
Who is your favorite classic author?
Hmmm…now what precisely does this mean? If LOTR is my favorite classic, must not Tolkien be my favorite classic author? But for me, The Hobbit + LOTR is it for Tolkien. I’ve read his other works; I like em, but they don’t thrill me. However Dickens almost never lets me down. I think that’s a little bit more what this means to me, so I’ll go with Dickens, but I’m gonna put Dickens on notice. I haven’t read much by C. S. Lewis yet, but thus far, he has STUNNED me every time. Do I need to simplify my answer?
Charles Dickens
J. R. R. Tolkien
C. S. Lewis
Relating to newer books, what attributes does a book need to have in order to be worthy of the title “classic”?
In my opinion, a book can’t be a classic until it has stood the test of time. It may be great literature, but “great” and “classic” are not synonymous. I’m not willing to set a time limit, though I’d say it has to be widely ready by more than one generation. So, what qualities in a book today, will make it timeless – destined to be a classic. I’ll get back with you on that one.
I saw this tag first at Reading Backwards and I’ve also read answers at The Edge of the Precipice (they both cheated too btw). I’d be interested to see the answers at: Words and Peace, The Vince Review, Fanda Classiclit, A Great Book Study, Brona's Books, and Classical Carousel, and just so many more
Oh and, today is the Octus textusscriptus anniversaries (8thanniversary) of The Once Lost Wanderer. If you need gift ideas, anything bronze is appropriate for the 8th. Remington statues should do nicely. The End of the Trail is particularly nice.
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Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteFirst things...didn't you hear? One Hundred Years is set to be a Netflix original. All that has been shared is that it will be set in Colombia w/ the "best Latin American talent." Anyway, I know you really liked that book...and you know, I wasn't crazy about; but now Silvia Cachia and I are going to do a readalong next year from Marquez's birthdate to death date. So I'm going to give it another try, and maybe I'll even watch the Netflix series, if it works out. Have no idea how they would turn that into a film, but...
These are really great questions, and everyone is coming up with some interesting answers about what constitutes a classic and what draws you, and what makes a contemporary book a classic...etc. I didn't think I'd get called on, but I sure will take some time to think about these questions and try to answer them.
I think I might have heard that about 100 Years. It seems a challenging undertaking, but series would probably be best. I'll watch for your answers.
DeleteOhh a 100 year readalong in 2020! I'd be in that too Ruth & Silvia.
DeleteHey, Joseph! Great answers. I agree with the Lord of the Flies not being done justice in the film and I especially second all of your favorite authors.
ReplyDeleteHappy eighth blogoversary!
Thanks
DeleteI totally get you on the "favorite author" thing. Jane Eyre is my favorite book, but Charlotte Bronte is not a favorite author of mine. Bookish people will understand :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, some cheating is required. One does not simply choose one answer for many of these.
Thanks for the tag. This one sounds like a lot of fun, and I'll get on to it soon. I'd love to see Catcher in the Rye as a movie too, but I think I read somewhere that J.D. Salinger himself never wanted it to be, because his own concept of Holden Caulfield was so close to his heart :) I once read another of G.K. Chesterton's wacky novels, The Napoleon of Notting Hill. You tempt me to want to pick up The Man who was Thursday too.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll have to check out Napoleon of Notting Hill. Cheers!
DeleteWonderful answers here! (Words and Peace really should do this one!) My post is here https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2019/08/30/tcl-joins-the-2019-its-so-classic-blog-party/
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'll check out your list.
DeleteFirstly happy 8th anniversary - the bronze is in the mail :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the tag.
I forgot to add Dune to my sci-fi love answer, although I didn't finish the whole series - 3 books was enough in the end.
I like your distinction between great and classic and I really must reread A Tale of two Cities one day! I'm already nervous about tackling Proust, you've just added to my concerns!
My Classics Book Tag
Thanks Brona. As much as I didn't like Proust - I am still glad to have read it.
DeleteHey, thanks for doing this tag! And yeah, we won't kill you. When it comes to blogging we are each our own monarch and rules become guidelines.
ReplyDeleteGreat answers though. Sydney is THE role model ;)
MB: keturahskorner.blogspot.com
PB: thegirlwhodoesntexist.com
Thanks Keturah.
DeleteI was tagged for this, but I haven't done it yet... I will do it sometime this year.
ReplyDeleteI really didn't like Dune. I read it a long time ago, though, so I don't remember much. And I loved The Silmarillion, although I can see why people don't...