Introduction

We hear about classic literature all the time. Sometimes even on a daily basis. There are hundreds of age old stories and classic lines or phrases, some of which we are familiar with and some of which we know very little about. Most of us have even read a few or maybe even many of them ourselves.

I have recently recognized the value in reading classic literature and have set a goal to read as many classic books as I can in my lifetime. I think the classics offer us an interesting educational opportunity that we can continue pursuing well beyond our formal education years. Why are the classics so beneficial to read? What makes a classic a classic? For some reason, they sure have a way of standing the test of time. Many of the classics were written over 100 and 200 years ago and yet, they are still considered classics after all this time, and will probably remain so for a long time to come.

Here is my opinion of why the classics are so beneficial. First of all, I don’t know what the magic formula is for creating a classic (I would be rich if I did). But I can liken it to this analogy of a thermometer. We can’t see the heat, but we can see the reaction that the mercury in the thermometer has to the heat. That’s how we know how hot it is. Similarly, classic books/authors have a way of causing a reaction to their readership. I can’t tell you what it is about the book that makes it a classic, but look at how it has affected readers for the past few decades or centuries. What did they learn from it? How did their lives change because of it?

I do have to give the authors credit and say that they likely took a lot of pain staking effort and time to design and write their books. Skill was definitely a factor. But it takes more than that. It takes more than seeing a main character learn a valuable lesson. Anybody can write a book like that. My opinion, after reading approximately 40 classic books and stories thus far, is that the lessons and themes I have observed seem to parallel the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every time I read one of these classics, I can pick out at least 2 or 3 situations or themes that fit perfectly with a scripture or even a General Authority quote. I think that is another reason why the classics are so attractive… because the Light of Christ is so attractive. People are attracted to knowledge and truth. And if there is goodness and value in a book because of the way it teaches us, makes us think and causes us to want to change, for the better, and come closer to Christ, then I say that is a good book, and a classic.

This blog is my attempt to document each classic I read, along with these valuable teachings and gospel connections that I happen to notice while reading the books. So essentially, this blog is for me and my posterity if they desire to read it. But if it is useful to anybody else, I welcome your participation in reading and commenting on the posts. I will not post full summaries. You can find any of those on the internet elsewhere and I wouldn’t want to spoil a story for somebody that may still want to read it. I will just pick certain portions of the books to comment on, the ones that affected me the most, and if anything, hopefully somebody will be inspired to pick up a book that they had not intended to read. I will try to post once or twice a week so, if you are interested, I would suggest you subscribe to the blog so that you get an email when I make a post. And when you read the post, I welcome your comments and would be glad to see what I may have missed that you may be sensitive to since all of our circumstances (and perspectives) are different.

Thank you in advance for your participation!