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]

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.