Classics

[in_the_attic]

Hello!

I have a rather odd question: Does anyone else find reading classics easier to read than reading contemporary fiction, young-adult, or anything modern? I can relate to the characters better in a classics, the stories seem more realistic, and every time I try to read something new, I end up throwing the book away, especially young-adult books. The situations just don't seem real.

It'd be nice to know if anyone else is like this! :)

-In_the_Attic

Comments

[paceisthetrick]

YAY! Fellow LTROI fan :)

I LOVED the original movie (didn't see the American version). And that book is nothing short of brilliant.

[ex_bad_wolf566]

:-)

i passed on the American version as well. that's not to say that it couldn't have been a right good film but in my mind there was nothing that could have been done to the previous version that would have made it better. that movie was simply gorgeous.

[paceisthetrick]

THIS! I felt like the book and original movie were so well done. Why bother making a remake? I didn't understand the impetus.

But I felt that way about Dragon Tattoo as well. :)

[ex_bad_wolf566]

yes, and i wish filmmakers would take a moment to ask themselves "will this enhance the experience i've just had watching the foreign adaptation, and how?" perhaps we'd see less CHRIST WHYYYYYYYY? remade films on the market.

mhm, and the string of Japanese horrors like The Eye, The Ring, and The Grudge. perhaps it's because i'm not, but i don't understand the need to have an "American" version of something. i don't mean to sound rude (and apologies if i do), or to imply that all American versions are sub-par because USA's The Office and Being Human would slap me wrong, i just, truly, don't understand why it's become such a common occurrence.

[paceisthetrick]

See my gut response was, "Oh, look, they are dumbing it down for the teen population whom they think cannot comprehend anything." :)

I actually do think American versions are sub-par. Some things I get (and this will make you laugh!). For example, when I was watching the British Queer as Folk, I had to have the subtitles on! Sorrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Those accents are really hard to follow! So I am sympathetic when they say American audiences will have trouble with the accents and the slang.

But the fact that it was unacceptable that Eli was, in fact, a boy (castrated) who dressed as a girl -- which brings up the whole question of sexual identity and gender in vampires as Rice so brilliantly did -- really irked me. If we continue to tell teens that these things are "icky", we perpetuate the problem. I very openly discuss same-sex marriages with my students (one of them has two mommies) as well as bigotry and discrimination (hey, this IS Texas, where we still lynch people *heavy heavy sigh*).

I have found that by treating my students as intelligent people capable of intelligent thought, they have risen to the challenge.