Not-so-Classic Classics - Page 6

MotherSister · 02-23-2005, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nausicaa:
MotherSister, do not, I repeat, do not bother reading Richardson unless you're a nascent masochist. He's horrible. Back when I was nerdy beyond redemption (not that I'm much better now ), I thought I would scale Clarissa, which I viewed as the Mount Everest of English novels because it was so damn long. Urgh. Worst. Mistake. Ever. The titular character is blah and Lovelace is one creepy dude (heart in a jar? Um. okay.) It's not bad if you want to look at it for literary technique, since it's a pretty good example of a polyphonic epistolary narrative, and almost an ur-psychological novel. But the story itself? Teh Suck.

Yeah. Guess who really, really didn't like it.

I've heard that before about Richardson! I don't know if I'll attempt either Clarissa or Pamela, because I've never heard much good about either. But SCG is *supposed* to be different, or so a very zealous prof once told me, lol. We'll see.

By the way, I liked the Odyssey so much more than the Iliad. All the adventures seem so much more exciting and dramatic! Both are wonderful though; I was assigned to read them a while ago, one in lit class, the other in Latin class, and I agree that discussing books in class can sometimes illuminate issues that I might not have thought about on my own. And if I'm being honest, I probably would've never picked up either book on my own, so.

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Lucy · 02-23-2005, 11:16 PM

I'll step up, half-heartedly, for "Pamela". I had to read it in college for an 18th century lit class, and it wasn't that bad. Then again, I found it so over-the-top that it was funny. Probably not how it was originally intended.

CCL · 02-24-2005, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucy

I'll step up, half-heartedly, for "Pamela". I had to read it in college for an 18th century lit class, and it wasn't that bad. Then again, I found it so over-the-top that it was funny. Probably not how it was originally intended.

Well it was funny because it was ludicrous.

Lucy, you might enjoy Shamela which is a contemporary send up of Pamela by Fielding. Usually they package it with his book Joseph Andrews (it is not very long). I wouldn't say buy it or anything but check it out in a bookstore or library.

Lucy · 02-24-2005, 10:35 AM

No worries, CCL, I read "Shamela" in that class too.

Also mildly amusing.

nausicaa · 02-24-2005, 09:55 PM

Oh, bother. Richardson must a requisite in most of these college English courses then. *shudders at the thought of a pre-1900 Brit Lit curriculum filled with such dead white male authors ending permanently and for all time my love of English literature*

Terry Southern's Candy is also overrated. It's not so much a "classic" classic, but even as a "pop"/cult classic it underwhelms. Maybe it seems all just a little too dated. Oh well. I used to love it. Without, you know, even getting the Candide references.

misscrispy · 02-24-2005, 10:46 PM

I became an English teacher because I love to read, but I did have teachers who totally turned me off Fitzgerald and Salinger. On the other hand, without a couple of great teachers, I never would have discovered Steinbeck, Eliot, Zora Neale Hurston, and Flannery O'Connor.

The great thing about teaching, though, is that I've had students who introduced me to some great books...Ender's Game, Dune, and Siddhartha come to mind--books I should have read if I hadn't been so busy reading Dickens in college!

02-23-2005, 11:16 PM	#52
Lucy Wonky snarkmistress Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Playing kickball for the beer Age: 34 Posts: 8,869	I'll step up, half-heartedly, for "Pamela". I had to read it in college for an 18th century lit class, and it wasn't that bad. Then again, I found it so over-the-top that it was funny. Probably not how it was originally intended. __________________ It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever. -- David St. Hubbins

02-24-2005, 10:35 AM	#54
Lucy Wonky snarkmistress Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Playing kickball for the beer Age: 34 Posts: 8,869	No worries, CCL, I read "Shamela" in that class too. Also mildly amusing. __________________ It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever. -- David St. Hubbins

02-24-2005, 09:55 PM	#55
nausicaa FORT Fogey Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Oz Age: 26 Posts: 1,238	Oh, bother. Richardson must a requisite in most of these college English courses then. shudders at the thought of a pre-1900 Brit Lit curriculum filled with such dead white male authors ending permanently and for all time my love of English literature Terry Southern's Candy is also overrated. It's not so much a "classic" classic, but even as a "pop"/cult classic it underwhelms. Maybe it seems all just a little too dated. Oh well. I used to love it. Without, you know, even getting the Candide references.

02-24-2005, 10:46 PM	#56
misscrispy FORT Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Des Moines Age: 42 Posts: 579	I became an English teacher because I love to read, but I did have teachers who totally turned me off Fitzgerald and Salinger. On the other hand, without a couple of great teachers, I never would have discovered Steinbeck, Eliot, Zora Neale Hurston, and Flannery O'Connor. The great thing about teaching, though, is that I've had students who introduced me to some great books...Ender's Game, Dune, and Siddhartha come to mind--books I should have read if I hadn't been so busy reading Dickens in college!