...and How to Start Reading Classic Books

If reading "the classics" is something you find intriguing but daunting, you might try approaching them from a different direction. And the first step involves reconsidering what it means for a book to be deemed a classic. After all, classic books aren't always old books, and old books aren't always classics. Here are a few of my thoughts and suggestions.
0:01 What defines a classic book?
1:45 High quality isn't a requirement
2:33 Not just for adults
3:25 Where to start?
3:53 Where not to start
5:11 Where to start? (redux)
5:37 Where not to start (redux)
6:27 Where to start? (redux duo)
#classicbooks #bookcollection #reading #classics #childrensbooks #childrensbook #booktube
Film clip credits:
'The Public Enemy' (1931)
'The Maltese Falcon' (1941)
'Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe' (1940)
'Star Wars' (1977)
'It! The Terror from Beyond Space' (1958)
'Alien' (1979)

[@george_wissenbacher]

Hello is this an alternate world in which youtubers are polite, passionate, cultured and actually make interesting videos?

[@thelibraryladder]

Perhaps it's a Twilight Zone episode? :) [Thank you!]

[@vdpfamily512]

I'm a Vietnamese reader so sometimes it is hard for me to find a good translated version of a classic book. Currently, I often read original or English versions and I find out that many books for children suit my English level and I can enjoy them. It reminds me of when I was a kid and begin reading books. I was in love with Jules Verne, Jack London, and many authors who write about adventure. By the way, your voice is really warm and friendly

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you! That's a very good point about children's classics being great for readers who speak English as a second language. Thanks for sharing that perspective.

[@MFDOOOOM]

Authors those days didn't dumb down children's books that's why they're enjoyable as adults too, not like the absolute toddler level stuff of today.

[@BookishChas]

Great video Bridger! I’ve been slow about reading classics in my life, and I think it’s largely what you said about the education system. We’re forced to read classics that very often aren’t anywhere near our taste. I see the importance of reading widely and broadly, but War and Peace (just an example) probably isn’t right for everyone haha. I find myself more intrigued by certain classics now that would have bored me in my youth.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Chas! What do you mean War and Peace isn't for everyone? (Says I, who has never managed to finish it.) :) I'm currently seeing a remarkable shift in my kids' high school curriculum. My oldest child's English literature reading list consisted almost exclusively of dense, difficult and depressing works -- exactly the wrong kinds of books for a teenager's introduction to the classics (but all of them fair game on the English Lit AP exam). In contrast, my youngest child, who is just starting at the same school and in the same classes, has a reading list that includes Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea and Agatha Christie. That's a much better selection for 15 year olds.

[@BookishChas]

@@thelibraryladder oh yes I totally agree. A much better repertoire.

[@mikebrough3434]

'Swallows and Amazons' takes me back 50 years to when I was borrowing Ransome's book from the public library and then learning everything I could about sailing small boats, from the wind to map-reading and tying knots. Happy, uncomplicated days.

[@thelibraryladder]

Ransome was better known in the UK than in the US, so I didn’t encounter his books until I was an adult. I’m very glad I did, though, and the timing was perfect, as I had just learned how to sail.

[@bjlowe85]

Ive just joined your channel from the sci fi alliance so thanks to words in time for sending me here. I seriously could listen to your voice all day haha great channel cant wait to binge your videos

[@thelibraryladder]

Awesome, thank you! (And thank you to Jonathan at Words in Time!) I hope you enjoy my videos. I've had a lot of fun making them.

[@Luckyfoxoval78]

I just discovered your channel and I absolutely love not only the relaxed vibe you exude, but also your unpretentious way of recommending great literature. Subscribed!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you for your very kind comment! I enjoy reading a wide range of authors and genres, and my hope with this channel is to inspire people to try reading something a little different than their usual fare, whatever that might be. That's why I focus primarily on books and authors that don't already get a lot of attention on BookTube.

[@cb7560]

Excellent video. Thanks. You are so right about how schools prescribed we read massively difficult books as teenagers, when we lacked the life experience and familiarity with the way prose was written in the 19th Century to be able to handle them, let alone enjoy them. Middlemarch and Bleak House were completely beyond me at 15, and it was only after I watched the TV serials about 15 years ago that I read the books and enjoyed them. My French course at school was even worse when it came to the books we had to read. Examples include Andre Gide and Sartre - well beyond me at 16! I've subscribed, as I really like the style of your channel.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you! I had a similar experience with both Middlemarch and Bleak House. I wasn't inclined to read them until I watched BBC productions of them on PBS 15-20 years ago.

[@Metateller]

The first book I've ever read without being an assignment for school was Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I was bored on a Saturday morning and I don't remeber how, but I decided to pick that book up from my grandmother's bookshelf. I genuenly enjoyed it, and that experience opened a new world for me, it helped me realize that books can be a delightful and wonderful thing, instead of the bore that sometimes school and other people can make you believe. I look forward for your recommandation on more classic works.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for sharing that wonderful story, Kay! I actually started this channel intending to focus initially on classic children's books. I've helped lead a book club for middle grade students at my kids' school for several years, and it really bothered me how unaware most of the students are of books published as recently as 20 years ago, let alone terrific older classics. And to the extent they'd heard of older works, those books were generally dismissed as too long, too difficult or too old fashioned (critiques unfortunately echoed by some school librarians). I wanted to change the awareness and perception of classic children's books, but KZbin's algorithm had other plans for my videos, as it clearly prioritized my fantasy and science fiction content. I followed the algorithm's genre preferences for a while to get some audience traction, but I'm slowly trying to broaden my conversations about books to include a variety of other genres. Ultimately, I just want to talk about classic books of all types: old ones, new ones, and especially those at risk of being forgotten.

[@Metateller]

@@thelibraryladder Wow, that's a really impressive effort from your part to try to expand the literary universe of children, in your own community and beyond now here on KZbin. I hope a noble deed like that pays off!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for the kind words! I have no idea if my efforts will amount to much, but I must admit it feels good when viewers post comments on my videos letting me know that they were changed in some way by watching them and not just entertained. That's my real objective for the channel.

[@atashbeats8055]

I truly love all the videos you present. They're highly educational. Also, your voice is soothing and relaxing.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoy them!

[@muddogmcg1112]

Hello Bridger, thank you for another well done and informative video. When people ask me about reading a classic and where to start I like to ask them what they like to do. If they like the outdoors/hiking/kayaking/ camping I go with Jack London or the Leatherstocking tales. If they liked Redwall I’ll recommend Wind in the Willows. I go with what the person knows and likes and chose something from that point. I’ve always loved the Illustrated Junior Library for a book collection of the classics. They have wonderful color and lined illustrations and look good on the shelves. Thank you again for the lovey video!! Keep up the good work!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! Those are exactly the kinds of recommendations I'd likely make. Also, I've always appreciated the Illustrated Junior Series. Some of my first introductions to older classics were from reading those illustrated editions I found in my elementary school's library.

[@JJasonHicks]

Wonderful survey and postulating on the classics and how to approach. And your high school experience. I too took on books above my level. I like the challenge. In college as an English major I got to read a lot of classics. I held off on Moby Dick until the pandemic. It was hard but I was able to appreciate it. I didn't dare try it when you did. Another great video, Bridger. Keep'em coming!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Jed. I'm glad to hear it's possible to appreciate Moby Dick. I'm still waiting for that moment. :)

[@johnmooney9403]

Hi Bridger just want to say your videos are awesome. I like the intelligence and depth you go into when discussing these great works of literature.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you for your very kind comment! I'm an educator at heart, and I hope viewers learn something useful from my videos.

[@thewatchfemme4051]

Good sir, your videos are excellent. The love and respect you have for books comes through, and is shared by all of us who have found your wonderful channel. Last year I read The Count of Monte Cristo and had an absolute ball with it. The Anne books you showed gave me a little thrill, as they are among my favorite series and I have read them many times. Thank you for all you do.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you for the wonderful feedback! Yes, my channel and book collection are labors of love. I hope to do a video retrospective on L.M. Montgomery later this year if I can squeeze it into my schedule. I have a lot of videos I want to make, and there aren't enough hours in the day to produce them. I actually started this channel with the intention of focusing on children's books, which are the largest part of my collection. I've branched out to other genres in my videos, but I want to keep making content about children's classics.

[@thewatchfemme4051]

@@thelibraryladder I would adore a retrospective on L.M. Montgomery. Early in the pandemic I read The Gift of Wings, a comprehensive biography on Maud and her works, so she has a very dear place in my heart. I look forward to whatever content you have time for going forward.

[@albertcscs]

Another excellent video. I also had a modest collection of the Scribner's Illustrated Classics which I read and highly recommend, especially for younger readers. The illustrations make the effort worthwhile. Also, The Limited Editions Club (LEC) from 1929 to about 1960 published everything from Asop to Zola and had the very best illustrators of the 20th century. I had several Dulac's, Rackhams, Picassco did Lyistrata, you can collect classic authors and illustrators at the same time. They produced a trade dition under the Heritage imprint.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Albert! At your suggestion, I'm looking into those older LEC and Heritage illustrated editions.

[@afantasybabble6222]

Well said. I enjoy the adventure novels of Jules Verne so I have dipped my toe in classics through these works and related ones. It's a lot easier to start appreciating classics through books like these and start expanding out through your own interests

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I'm so glad there are others open to taking different approaches to reading the classics.

[@gendor5199]

I definitely need to save this video and find all these classics. It is pretty refreshing to get some ideas of checking out easily accessible ones, maybe even find the audiobooks so I can go through them at work, and if some parts are boring, my mind will just skip listening to the details, and if I like the book enough I may go back to read them fully!

[@thelibraryladder]

I've been known to use audiobooks that way on occasion. :)

[@Jibbie49]

Everyone should read the Classic "Black Beauty" written by Anna Sewell in 1877, not as a "children's book" but with a reading level of 7.7 for adults. It set in motion the laws to protect animals and it had a connection to the plight of women. It has sold over 50 million copies. Over a 30 year period, "Beauty" is every horse as he tells his story.

[@thelibraryladder]

There's no question in my mind that Black Beauty is one of the all-time great animal stories. I plan to feature it in an upcoming video on the best books told from an animal's perspective. Thanks for commenting!

[@ashrafmourad2901]

I am very new to this channel. It's very engaging in a thoughtfull yet enjoyable way. My thoughts on what makes a storty a classic: A story that is so well established that some of its elements are, in some way (at least to the popular imagination), familiar to the reader. The Sherlock Holmes short stories, are an example. In the novel format, The Great Gatsby is another.

[@thelibraryladder]

That’s another reasonable definition of a classic. To feel familiar, a book likely has had an impact on other authors and their works. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@jakebishop7822]

Wonderful video Bridger. I am hoping to read a couple more classics in 2022. I thi m I am going to start with The Count of Monte Cristo, because it sounds fantastic, and I am not particularly worried about books being long. I don't tend to try and judge whether a book is a classic, as I feel I like the knowledge base to do so. But I think your definition seems pretty good. Clearly a classic needs to impact people enough, that it continues to sell long afyer release. I think if a book hits peak popularity as it comes out, and then slowly tapers down to being unknown, it is probably hard to say thats a classic. Even if it is a brilliant book

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Jake! The Count of Monte Cristo is probably my favorite older classic (in a crowded field of contenders). I love its intricate plot design. If you've seen the very enjoyable film version from about 20+ years ago, the book is quite different in several respects and has a much more complex plot. Also, for maximum enjoyment, I'd suggest reading the Penguin Classics edition translated by Robin Buss. My definition of a classic is very close to your description, but not quite. Significant reader impact often leads to sustained, long-term sales, but not always, especially in certain genres such as SFF and children's books. For example, many novels and short stories in the early days of science fiction were published exclusively through disposable pulp magazines with limited distribution. The magazines were cheap and would fall apart and be thrown away quickly. Many of the stories in them were never collected in anthologies or published on their own in later hardcover or paperback formats, which meant they had only a very brief window of time in which to have an impact. But some of them had a substantial impact on readers and other authors because of the quality of their writing, the innovativeness of their ideas, or the epic sense of fun and adventure they conveyed. I'd consider many of those early and often forgotten stories to be classics.

[@fjuran1]

Great video. I have always made it a point to read at least five classics a year. I have always been a sucker for those Penguin Classics paperback books.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I set similar reading goals for myself every year. I'd recommend the Barnes & Noble classics series in addition to the Penguins (a couple of them were shown in the latter part of this video). They have a slightly larger form factor, which makes them a bit easier for aging eyes (such as mine) to read.

[@blandae5670]

Funny observation: we tend to have heavier books from national canon and more accessible from world literature. In Poland we're familiar with the books you listed at the end of the video, but in American or British movies are mentioned the other books, so in order to understand some references we need to read them on our own (and most people don't). I'm leaving a sub, your channel is different from the ones I usually watch, so I appreciate the some variety

[@thelibraryladder]

That's a very interesting cross-cultural observation. Thanks for sharing it! And thank you for subscribing. I'm trying to provide a wider variety with my channel by focusing on the authors and books I enjoy that aren't already widely covered on KZbin.

[@rifway22]

My first classic was Gulliver's Travels and it remains my favourite to this day.

[@thelibraryladder]

I read an abridged version of it when I was nine or ten. Boy was I surprised to discover in college that there were entire lands I missed out on, such as the Brobdinagians (sp.?). I later read the complete version and was glad I did.

[@Kjt853]

@@thelibraryladder Brobdingnagians, I believe. Gulliver’s Travels was my first classic, too - the unabridged original when I was 10. (Impressed? Don’t be. I didn’t understand at least 2/3 of it.) I read it later as an adult, and it was like reading it for the first time. What would a 10-year-old understand about satire? My favorite: the academics in Part Three who attempt to extract sunbeams from cucumbers.

[@JamesAllredWriter]

The best reading list is what children like. That said let’s scatter some of the classics around them for them to stumble across and find they like them to.

[@EPWillard]

Librivox or audiobooks in general are very helpful for approaching older works. It can be hard to read the older books due to the grammar or vocabulary and listening to it be read out can actually be very helpful because if the reader does a good job you can generally understand the tone if you don't know the exact meaning of the word. It can give you a broad understanding of the material and while you won't get everything the same way you would if you had read it on the page I suspect many of these books if you read them on the page for the first time you would still miss alot of the subtler things anyhow. it is of course hit or miss, especially with Librivox because it's volunteer, but if you check the versions and find a good one it can be a good foot in the door. I think Stewart Willis's recording of Moby Dick is pretty good he brings alot of feeling to the reading and seems to do a good job of always being in the character of the narrator.

[@thelibraryladder]

Great comment! Thanks for sharing it. I'm a big fan of audiobooks (with the right narrators), and I agree with you that older writing styles can seem more relatable when presented in a manner that evokes an oral storytelling tradition.

[@mastersal4644]

I love this definition focusing on reader impact ! I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before and it makes so much sense. In my definition I usually give it about 50 years in addition to see if the “impact” is Sustained.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I think sustainability is a reasonable corollary to add, although the appropriate length of time might be debatable. Otherwise, as an earlier commenter noted, the Twilight saga books might be considered classics. :)

[@mastersal4644]

@@thelibraryladder they will be classics someday. People will study this as a sign of madness in us all !! 😂

[@snakes3425]

First Classic I remember was Legend of Sleepy Hollow, my mom would read a picture book of the story to me.

[@thelibraryladder]

Was it the edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham? That's my favorite one. Rackham does 'eerie' very well.

[@snakes3425]

@@thelibraryladder I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think it was the Robert San Souci picture book.

[@mimimayhem]

Bravo! More of these.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks, Camille! More are on the way.

[@rameyzamora1018]

Dear Bridger, your anecdote on Moby-Dick struck a chord with me. I, too, attempted the weighty tome at age 15 but gave up halfway through because I couldn't follow the story. But after seeing the Gregory Peck/Richard Basehart movie I understood the story & some of the major themes. I dove back into Melville's masterpiece & enjoyed it for the writing & the history & the biology. Maybe that's one of the best ways young people can be introduced to the classic literature, too. See the movie first!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for sharing. In many cases, I'd agree with with you. I've had films and even theatrical productions spark my interest in reading the source material. My fear, though, is that films and other visual adaptations (such as graphic novels) will rapidly become a substitute for reading the original works. This fear is reinforced by what I've encountered in my volunteer work leading a book club for middle grade students in recent years. Younger readers seem particularly at risk of losing touch with the enjoyment of reading when given the choice to experience a story in an abridged and visually intense format.

[@rameyzamora1018]

@@thelibraryladder My experience was in the 50's & I was already an avid reader from a young age, so this particular trick worked for me but I see your wider view. Thank you.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I had a similar experience to you in high school. For my “pick a classic,” I picked David Copperfield. Which I enjoyed as an adult but found to be an interminable bore as at 10th grader!

[@thelibraryladder]

Your commitment to giving Dickens a second chance is commendable. I have yet to work up the fortitude to try Melville again, and when I do, I’ll almost certainly start with his Typee or Omoo.

[@RedFuryBooks]

I didn't read Moby Dick until I was an adult, and wasn't a big fan at the time! Don't feel compelled to try it again either!

[@chevalierdulys]

You are truly and aspiration.. thank you. Do you keep reviews of the books you read? Maybe a Goodreads account?

[@thelibraryladder]

Thank you! Alas, I don't post written reviews on any sites. I might eventually change that approach, or possibly adapt summaries from my videos for Goodreads, but first I have to find the time to do it. :)

[@paulsawchuk9934]

Heeeey! I just picked up that edition of Treasure Island at Monkey's Paw in Toronto a few days ago. Beautiful edition.

[@thelibraryladder]

Awesome! Those are some of the paintings that made Wyeth a household name a hundred years ago.

[@littleredflying-fox]

Identifying what makes a book a "classic" is a subjective enterprise. I've encountered many lists such as the Modern Library list of 100 great books or Clifton Fadiman's Lifetime Reading Plan, and have come to the conclusion that the term classics really should be reserved for works used by classical scholars. For the layman, anything found in the Loebs would be a sure indicator. My own opinion is that we should view all literature as edifying, the good and the bad, and not pigeonhole books into narrowly restrictive categories or give them levels of merit. I heartily agree with your assement of Moby Dick, and the need to ease new readers toward challenging books by using lighter examples as a starting point. As for what I consider "classics", I've always had a soft spot in my heart for anything written by P.G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh. Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast is very good, and I enjoyed reading Little, Big by John Crowley. I have not read anything by Guy Gavriel Kay (a glaring omission, I know) but may do so in the future. Anyway, a great video as usual, and sorry for the rant.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I generally share your broad view of what literature is (or should be defined as). As I note in the video, I assign the term "classic" to a book based on how readers connect and respond to it. It's not something inherent in the book itself. I feel much the same way about classifying books as "literary," which is more of a marketing label than a meaningful descriptor of a book's contents. I believe nearly all fiction can be described as some form of speculative fiction, but the "speculative" label typically is only applied to fantasy, science fiction and a subset of horror fiction, and often as a pejorative by teachers, professors and "literary" critics. Wodehouse is a favorite of mine! I wish I had thought of including him as an example while I was making this video. I sometimes forget about his books because they're located on the top shelf in my library, 14 feet up the ladder (where I seldom venture after an unfortunate mishap with it a few years ago).

[@littleredflying-fox]

14 feet! I too would feel the vertigo... But your shelves are lovely.

[@thelibraryladder]

If only it was vertigo... Alas, the mishap in question involved Newtonian physics (gravity, angular force and insufficient friction) and me dangling ten feet in the air, clutching at the crown molding at the top of a bookcase.

[@Paromita_M]

Great video and looking forward to more! I read so many of the Great Illustrated Classics as a child and well into my teens. Classics - books which resonate with people transcending barriers of language, space (I mean nations but space sounds fancier 🙂) and time. Moby Dick (unabridged) at 15? 😥 Well I picked up War and Peace around the same age, took more than 6 months to finish, and am not sure I want to ever go back to it. 😔 Ivanhoe and Anne of Green Gables are some of my favourites. 🙂

[@thelibraryladder]

That's another great definition of a "classic." It's not so much about the book itself as it is about how readers connect and respond to it. My first introductions to Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and R.L. Stevenson's Kidnapped were through the Great Illustrated Classics for kids. In hindsight as an adult, they're absurdly abridged, but they do a nice job of engaging kids in classic tales. Yes, it was an unabridged edition of Moby Dick I read (ugh!). I attempted War and Peace when I was around 21, but didn't finish it. It might have been the fault of the translation, which was extremely dense. I intend to try again someday with a different translated edition. I'm planning a video later this year on the works of Lucy Maud Montgomery. As terrific as Anne of Green Gables is, I don't think it's her best work. My choice might surprise you.

[@thelibraryladder]

I'm slowly working my way through Dostoevsky (whose works I enjoy reading far more than Tolstoy's). I quite enjoyed Crime and Punishment (translated by Constance Garnett), which I read after watching the 1935 film starring Peter Lorre. The Idiot is up next on my list of his books.

[@LampMann399]

Bridger, I just have one question which I hope you'll see! I've been steadily growing my hardcover fantasy library and I'm just wondering... where do you get your dust jacket protector sleeves? I bought some years back but they've all been used and I cannot seem to find a reliable source for consistently high quality protectors. But once again, fantastic video and I look forward to your future uploads!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for the question! I use Brodart Just-a-Fold III archival jacket covers (www.shopbrodart.com/Library-Supplies/Book-Jacket-Covers/Archival-Covers/Just-A-Fold-III/Just-A-Fold-III-Sheets/). They're extremely high quality, come in a variety of sizes, and are very simple to put on a dust jacket (no tape or fasteners required). In my experience, if you you buy them in bulk during Brodart's periodic sales, the price per cover is usually around 25-30 cents (US$).

[@LampMann399]

Thank you so much for the reply! I'll definitely be buying plenty of these!

[@josephbrian455]

Love the channel. I've watched almost all your videos in the past two weeks. I wonder what you think of the Shadow pulps?

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I have a strong fondness for the old pulp magazines (despite the inconsistent quality of the stories in them). The Shadow was one of the better pulp series in my opinion. The old broadcasts of Shadow radio plays are a lot of fun too.

[@josephbrian455]

@@thelibraryladder Orson Welles' performances are incredible. Any thoughts on Michael Connelly/Harry Bosch and Louis L'Amour? I haven't seen any of the covers in the videos I've seen so far.

[@thelibraryladder]

I've only read a couple of L'Amour novels (Sackett and Hondo), and I enjoyed both. I attribute my lack of experience reading westerns to the fact that I've watched countless classic movie westerns. :) I think the Harry Bosch books are among the best-written thrillers that I've read, although I actually prefer Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer series.

[@spoondragon9218]

Another great video

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I'm very glad you enjoyed it.

[@stevenhuang3635]

I am a Chinese reader and I find that English books usually have a wider range of availability than Chinese ones. For example, many if I want to read something about Prussia, there isn't much info to be found in the Chinese book world and one can either choose to read in a foreign language like English or just consume something from the Internet. But as from I know, the contents that can be found on the Chinese website are mostly from English sources so it just makes more sense to read in English. This not only applies to non-fiction but also to fiction, as many writers in the world do not have their work translated into Chinese yet (many books by Dan Simmons do not have an official translation yet). So I guess if I want to read more and enjoy more books, it's a must to learn and adapt to English books. Currently, I am trying to read some longer books written in English and try to get used to it. Hopefully some days in the future, I will be able to read English works with ease, just as how I did when reading stuff written in Chinese. Again, great video, hope to see more of it in the future!

[@thelibraryladder]

I share your frustration, only in reverse. There are many works of fiction written in other languages, including Chinese, that I want to read. But because they have never been translated into English (or their English editions are long out of print and very difficult to find), I might have to wait until artificial intelligence gets smart enough to translate prose well before I will have an opportunity to read them. At the rapid pace that AI is developing, that might happen in the next couple of years. Thanks for your comment!

[@stevenhuang3635]

@@thelibraryladder Fortunately, this has already happened. I have tried to put work in Chinese in ChatGPT and see if it could be translated into proper English. And it did. The translation seems perfect, not only readable but also in good literary shape that can be enjoyed by serious readers. As for the thing you mentioned in the comment that the availability of books in some other languages sometimes goes out of print, I do share this frustration as well. But also I believe that is more of a loss for that work instead for the English World. I noticed that a work of literature, no matter good it is in his native land, only reaches its global popularity after being translated into English. But a work done in English can reach such global fame and attention within a short period of time if it is popular in the English world. Take "the story of the stone" for example, one of the most influential literary works in China, receive very limited attention beyond China because it lacks good translation in English while something by Dickens, which was already popular in the UK, reached global recognization fairly quickly that it is considered required reading in many East Asian countries.

[@Tokayd13]

Hee hee. We were assigned Moby Dick in high school, and I decided I was going to read the unabridged version! The only thing I remember was what a slog it was, and that I could probably butcher a whale at the end of it (there's quite a few pages on that if you recall!). I've recently been thinking about taking it up again, I understand it's quite good... Love your channel!

[@thelibraryladder]

I do indeed recall! Thanks for sharing that story. It's nice to know I wasn't alone in pursuing a certain kind of masochism in high school. I hope you enjoy Ahab's pursuit of the white whale a lot more the second time around.

[@jillianbakke2567]

I absolutely love Moby Dick. I gobbled that book down in three or four days. I think I was around 16 or 17. Still in high school. I have reread it a couple of times and still find it exciting and readable.

[@thelibraryladder]

I envy you and your early appreciation for it. I hope someday to discover a similar regard for Melville's tale. (I'll also note that I read Typee and Omoo with greater enjoyment.) :D

[@kimswhims8435]

Some of the Classics are abridged for children. I have a few abridged children's classics in my collection. It's fun to listen to an unabridged audiobook and read the kids edition to see what's been removed. It's how I started with a lot of the classics I've read from the age of about 9, I was reading Jane Eyre and Little Women back in the 1970s.

[@thelibraryladder]

You're right, although in these older editions, I've found the the abridgement to be relatively light and mainly focused on shortening long and sometimes tedious descriptions of objects or settings. I've also encountered a few instances where potentially offensive political, sexual or violent content was softened or deleted, but most older classics weren't very explicit in those areas to begin with, so the impact of bowdlerization seems to have been relatively mild.

[@AnthonyEmmel]

Ack, you missed one of my favorites from when I was a kid. Pyle's Arthur and Robin Hood books!

[@thelibraryladder]

Great point! Sneak preview: they’re featured in my next video. :)

[@knotslip8862]

I mostly read fantasy and sci-fi but I've read many classics as well. My favorites so far are Catcher in the Rye, Dandelion Wine and To Kill a Mockingbird. I have many more to read and I look forward to them. I will say that the one I did not enjoy was The Great Gatsby....It was just boring to me. Thanks for the great video!

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks! I read a lot of SFF as well, but I find that my brain appreciates mixing in other genres regularly. Otherwise, the SFF books start to blend together in my mind and don't have the impact they might otherwise have. Dandelion Wine and To Kill a Mockingbird are two of my favorites, and I agree that Gatsby was boring (when I read it 40 years ago). :)

[@bobkeane7966]

Every once in a while I read something from a high school reading list and don't find them boring at all age surely adds perspective to to what we are reading. I think we often let the so called experts tell us what a classic is instead making our own list of classics. A classic should be something that allows a person to converse intelligently in almost any setting. Using that definition The Shining or Cujo might be considered classic along with a host of other widely read influential works. It's why SciFi and Fantasy is often overlooked as being classics because the readership is not as broad as it should be.

[@thelibraryladder]

That's largely how I feel about what makes a book a classic (although I might quibble about whether Cujo is a classic compared to many of King's other books :) ). The reading lists given to my high school-age kids are thick with weighty and depressing 19th and early 20th century literature deemed classics while there's almost no representation from any genre fiction except Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and (bizarrely) Gibson's Neuromancer. It's almost as if the teachers who put the curricula together don't want their students to learn to enjoy reading, although I think it's being driven largely by the people who develop the standardized AP literature tests and who have defined "classic literature" too narrowly.

[@bobkeane7966]

@@thelibraryladder Do you teach or do you just help kids through the book club. People talk about helping in many different ways it's great when somebody actually steps up.

[@thelibraryladder]

I was just an interested parent and volunteer in my kids' school.

[@bobkeane7966]

@@thelibraryladder Thanks

[@e-artemas7295]

Can we get a video on how you arrange your books in your library. Over the years I have collected quite a lot of books (maybe not as much as you) I am running out of room and I have shelved my books wherever I can find a empty space but it makes no sense at all. I have some special edition books like folio society copies mixed in with old worn down paperbacks and I want to clean everything up

[@thelibraryladder]

I can empathize with your shelving plight. I do have a system for arranging and organizing my books, although it's not as detailed or precise as an actual library's. Here's a brief overview. In general, I have a cascading organization system. I start by grouping books into broad genres (SF, fantasy, mystery, horror, adventure, historical, literary fiction, children's books, nonfiction, etc.). Then I subdivide them by format (hardcover, trade paperback, mmpb, magazine). For the most part, I don't include paperbacks on my shelves. That's partly because their smaller size is an inefficient use of shelf space when mixed with larger hardcovers, and partly because many of my paperbacks are duplicates (reading copies) of hardcovers already on the shelves. I keep paperbacks out of sight in separate enclosed cabinets and in bankers boxes where they can be packed efficiently to conserve space (at the cost of being a little more difficult to access when needed). After separating them by format, I sort them by subgenre and the time period when they were written. For example, I have bookcases devoted to different science fiction eras (early, Golden Age, New Wave, & modern), and within those bookcases, there are shelves devoted to different SF subgenres such as space opera, dystopias, ecological fiction, artificial intelligence, short story anthologies, etc. The time period when written is the most important organizing factor, though. My paperback books are sorted similarly in their cabinets and boxes. I also try to keep individual authors' works together in one place, even if they wrote across different eras or different subgenres. I place an author's books on a shelf corresponding with their earliest era and their best-known subgenre. An exception to that is when an author writes in multiple genres (SF, fantasy, horror, mystery, etc.). In those cases, I separate their works by genre. I don't bother with alphabetizing books by author or title. It's far too much effort for only minimal benefit. I organize each genre using that basic approach, and when I've run out of shelf space, I've used bankers boxes to organize the overflow in a similar way. Also, I'm big fan of deep bookcases that can effectively double (or even triple) the capacity of shelves. Most of my bookcases and cabinets are between 16 and 24 inches deep. I hope this is helpful.

[@e-artemas7295]

@@thelibraryladder That helps a lot. Thank you I will try this out

[@arg1051]

Sounds eerily similar to my introduction to classic literature, lol. I was assigned to read Crime and Punishment when I was about 14, for a class, and I almost could not finish it. I was also assigned Portrait of a Lady by Henry James when I was 17, and I was apocalyptically bored getting through that. I've even gone back to read Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment more than 20 years later and I still find nothing enjoyable about it. I certainly understand it much better than I did then, and I understand why it is considered a classic, but the characters are just not enjoyable and it was a chore to get through it. I picked up on the philosophical, psychological and sociological themes, but it is just presented in a thoroughly unenjoyable manner to me. I refuse to ever go back to Henry James, lol, my physics advisor when I was in college was obsessed with Henry James and he tried to get to go back and reread Portrait of a Lady and I just refused. As an adult with more experience, more education, and reading under my belt, the two books I wish I had read as a young man are the Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas and almost paradoxically, War and Peace by Tolstoy. The Count of Monte Cristo is just a thoroughly enjoyable and thrilling read, especially for a teenage boy I feel, and War and Peace can be equally thrilling but it has these more subtle interludes that force you to slow down and think beyond the surface level interactions and you can't help but think that War and Peace is a modern novel filled with fully fleshed out LGBT characters and a small interlude about abortion. I remember after I read War and Peace the first thing I did was hop on the internet and confirm my suspicions, lol. I think Tolstoy holds up way better than Dostoyevsky, and will continue to be relevant far into the future. Oh, btw, I took your advice and picked up the Baroque cycle by Neal Stephenson, and I cannot put it down. I liked Anathem, but having studied math and physics, I was really bored with his painful explanation of topics like proofs of the Pythagorean theorem, though I enjoyed the philosophical conversations and the idea of platonic forms being a multiverse type theory, that was certainly a unique way of looking at Plato's philosophy. So now that I'm reading Quicksilver where you said it starts out slow and builds to a thrilling end, well the first half with Daniel Waterhouse interacting with the likes of Newton, Leibniz, Wilkins and Hooke, is my jam, lol. I think I read the first half of the book almost straight through before I had to put it down, thoroughly rapt. I much prefer the depiction of these very real historical figures and the very real philosophical and mathematical ideas they had to the detached from reality SF setting of Anathem.

[@thelibraryladder]

I've been putting off reading Portrait of a Lady for years, and you've strengthened my resolve to wait a little longer. :) My experience with Dostoevsky has been very mixed, and I suspect it has a lot to do with the translations. Some of the more modern translators give him a much more readable style. I'm so glad you've discovered the awe and wonder of The Baroque Cycle! I didn't mind the first part of Quicksilver. It was interesting, but the characters didn't quite resonate with me. Waterhouse is a little dry and Newton is a jerk. I did like Leibniz a lot, though. Once the story shifts to characters Jack and Eliza later in the book, things get even more entertaining. Thanks for sharing!

[@stanleyhumphrey7404]

The moby dick chapter: "the line" Is one of my favorite chapters in any book. It is about death hiding in plain site, or rather obfuscated by familiarity. However, I am 100% with you when it comes to making children read challenging works. Children have no business reading Melville, Shakespeare, Faulkner, etc. They are NOT ready for it and all you will do by making them read it is teach them to hate the work, and to distrust your taste. People have to read what they want to read.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for the insight into The Line. I'll give it fresh eyes when I get around to revisiting the novel as an adult. :D I was pretty shocked by the books my kids' middle school teachers had them read. Many of them were titles typically found on high school (and often college) reading lists when I was in school, including a strong focus on dystopian fiction. Sixth grade (11 years old) doesn't seem like an optimal age to be studying Lord of the Flies, Fahrenheit 451 and The Giver.

[@naveenraju7123]

I am from India . Your English sound is soo good ❤️sir

[@thelibraryladder]

Namaste. Thank you! :)

[@cherrfaforbes1398]

We will like to see your book collection.

[@thelibraryladder]

I'm thinking of doing a partial bookshelf tour in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

[@dudeboydudeboy-zj8kd]

in the future can you maybe discuss of the kane book series by karl edward wagner? i heard that it is considered the very first dark fantasy novel.

[@thelibraryladder]

Great suggestion! Wagner wasn't the first to write dark fantasy, but he was an early practitioner whose works are often overlooked today. Michael Moorcock's Elric saga preceded Wagner by about ten years, and authors such as Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber were defining aspects of the subgenre decades before that.

[@dudeboydudeboy-zj8kd]

@@thelibraryladder thanks for the reply 👍

[@dastafford]

I once made the joke that what makes a book a classic is when it gets published by Penguin. Then the joke became real when they published an edition of Dune ;-)

[@asamorgan]

Are you going to review Iain Banks books.

[@thelibraryladder]

Most definitely. I have a long list of video topics planned, and Banks is on it. It’s going to take me a while to get to him, though. Thanks for inquiring!

[@dana7340]

I read the Scarlet Letter in high school. Despite being an advanced reader it was entirely beyond my ability to comprehend the language. I tried it again as an adult and found it much easier to comprehend. Good grief, what was I thinking? 😂

[@neeratron]

Pretty surprised with your take on Moby Dick..I was 11 when I read Moby Dick, and remember how beautiful the experience was until this day(I'm 31 now). Probably because books hit different people in different surroundings differently? I'm an Indian and have never gone out of India.

[@thelibraryladder]

Thanks for your comment! I agree that Moby Dick contains some marvelous sequences and imagery, but it also contains a lot of tedium, particularly in the middle section of the novel. Many abridged editions of the novel cut out a lot of those chapters and passages that discuss the more technical and mundane aspects of whaling. Had I read an abridged version when I was 15, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.

[@1siddynickhead]

I would love to see you do a video on your favourite Russian works

[@thelibraryladder]

That's a great idea! I'll add it to my (ever-growing) list of future video topics. My experience with reading Russian works has been mixed. Some I've really enjoyed, and others...not. I've always wondered, though, if my enjoyment might have been affected by the quality of the translation into English.

[@1siddynickhead]

@@thelibraryladder oh it makes a big difference! My first Russian classic was Brothers Karamazov and I read the Garnett translation and I didn't enjoy it as I did the Pervear and Volokhonsky one..when it comes to War and Peace tho, I preferred the Maude translation and Ann Dunnigan to P&V. For some books like Crime and Punishment it doesn't matter, coz the narrative trajectory carries you along.

[@stefanels4049]

​@@thelibraryladder "if my enjoyment might have been affected by the quality of the translation into English." A really daunting task would be to tackle the question of the Pevear/Volokhonsky translations and whether they are overrated, especially in works like Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, where some critics claim P&V completely spoil the quirky, strange humour of the original. I have agonized about which translations to read of the Russian masters, and it has held me back from turning real pages.

[@thelibraryladder]

@@stefanels4049 I’ve encountered discussions of that debate about their translations, but I don’t have enough experience with alternate translations to have much of an opinion. Should I feel fortunate that my edition of The Master and Margarita (which I enjoyed) was translated by Burgin & O’Connor?

[@stefanels4049]

​@@thelibraryladder " I don’t have enough experience with alternate translations" Fair enough. I was just hoping that you had some insight based on personal reading experience because your book reviews are so excellent I suspect Burgin & O'Connor may indeed have graced you! I have belled your channel and look forward to your next thoughtful review. I read the prologue of Tigana just to test the quality of Kay's water, and I was blown away. Such economy of description, such poetry. I want to build up to the better regarded novels, so I will start with the humbler beginnings first. If Tigana or the Tapestry are not the best, then I am in for a blinding treat of literature later on. Thank you for your influential take on Kay.

[@frankb821]

I wish I had 200 years to read all these books...It's not fair that we only get 80-90 if we're lucky.

[@angusmckeogh659]

I would argue that several pages describing a boat rope is not necessarily genius. If one views reading as not only a literary exercise but as an entertainment medium, perhaps Melville did nothing to satisfy half the equation.

[@PastaMasta123]

I both dread and look forward to the day that twilight becomes a classic… perhaps centuries later.

[@thelibraryladder]

Oh! I hadn't thought of that possibility, but it could actually fit within my definition. [shudders] :)

[@NevsBookChannel]

Hurrah for Swallows and Amazons!

[@thelibraryladder]

It's a wonderful series of books.

[@litbalfreak]

Do you have recommendations for “classics” that are not by just white authors? I really like many authored by white people - Salinger and Austen are examples. The ethnocentricism in the definition of English lit “classics” always frustrated me. I KNOW there have always been talented authors of color writing in English. Why aren’t they taught?