CLASSIC BOOKS EXPOSED!: Unveiling the Real Reason for What makes a Classic.

Ever wondered if the magical world of Harry Potter will stand the test of time and join the ranks of literary classics? Join us in today's video, "What Makes a Classic," as we delve into the intriguing journey a book takes to achieve timeless status.
🌟 If you're a bibliophile or simply curious about what sets timeless literary works apart, you're in for a treat!
🔍 Discover the secrets behind classic literature and learn how certain books withstand the test of time. From Shakespearean plays to modern-day masterpieces, we'll uncover the most important thing that ties them together and make them resonate across generations. 🕰️📜
Whether you're a student studying literature, a book club enthusiast, or someone seeking to expand your reading list, this video will provide an insight that is both unrecognized by most, yet pleasingly obvious.🎓📚
Don't forget to hit the like button, subscribe to our channel, and ring the notification bell to stay updated on all things literature and classic book-related! 🛎️✨ Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know which classic books hold a special place in your heart.
If you appreciate my channel and would like to contribute to support me, please consider joining my PATREON community where you will not only help me with producing more content, but will also get access to exclusive content also.
patreon.com/user?u=84761803
Join us on this literary journey as we uncover "The One Thing That Makes a Book a Classic." Happy reading! 🌈📖 #ClassicBooks #Literature #BookLovers #ReadingCommunity #TimelessTales #MustReads #LiteraryAnalysis

[@insidethefishbowl]

This is the best discussion of this question that I have ever heard. I wish you would have posted it yesterday before my book club met so that I could have used it to help explain why I didn’t like the book that we read! 😉 I’m going to share it now with them. Thanks for your thoughtfulness, and for infusing a little bit of hope as to the fate of Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Dickens, and even Christie (and hopefully J.K. Rowling) into my day!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.😀 Let me know what your book club think.

[@sketchyloop951]

I'm from India and I developed a reading habit by reading my father's library of old Hindi classic novels of Premchand, Mannu Bhandari, Shrilal Shukla, Renu, Mohan Rakesh etc. Now I've read some english classics like Frankenstein, Treasure Island, Invisible man, She, Mayor of casterbridge etc. I know I'm not an expert reader, but trust me I'm enjoying my life much better after reading and appreciating classic novels.I feel like I'm one of the characters of the story, which I can never feel in movies/series.

[@Svensk7119]

You are a better man (human) than I am, sir (ma'am?)! Being able to read classics in TWO tongues! I bow to the better linguist!

[@sketchyloop951]

@@Svensk7119 yeah I think is far better to read works in multiple language (in my case two). I get a glimpse of both the fictional worlds simultaneously! 🙂

[@Svensk7119]

@@sketchyloop951 Well, I have read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in two... not quite sure if that improves mine understanding of the work... Haven't finished reading The Hobbit in Spanish. That is a bit intense. (I do it as a tool to improve my Spanish.)

[@Moriahg]

I just wanted to say thank you. I love listening to you for many reasons. One is your enthusiasm. My family and friends don't understand how I can get worked up and excited about classics, but seeing you love them so much makes me feel like I belong in a strange way. Another reason is you explain complex ideas so well that I feel smart listening to you. I feel like I really understand what you're talking about. Anyway sorry if this comment doesn't make much sense. What I mean to say is I love your channel and you're making my reading life better. Thank you!

[@LuvLuke954]

I read the first book at 28 yrs old. My 8 yr old niece was on book two and when I asked what she was reading she gave me book one. I was hooked. Btw I’m an avid classic book reader, in Tristan’s book club and a few more based on classic books. I love these books. I knew reading them that kids would love them and the fact that generations of all ages have loved them and have already passed them on to their kids (I gave mine to my niece and she has a first edition set for her first born already) to me, says that we are always craving books organically. The pendulum will always swing but we will always return to the stories from our childhoods and pass them on to our children. I think that’s what will make HP a classic. To me HP does in 7 novels what Tolkien did in one - The Hobbit. Not the same caliber because speech was different, but the story grabs you and keeps your attention. ✌🏼

[@GetExercised]

Great topic and video! This makes so much sense. Another point about Harry Potter is that it became a mega-franchise of movies, theme parks, merchandise, and more. With that kind of promotion, of course they will be popular! Ditto 50 Shades, Hunger Games, etc. However Don Quixote, Moby Dick, Crime & Punishment and other classics didn't get this kind of promotional push. They are still read today because they are simply great. That being said, I wish some billionaire would make a classics theme park. 🙏😅

[@camilagrgicevic2890]

Yes but Harry Potter became a franchise because the books on their own captivated so many readers. They had something in them that made people love Harry's story, and that's what will make it survive (if the story is enough for future readers, ofc)

[@tljluvr]

A very interesting take. I also like that you have no issue with including genre works (i.e. Christie) under the Classics umbrella.

[@debcarroll8192]

Thank you for this wonderful video! As a retired teacher of literature, I consider myself to be one of the "passionate few," and this topic certainly resonated with me.

[@GKSThailandVlog]

I would love to see a video on 10 authors for beginner in classics literature. Thank you for creating free video for bookish reader.

[@Roderic07]

That is what I like about you You always explains things from questions I have, but have no idea how to put in words

[@daphnevandervalk273]

I recently read Phantastes by George MacDonald, because C.S. Lewis praised it in Surprised by Joy. I was blown away, and am saddened that it seems to be mostly forgotten. It is the original fantasy story that inspired both Lewis and Tolkein.

[@mandyc1280]

I too read Phantastes because of what Lewis said it did for him. I had read a couple other of George McDonald's books but hadn't heard of that one. I loved it and could see why it affected him so much.

[@LuvLuke954]

Thank you! On my TBR now 😊

[@ritahenderson6771]

Thank you for sharing. ❤ I ordered the book and really look forward to it! 🙋🏻‍♀️🥰

[@subjectiveexperiences1072]

The annoying anthropologist in me who misses college now wants to read a bunch of academic papers arguing about that idea and pointing out that taste is refined in arenas of culture and power, etc. Which I'm not bringing up to be annoying, but because you made me think and I absolutely ADORE your videos. Thank you! I'm becoming a big fan. You always present such interesting ideas and give me a lot to think about. Edit: You also sort of touched on these debates towards the end as well. Great video!

[@subjectiveexperiences1072]

I know your channel is dedicated to classics- and that's why I love it. =) But occasionally, I would love it if you mentioned contemporary books you're reading, because I'm curious what you, with your more academically refined taste, enjoy. I'm always curious whether you keep up at all with what's coming out now and your thoughts.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

That would make for a nice change. I'll see what I can do. 😀

[@subjectiveexperiences1072]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Yay! =)

[@annminton5833]

Harry Potter is Already a Classic!! And people of all ages (not just children) will still be reading Harry Potter 100 years from now.

[@Michajeru]

I am an ardent viewer of your channel because I really enjoy your presentations and I learn so much from you.

[@Kite562bookishreviews]

I will keep on encouraging people to give Bram Stokers Dracula a read even until I'm old and grey. As for Harry Potter I feel as well with time it'll get it's revognition as a classic a long with many others (King,Stine, Sanderson, Rice) I could go on. However, I will say the Harry Potter series is a great starting point to becoming a passionate reader. Not every book is everyones cup of tea but that's okay. I love horror and I'm absolutely enjoying classic works like Shakespeare since I know how to approach his works. 🙂📚❤️

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

That's the spirit. Passionate about a book! I think it is a very fine thing to have portal books that get people into reading. Then, constant reading develops taste.

[@susankight544]

I’ve loved Dracula since I read it in my teens 45 years ago!

[@Kite562bookishreviews]

@@susankight544 oh wow that's amazing! I just read the novel a few months ago. Quite enjoyable. 🙂

[@Old_Scot]

Agatha Christie is a weird one for me. I read her books as a child. I was a teenager when she died, and the literary world was not mourning the loss of one of the greats! Even in school, we were not encouraged to read her books. She was popular in libraries - though not as popular as Catherine Cookson or Robert Ludlum, in my experience! It was a surprise to me to stumble onto "booktube" in the past year or so and discover she is now considered a "classic" author by some. (I think that's mostly based on the fact that her books are "old". Personally, I think her early works were innovative, and I can understand why she was so popular. I recently re-read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and it still holds up. However, most of her post WWII output was really mechanical in its plotting, full of snobbery, judgementalism about "the youth" and the working class, and that was what she was judged on when she died. It's now a century since her first works were published, and it's only now she can begin to be judged for future "classic" status. Maybe she was just too productive? It's also interesting to read contemporaneous reviews of Charles Dickens' works, because he seems to have been sneered at as well!

[@rishabhaniket1952]

In literature, massive success is always frowned upon. Envy and elitism often lead to downgrading an author who outsold everything except maybe the Bible. The fact that movie studios are still spending millions on her works, even casual readers know her name and you can find a Christie novel even in an obscure place in a small country tell us that she had risen above critics and institutions.

[@Old_Scot]

@@rishabhaniket1952 That's a fair point, especially when it's a woman who doesn't know her place! But I'll still avoid the post-WWII books.

[@MB-hc9tk]

Thanks for being one of the passionate few and introducing me to some books I’ve really enjoyed and intend to enjoy in the future Tristan ❤

[@MissMo33]

I really appreciate your take on that somewhat controversial topic for neither being elitist nor unreflected or uncritical. I'm sure I'll bring your video up the next time I have this conversation. When you mentioned the British author who has now been forgotten I immediately thought of the Norwegian authors Björnstjerne Björnson who even received the Nobel Price for Literature and is kind of forgotten today and Henrik Ibsen who lived during the same time, was less famous then but his plays are still put on stage today. Greetings from Germany (and sorry for the probably weird sentences haha)

[@lowman621]

Great video Tristan. I'm glad to see you return to this topic and explore it from a different angle. I still occasionally re-watch your original video on this important discussion, "what makes a classic." The author you discussed made me think of Robert Keable's book, Simon Called Peter (a novel mentioned in The Great Gatsby) and why it lost such a footing after being so widely read in its time. Anyway, thanks again for revisiting a very thought-provoking question.

[@pwcinla]

I realized this very thing many years ago when stumbling across a list of the best selling books by year in the US. Go back to the 40s and 50s and you’ll be hard pressed to find a #1 best seller you’ve heard of. Top sellers from the 70s are more familiar but really, is anyone reading Arthur Hailey or James A. Michener nowadays? The other factor is that when a novel (like Harry Potter) is such a blockbuster, it prompts so many copycat books that after a while, the public gets so sick of the genre that they reject all of it, even the OG. Right now it feels like Harry Potter may endure as well as Roald Dahl, but-yes-only time will tell.

[@SevenUnwokenDreams]

I love that about the passionate few. I read Harry Potter as a young adult and I didn't find it well written. It seemed like a first book that hadn't had a great editor working with the author. In fact it was full of plot holes.

[@johnford6967]

When l was a teenager l read ".A Gentleman of France" by Stanley Weyman. a historical romantic novel of 17th Century France.loved it still do! Of course went to read his other novels but it still erks me that no one hardly, if ever,brings him up on podcasts today.Is this what you are talking about ? Your podcasts, by the way are a joy to watch. Keep up the good work.Now77 still like my historical romantic novels!

[@mistynight123]

I'm so pleased that I found this channel. Keep up the great videos. Amy, County Durham.

[@Roderic07]

first of all ...my condolances to you too...the passing of Jennifer must be hard R.I.P i guess that classics are also made by the public themselves...the passing on to future generations, keep reading them...i never read any Harry Potter books haha...but i think they are books that you can keep reading because it appeals to many so i think in 100 years HP will still be around...all those major classics have topics that appeal to many ( same with tv shows,,,many look at them because they identify with the characters)

[@ForbiddenDerivative]

Hi Tristan, great video! I remember reading Bennet's segment on this issue in his book "Literary Taste: How to form it", which I assume you're referring to. It was the book that changed how I perceived literature in general, and gave me insights that I have not found in any other books since. I particularly liked his sections on Charles Lamb, and his guide to poetry. A few hundred books later, and I'm still refining that literary taste, one that I would consider a worthwhile lifelong endeavour.

[@rociomiranda5684]

Treasure Island is not only about pirates and treasures. I quote Spanish philosopher Fernando Savater: "It is about the first and decisive moral dilemma" in the growing boy Jim Hawkins. It is about a boy who has just lost his father deciding between alternative father figures. It is about moral ambiguity since the "good guys" are after treasures that they have no right to, and since the most splendid and unforgettable figure is Long John Silver, who is allowed to escape and even take part of the treasure at the end. An adventure novel in which the villain doesn't get his comeuppance gives you food for thought. Plus, Stevenson is a master storyteller and defined the pirate genre forever.

[@pattube]

Another excellent book related to the topic of what makes a classic a classic, though it's not only about this but so much more as well, is An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis. 😊 Lewis famously wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, which are themselves classics in children's literature, and the devilishly witty and satirical Screwtape Letters, and he was the predominant encourager of friend and colleague J.R.R. Tolkien in writing The Hobbit as well as The Lord of the Rings, but Lewis was also a fine literary scholar at Oxford University and later professor and chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University (e.g. The Allegory of Love, Selected Literary Essays, The Oxford Handbook of English Literature in the 16th Century, Cambridge Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature). And, of course, Lewis was an insatiable reader (and, just as importantly, re-reader) and lover of literature. I highly recommend his An Experiment in Criticism. It brims with insight and love of reading.

[@TheNutmegStitcher]

This is a fresh perspective. I've never heard this argument, but it resonates.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Bennett's reasoning is remarkably simple, isn't it. It almost makes one wonder why one didn't see it before. Frequently a mark of truths.

[@lenoraberendt750]

Another great discussion, Tristan. You always leave me with something to reflect on! And I’ve added many new titles to my ‘to read’ list thanks to your suggestions. Many thanks and best wishes from Chicago. 📚

[@hpfanify]

Wow... amazing explanation... Thanks Tristan... Love from India ♥️ i watch your videos regularly

[@porlipop]

Thanks Tristan for the insightful video. I think it's exciting to think about which contemporary works will become classics over time.

[@JJDSports2012]

Excellent work. And a great channel I’m happy I came across. You’ve inspired me to get back to my classics, even at my advancing age. Thanks!

[@KalliBella1]

Hello! I'm a new subscriber. I enjoy your videos very much. Funny coincidence that you are talking about the "classics" because just a few days ago I was commenting to my husband that since I am getting older, I would prefer to choose reading material much more carefully than when I was younger. I still have many years, decades Lord willing, to enjoy, but I feel there is so much out there clamoring for our attention, and lamentably not everything is worth the effort and time. I tend to stay away from much of what causes a sudden buzz in the culture. My hunch has paid off so many times. I have chosen several books I would like to read this year and looking at it I would have to say that out of 12 titles, only 2 have been written in the last 3 to 5 years (both about history, one by Tom Holland and the other by the Spaniard Cesar Vidal. I read in both English and Spanish). My plan going forward is to re-read some of the Classics, read some for the first time and enjoy that journey.

[@patsmith9192]

What a wonderful explanation. Immediately clicked-yes that’s exactly it!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Pleased you enjoyed it. 😀

[@unknownarmy9390]

I think it must be stated that the passionate few of the old times were extremely privileged, they had the education and the time to devote themselves to reading. However, the levels of education when Harry Potter was published was quite high. So here we see that onus of what is deemed a classic does not fall entirely on the passionate ones, the common public were reading it in the masses. I absolutely do think that the Harry Potter books are a classic.

[@kurtfox4944]

I would venture to say the privileges could afford the books, whereas the masses, even if they could read, did not have access to them. Now people can afford books, and if not, we do have public libraries, which wasn't around Long ago. But, here is where I disagree. What do you think the level of education is today? I recently saw a meme along the lines that, "In 100 years we went from teaching Greek and Latin in High School to teaching remedial English in college." Being able to read The Hunger Games or Twilight is a certain level of education, certainly better than total illiteracy, but is that a "quite high" education? How many of those readers would be able to understand Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Hesse, Joyce, Faulkner, etc?

[@someinteresting]

I'll be happy if Harry Potter becomes a Classic, it is an immensely enjoyable series written in a very good style with some profound messages in it.

[@nicholasblakiston6297]

Tristan, aren't you a part of the passionate few? How much pleasure did Harry Potter provide for you?

[@LC-wk7np]

As someone who's currency is dollars and who measures weight in pounds, I was wondering why in the world would anyone make a 200 pound bottle of wine!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

As someone who lives in binge-drinking Britain, I can see why 200lb bottles of wine would be made 🤣

[@LuvLuke954]

😂😂😂. I swear, it took me a minute as well. 😂

[@kurtfox4944]

Yeah, we call that a cask or vat or barrel of wine, but not a bottle. LOL

[@nedludd7622]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Maybe should have said "quid".

[@SteveTTTT]

I read the first Harry Potter. It was decent, not great. My thought is that the series took off because Harry is portrayed as such a sympathetic character that readers view him as a likable underdog.

[@938quilt]

Totally unrelated but I like that picture behind you and love that cabinet 🥰 As for classics I’d say I’m an avid reader but only recently became interested in class.. reading was always escape and pleasure and for the longest time s happy ever after was absolutely required! It’s a wonder I kept a love for reading as my years in school were forced reading of books where animals were killed or died, endless suicides and murders with Shakespeare and graduating in 1985 meant 1984, animal farm, lord of the flies. I think I was too protected and sheltered to really appreciate what I was reading. As for G Harry Potter, I read the first book and overall I liked it but right away it seems the movies hit and I watched 2. After that I’ve had little interest as I can’t unsee the characters. I personally think it stretched out too far to be classic as far as a book. As movies maybe. I saw Star Wars the original 3 and those are forever classics as movies to me but not as books. 🤷‍♀️

[@margaretdownie4407]

Fantastic, really enjoyed this 👌👏👏👏👏💜

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I'm so pleased. Thank you for taking the time to comment and be so encouraging. 😊🙏

[@rogerevans9666]

Analogous to William Black is the composer Joachim Raff. In the 1850's, an educated German-speaking person would say the three greatest living German-speaking composers were Brahms, Wagner, and Joachim Raff. Even Bernard Herrmann, who wrote much of the music for Hitchcock's films, thought Raff was a neglected genius. Bertel Thorvaldsen was considered the greatest living sculptor in the early 1800's, and a whole museum in Copenhagen is devoted just to his works. A painting by a contemporary of Thorvaldsen returning to Denmark shows a large enthusiastic crowd on the docks. In Rembrandt's lifetime, Gerard van Honthorst was considered the greatest Dutch master. Rembrandt never got a royal commission as Honthorst did. Thank you for your attention. I enjoy your videos.

[@tommonk7651]

Tristan, what books in the last say 50 years would you contend will be considered classics in the future?

[@kurtfox4944]

He answered that... "to guess those books would be a fool's errand"

[@tommonk7651]

@@kurtfox4944 And I'm asking Tristan's opinion. I imagine he has an opinion....

[@kathleencraine7335]

To paraphrase Shakespeare: "We few, we passionate few"....😊 Tristan, can you provide the source (book, essay, etc.) of Arnold Bennett's definition of a classic? I would like to read the original.

[@Mariak82]

Great Video. ❤📚

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

I read well over 100 books a years and increasing. I think taste is a developed thing. You have to read the great works to set a standard, to set a benchmark. I did't read many children's books as child as I learnt to read at 3 and precociously thought many children's books were babyish. Fortunately, my grandfather gave me Treasure Island and the Jungle Books. These are classics and bear rereading. I was induced to read Harry Potter by my granddaughter, a fan. I enjoyed them, mainly because of our discussions of them. However, they are very derivative of 1950s school stories plus magic. I think in addition to taste, I think if you can reread a book, see more in it for several rereads, it is a classic. So I think depth is part what of attracts passionate, tasteful readers.

[@peggymccright1220]

Another great discussion! It makes me think of the books I’ve read lately. All the Light We Cannot See, The Paris Library, Counting by Sevens… Question, can a nonfiction book be a classic? Origin of Species? Thanks for all your work creating these wonderful videos.

[@duffypratt]

Of course non-fiction can. The modern term for classics is an extension of Classical studies - the Greeks and Romans. This includes Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Augustine, Marcus Aurelius, Caesar, Cicero etc…. I don’t think people would exclude Origin of Species, or Walden by Thoreau, or Democracy in America by Tocqueville, or The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, or Boswell’s Life of Johnson ❤and many, many others that are still in print and still read

[@LuvLuke954]

I LOVE All the Light We Cannot See!! I’m so excited because I’d first read it in kindle - not my favorite bc I work in data and need an actual book to truly enjoy my reading- BUT! Yesterday I found a perfect brand new edition at a non-profit store for $2!! I’m so excited to reread it!! I love when ppl mention it. It’s one of my favorites. 😁

[@gaildoughty6799]

Very well -done video essay, Tristan. I love Christie’s mysteries, and they are certainly classics of their genre-just like Treasure Island and The Three Musketeers. Lots of fun to read, and reread over the years, but not deep explorations of human character. I love Hardy, but just cannot abide Don Quixote. That doesn’t mean I can’t recognize the quality and literary influence of DQ. This was interesting and thought-provoking.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

You are so right. No-one will agree on everything. 😀

[@paulhammond6978]

There's something about Agatha Christie that makes it last, though. I feel like her books and characters are maybe on a level with a character like Sherlock Holmes.

[@gaildoughty6799]

@@paulhammond6978Her books have been extremely influential. And she has those two perfect novels: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder in the Orient Express. Completely opposite (I’m sure you know what I mean) but totally unique plots. I’ve never tired of her books; I started reading them when I was about 11 and still enjoy rereads every few years at…gasp…75.

[@annamattos8627]

I would add "And Then There Were None" to "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" and "Murder on the Orient Express", if I had to pick three perfect books by Agatha Christie.

[@janeylfoster6197]

Great, as always ❤

[@malcolmhays2726]

Very interesting insights! Thanks for sharing them. I will definitely be sharing this video with some other folks I know who love reading as much as I do. One criteria that I use for establishing a "personal classic" is whether or not I enjoy the book AGAIN when I've re-read it many years later. Does it give me the same enjoyable reading experience that I had when I was a much younger, more inexperienced reader? Do I gain MORE enjoyment now that I'm an older--and presumably wiser--person with more life experience? If so, then I would categorize that book with "classic potential." A great example is Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain." I loved these books when I was a child. I reread them as an adult and was just blown away by how well they held up. I viewed the characters differently, but I enjoyed the rereading experience immensely and would happily recommend them as great children's fantasy literature.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

You make an excellent point, and one which I meant to make in the video. The passionate few will enjoy books that they have read before just as much. That's because their taste is established and what is satisfying remains satisfying. Like good chefs will always enjoy well cooked food.

[@polyglotreading]

Hi Tristan, thanks a lot, I think this is the most profound discussion of this topic that I have seen on booktube so far. I very much like the definition and approach by Bennet. OK - admittedly it also tickles a little bit the vanity of us connoisseurs of classics. Who doesn't like to be told to be part of 'the lucky few' who have a developed taste... ;-)

[@jodydiou]

Very interesting. Thanks

[@Sherlika_Gregori]

This video is phenomenal!

[@Ygnez]

My first thought was: of course it will become a classic, but then I rememebered that I'm hugely biased because I grew up in the 90's and was in the same year as Harry in some book(s). I wonder how popular the series will be in 50 years or so!

[@reaganwiles_art]

Good stuff

[@captainchaoscow]

A very good explanation!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you. I appreciate that. 🙏

[@andreluissoriano]

This is just correct. Thanks!

[@joannemoore3976]

What was so successful about Harry Potter was that initially Harry and each book grew up with his audience. That obviously can't be replicated. However I read them as an adult and I think they will endure. They capture the transition from childhood to adulthood so well. The characters are great. The world building is fantastic and they are also really funny. I also think they do have plenty to say about the human condition, there are some very deep themes of courage, hope, love and redemption in them.

[@Old_Scot]

As someone whose son was born in the 1990s, I totally agree with your point about growing with the audience!

[@paulhammond6978]

They are fun books. I don't know if they have the staying power of, for example, the Narnia series or most of Roald Dahl's books.

[@Old_Scot]

@@paulhammond6978 Oh, we'll never know that. If booktube exists in a century, people then will be in a position to decide if Harry Potter is a classic series. One thing is true: she got young boys reading, and the explosion in publishing of childrens' literature that has followed was down to those books. IMHO!

[@theloveoflifepodcast1162]

“We few… we passionate few.”

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

🤣🤣🤣 Perfect

[@charliecho5392]

This is quite insightful of a video tristan 😅. Would you say this holds true also for non fiction classics?

[@meropale]

I am not a Harry Potter fan. I've read the first book but did not love it and did not feel any urge to move on to the next books. I wouldn't be surprised if the HP books became classics but I'd probably find it disappointing.

[@margaretinsydney3856]

Yes, I agree, but I read it as an adult. Maybe I'd have been swept up in it if I'd been about 10. I'm truly puzzled by grown-ups, especially those without children, who love it. I don't think the world will be able to judge the HP books until all the hype is forgotten.

[@kerim.peardon5551]

I read them as an adult, after my college professors and adult coworkers praised them. After I met my husband, he read them on my recommendation and liked them as well. As the story progresses, the language and character action matures (and the tone grows darker). The first book is supposed to be read by children around Harry's age, and then they grew up along with Harry as the books came out, until they were young adults. Rowling didn't just write something that was a fun adventure story. With her frequent use of Latin and mythology and the hero's journey, she's clearly an educated woman, and she uses that to give hints and foreshadow, if you're in the know. I think that's why adults can read it and find it intriguing in a different way than children. In the later books, there's also a lot about death and dying that may pass over a child's head, but will give an adult something to ponder. Or Umbridge, who was evil, but seemingly on the side of good. (An example of extremes being on both ends of the spectrum.) Plus, it's the classic archetype of good versus evil. Humans of all ages have always liked good guy versus bad guy stories.

[@SevenUnwokenDreams]

It didn't do it for me either. I persisted to book 2, but I didn't care to go past that. I found a lot of plot holes in the first book. I found that difficult to overlook as an adult reader. It has good element's like the hero's journey, and the archetypes, a sympathetic main character, etc but it is missing the thing that, for me, would make it an enduring work. It may possibly remain a classic amongst children, but I don't see future generations of adults liking it all that much, years from now when the hype has died down and the people who grew up as the books were being published are no longer around.

[@petergraff7214]

I habitually reread books "assigned" in school. I recommend this practice. Twenty and forty years later, do they stick to my soul, or does the gimmick or shock of revelation fade with the times. Of course, some classics are simply an exhultation of language or character. Some, however comedic, delve the deepest insecurities of society. Novels that forecast the future we approach remain timely. Some, particularly adventures, recall a comfortable, youthful naivete. Some, like Shirer's THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH, stimulate a deep tremble in the face of human folly that ignores its history. Its own Parent's and Grandparent''s witness cast off like last year's video game. Can you present a discussion of historical reporting/reflection that is given short shrift in our speedy modern lack of attention?

[@josepherbacher644]

Based on prose, why doesn't sir walter scott have over 20 novels on the classics list

[@dqan7372]

Bring Back William Black! "During his lifetime, Black's novels were immensely popular and were compared favourably with those of Anthony Trollope, though some critics complained that they put too much emphasis on hunting and fishing" - Wikipedia Cretins. 😉 If anything Pride and Prejudice needed more hunting and fishing.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@kurtfox4944]

Maybe _Pride and Prejudice and Zombies_ is for you? LOL

[@dqan7372]

Sure is! I blew through that quite quickly. My current 'straight' read through has been a trudge.

[@dqan7372]

Sure is! I blew through that quite quickly. My current 'straight' read through has been a trudge.

[@dianemacisaac4633]

Thank you for your very thoughtful videos . I really enjoy them. I had to supplement my children’s school reading, as their teachers discussed zero classics. My kids sometimes griped at our “reading” time and discussions. But later, when they were in college, they thanked me for insisting that they read more than the popular books. They were shocked at how many of their friends and classmates in college had never heard of most classics, knew nothing about the basic stories of the Bible, and had no idea of geography or history. This included students in a graduate level anthropology program! When I asked the head of the high school reading program why the faculty discussed not one classic and assigned horrible books about teen suicide, faking rape, and other awful topics, she said that no one could relate to the “outdated” classics, and that the assigned books reflected common teen experiences. When I asked her how many teens she knew who had faked rapes or committed suicide, she just laughed at me. So thank you for speaking the truth about how this popular drivel will fall away into the trash bin where it belongs, and classics will endure.

[@Summalogicae]

Nice bit of right-wing propaganda. If you read “classics” you’d know that they include what you called “awful topics”; namely, teen suicide, fake rape, etc; moreover, many of your beloved classics on initial publication & some for decades afterward , were considered what you referred to as “drivel” You do not trash books bc you fail to perceive them as classic. That is both arrogant & censorious

[@victoriabergesen6775]

Trying to define "classic" literature is a futile exercise. The "classics" of today include many books that were not appreciated during the authors' lifetimes. Some books that were "classics" fifty years ago are no longer read by many people. I am speaking as someone with literature degrees, certainly qualified as "one of the passionate few", although I do not like that term at all. There is no question that literature professors have influenced the markets, but since you brought up Harry Potter...It will certainly be a classic, because it was read by millions of children who loved it. They read it to and with their children and this will go on. These are not part of any literary elite, but consumers. We must never forget that publishing is a business and what continues in print becomes classic.

[@Calcprof]

Although I read all the books, often on the day that they were released, -- and greatly enjoyed them -- the prose style is dreadful. Really really bad. To the extent that I find re-reading difficult.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Which suggests that the passionate few of future generations will cast it aside.

[@cecilie...]

That's actually the reason why I prefer the German translations to the English originals. The prose is indeed a bit better imo, but maybe that is my nostalgia talking, who's to say.

[@davidannderson9796]

Tolkien has definitely become a classic then, because Tolkien definitely has his passionate few (and quite a lot of them, too!)

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Totally. 100%

[@mtnshelby7059]

I think what we consider the western canon classics seem to have an appeal to general accessibility as well as all the other goodies. At some level most people can read even the most challenging of the traditionally-defined classic novels. There are other works that equally deserve inclusion on those lists but they are such beasts to read.

[@pallasathena1555]

I think that Harry Potter is more of a reflection on the classics than an canonical classic in its own right. The hero’s journey literally takes him past Cerberus through the 7 levels of the underworld to face (basically) a ghost after all, not to mention the mystery structure reflecting a Currer Bell or Conan Doyle novel. It’s going to be a classic of children’s literature for sure and that ok.

[@dandelves]

the answer you provide is a rather simplistic one as there are no doubt popular novels written many decades ago that are not considered classics. Being popular does not necessarily make a book a classic.

[@susprime7018]

On this side of the pond, Theodore Dreiser and John O'Hara used to be hot stuff, but they have cooled. I do think they will stick. Placed some William Black on the wish list.😊

[@donovanmedieval]

I find it hard to believe that William Black was ever more famous than Clarence Buddington Kelland.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I've heard of Kelland, but not in any way familiar with him. Goes to show that same point though, I guess.

[@donovanmedieval]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5OTfqtvbsSIa7M

[@clarepotter7584]

I'm not convinced about the food critics, I think they tell everyone else they have refined taste. I'd put them into Room 101, it's all smoke and mirrors. 😂

[@paulmichaud3230]

True. There is video about Michelin Star critics and showing how the majority of them are French and their biases on a few types of cuisines, particularly French of course. I also heard about a very similar wine experiment where the taste testers were sommeliers, and they had the same results as Tristan describes in the video. Even the professionals were about 50% as to which wine was the more expensive.

[@nedludd7622]

"Harry Potter" isn't bad, but it is largely surpassed by Jonathan Stroud's "Bartemaeus" series. An amusing point in your presentation, "Some people worry that the classics are being gotten rid of and canceled." So as I have read, apparently British English is becoming more Americanized. Oh, I used the American spelling of "caneled". No problem, I looked it up on Cambridge and they couldn't decide. They used both versions in examples. Oh my, this is getting long. "Unless you have a totalitarian regime.." doesn't actually work either. Different Chinese governments from emperors through Mao have suppressed the Chinese classic "Jin Ping Mei", but it is still here. Might I say, one of the greatest novels ever written.

[@duffypratt]

Well, you knew I would weigh in on this. First, sommeliers are notoriously bad at telling expensive from cheap wine in scientifically conducted experiments. They have even given wildly different ratings during a tasting to the same wine from the same bottle. So, that may or may not be the best analogy. Similarly, professional violinists tend not to be able to distinguish a Stradivarius from a good modern violin. And so on. Refined taste quite often is simply BS. I could supply you links on either of those if you are interested. The only thing I think establishes a work of literature as a classic is that it remains in print for an extended period of time. Nassim Taleb cited a study which showed that if a book has been in print for X years, it has a 50% chance of being in print in another X years. What you are saying about the “few” is perhaps an explanation of why some books are classics. Academic tastes, which may or may not be passionate, may be another factor. What sticks within the academic canon tends to have lots more inertia than the more popular taste. The passionate few of active readers is probably not enough to sustain interest in The Fairy Queen, much less the skeptical works of Sextus Empiricus. But Academia sustains them. Then there is the sustaining influence of adaptations. I tend to believe that some people still read The Wizard of Oz because of the far superior movie. Even if I’m wrong about that, it’s clear that adaptations will increase and perhaps sustain interest in the original works. God knows I would never have read the dreadful The Graduate if not for the movie. And then there is the influence of our new technologies. I think what you call the passionate few is becoming Balkanized. Are you familiar with Michael K. Vaughn’s book tube channel. He’s passionate about pulp literature and adjacent stuff - Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, HP Lovecraft, Lord Dunsany, etc…. And there are a lot of people who share his enthusiasm. There’s probably the same sort of niche for the English drawing room mysteries (Christie, Sayers, etc…). We might think of these as classic adventure, classic mysteries, classic sci-fi. But that just shows that there are several meanings of the term classics. First, we have the true classics - works by the Greeks and Romans. Then there is the elitist idea of classics - the books that are so ‘good’ or “valuable’, and then there is the more inclusive and populist idea that I think is probably better - any book that’s remained in print for a sufficient, though arbitrary period of time.

[@BartelsBookshelf]

I think this is a very pragmatic contrasting viewpoint and puts into words exactly how I feel. Leaving the judgement of anything to some elite group of culture arbiters leads to... well, elitism. 🤣 I think it's dreadfully important to stay open-minded about things, be willing to accept a wider view of literature. Everything has its place, do you know what I mean? I never want to get to a place in my reading where I wholly reject contemporary vs. classics. And I love classics! Just not necessarily, as Martin Scorsese said once, the "culturally correct ones". And in turn, I also try to listen and not judge people for, perhaps, reading things that I wouldn't enjoy or see the value in. Maybe they really like something that will change my life, and I never would have heard of it otherwise because of my own biases. It's an uphill battle and I'm still working on it, admittedly, but I think it's important to at least try and approach art with a wide, wide berth. But it is immensely interesting to think about, and I appreciate having this video to facilitate the discussion. I'm rambling. 🤣 Books are great!

[@kurtfox4944]

I always think that to label a book a "Classic", one must first define what a Classic is. Even if you say, "it stands the test of time", on must define what "time" is. 30 years, 50 years, 100 years? Some people say before 1990 - well that 34 years ago... in 11 years, that'll be 45 years.... time advances, so I prefer to years how old the book is rather than a specific date (eg. 1900) Once you've define the term classic, you then choose books to put in it. They are, as Tristan says, ones that give enjoyment: whether felicity or intellectual wrangling, or what have you... and this is where it now becomes subjective. An opinion. But it is a collective opinion, a popularity contest, if you will. As you rightly indicated, even so-called professionals rate things wildly. Even tasting the same bottle of wine, after drinking 4 different ones in between might change a sommelier's perspective, just as a re-read of a favorite or non-favorite may change your ratings the second time around. Subjective upon every instance of sampling, which can change during history. The Graduate --- noted, and thanks for pushing that off the TBR pile for me. LOL! (Personally, I'd add The Godfather to that list - once you've seen the movie, no need for the book).

[@acf75]

I suspect you belong to that secret society, The Passionate Few. 😉 Greetings, from Argentina. ❤

[@ChristChickAutistic]

I've read probably several thousand books in my lifetime, many classics included, and I love the Harry Potter series. But then I'm not a snob.

[@ct8764]

I'm a snob and I like Harry Potter, too.

[@ChristChickAutistic]

@@ct8764 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@thaneknight]

I don't know if we can define a classic. The lord of the rings was met with mixed reviews, but it has something that all classics do. It endures.I think that's all anyone can say about art.

[@robertpatenaude]

But are classics better? It all depends on taste and those passionate few are often snobs. Be well, stay safe

[@rishabhaniket1952]

For people like me who read it as children when Pottermania was at its zenith, it will remain a classic. I am not sure that many serious book lovers or critics will feel the same. It's not like Alice in Wonderland (talking of young age group books) in terms of prose or inventiveness to stand the test of a classic. Any reader who has read classics and encounters HP as an adult will not be impressed a lot. To summarise, HP books are a phenomena of their time more than they are classics.

[@Yesica1993]

Interesting discussion. But I'm not sure I'd put it on "the passionate few" are the ones who create classics. People can and are passionate about any number of things. As you said, trends and tastes come and go. I think we must look at the book itself, whether it resonates with people through the ages because it says something universal about the human condition. Or because it brings some sort of joy/delight/comfort that is also universal. (As in children's books.) As for HP, I don't know. As you said, time will tell. I read the series as an adult. I certainly don't put the writing quality on the level of Tolkien. (It drives me nuts when people try to make such a comparison.) I enjoyed it at the time and as the years have gone on, I've come to appreciate it more and more. I think it has a lot to say about the power of friendship and family, about self sacrifice, and about overcoming your situation/struggles instead of always thinking of yourself as a victim. (Something very needed in today's insufferable, always offended, "everything is everybody else's fault" culture.)

[@Laocoon283]

If alice in wonderland is considered a classic then i feel like harry potter makes the list too.

[@johnford6967]

Oh! its a classic to me

[@nnjack9931]

Huh.. I guess the masochistic few must like Hardy.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

They don't agree on everything 🤣 Personally, I love Hardy.

[@kallen4981]

Love this video and discussion!! I just want to point out that all these full fledged adults claiming Harry Potter didn’t “do anything” for them…they are not and were never for you! They are children’s books and have always been children’s books. Adults read them and some liked them and some didn’t but they were never meant for adults. And what those books did for children’s literature can not be argued. I do think they will probably become children’s classics in the future among the likes of Enid Blyton, Laura Ingalls Wilder, LM Montgomery, CS Lewis, Astrid Lindgren, L Frank Baum, Madeleine L’Engle, ect.. Nobody compares their prose to Dickens or Tolstoy or Austen…because they were writing for children NOT adults. As someone who was exactly the age the Harry Potter books were written for and definitely grew up reading them as they came out on the day of their publication (usually in one sitting)…they were pretty wonderful. The fact that it’s more than 20 years later and the books are just as popular as they were when they came out (maybe more).. I don’t think they are going anywhere. There’s a huge difference (as there should be) in the caliber of writing you look for in an adult classic vs a children’s classic and for that reason I think they absolutely will become CHILDREN’S classics and deservedly so. :)

[@Logoslover]

“ Will the passionate few readers” ever consider Harry Potter a classic? I doubt it! The classics will never be lost.

[@bobgonzalez2282]

Tristan where can I mail you a copy of my book? A Flicker in the Water

[@77andsunny]

You’re a classic!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Awww shucks! You made me blush. 😊❤️

[@paulmichaud3230]

I judge books against the likes of Anna Karenina and East of Eden. So, basically everything get tossed directly into the trash. lol (Only partially joking)

[@janebaily3758]

Golly is that statistic really true?? Oh my goodness!!!

[@jessiemayfield6749]

I beg to differ, the reading girlies love Austen right along side the cheap modern romance novels. She’s just fun.

[@robertfranklin8704]

You make a lot of sense; however, fashion, subjectivity, and taste, or tastelessness, has much to with it. I have a poor opnion of Madame Bovary, and can't stand Sartre, but they are famous. And a Yeats fan, I consider T. S. Eliot over-rated. Cheers!

[@elainecameron5545]

I think it will be popular but not a classic.

[@igorgoliney9494]

When critics are no more ashamed.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Not saying that HP will be a classic. I personally doubt it will be. Just wanted to deal with a question that one often sees flying around.😀👍

[@igorgoliney9494]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Please, not Hewlett-Packard. But it's more general. Say, will To kill a Mocking Bird ever be classics?

[@susanstein6604]

Don't Classic books have to stand the test of time? We won't know if Harry Potter is a classic for several more decades.

[@bdwon]

Of course it won't be a classic! The first chapter of the first book certainly is, though! But it is slowly downhill from there! Overall, the series is repetitive. After the 3rd book or so it was boring, repetitive and formulaic. Obviously meant for children! Not a bad book series but not any more "classic" than Winnie The Pooh. People are already more interested in Star Wars, not HP

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I'm not going to say I disagree with you. 😉

[@bdwon]

litotes certainly is a classic figure of speech

[@gailcbull]

My personal take on "Will Harry become a classic?" is I really hope not. I was an adult when the first Harry Potter came out, and I tried to read it. Note the word "tried". The mean-spirited tone of the books was really unnerving for me. In the film, when Haggred gives Dudley a pig's tail, it's played for laughs. In the book, Rowling gives a description of how not only did Dudley have to have surgery to have the tail removed (when Haggred could've removed it painlessly but didn't), but Rowling treats us to the fact that Dudley's weight caused complications in the surgery. The 3 or so paragraphs that describe this are the closest I've ever come to reading a surgical torture scene in a children's book. That's the scene that made me stop reading, and I will never pick it back up.

[@LuvLuke954]

Not really sure what book you read but there’s no “torture surgery scene” regarding Dudley. And it was the quickest scene in the book. It last a half page, and lastly did you not read the slave labor and abuse these people had bestowed on Harry? I mean you can like and dislike whatever you want of course. I just never read any of what you described and I’ve read each of them 3-4 times. I hope they become classics. I hope more kids fall in love with reading and imagination as early as possible. 😊

[@gailcbull]

@@LuvLuke954 I fully understand that for a lot of people who love the Harry Potter books, the revenge fantasy Rowling indulges in against bullies and abusers is a feature, not a bug. But that doesn't make the books any less mean-spirited. Stories that indulge in getting revenge rather than resolution are bound to be mean-spirited.

[@robertfranklin8704]

I watched the films with my children, and enjoyed them. To think of the vast wealth Rowlings has made- how ridiculous!, She hasa fine imagination, and sympathy for young people, but as a writer, her talents are pretty average.

[@Zamet1]

No.