Great Expectations. What comes to mind? Required reading list? Unnecessary exposure to a book that has no applicability to your life? Perhaps you see the face of your mother as she pushes the Barnes & Nobles remastered copy into you hands, reminding you that, “It’s a classic.”
I read the book because I wanted to know what Charles Dickens’ pen actually composed. I was sick of hearing summaries from old people, reading the abridged version, or sitting through the many movie versions. I chased down the images he physically created, and the world I entered was entirely mine and his. No one else had any influence on my experience with this book.
Just me and Chuck.
Books give you this freedom to merge into the mind of another person without any external interruption. Your imagination is unrestrained; the pictures in your head are your creations. The stimulus is not your making, of course, but few fantastic things have one father. Chuck and I worked together, and I would turn page after page, eagerly digesting the material he provided. Literary classics are obviously already reputed for their depth and worth, but sometimes you have to remind yourself that it is just a book like any other…yet so totally distinct from any other.
The next time you refrain from reading a book because of its reputation or because you think you already know the plot, let me remind you that nothing can replace the hours which you spend sitting alone in your room, face to face with someone you’ve never met, thoroughly immersed in his voice as it elicits a response from yours.
I’ve stolen bread and wine from the sister’s cupboard with Pip, sat next to a bitter and desolate Miss Havisham in a room of emptiness, and I've watched Estella tear hearts to pieces. I’ll never lose those moments. Thank you, Chuck. I appreciate the introduction.
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens.
Now tell me what comes to mind.
"Classic—a book people praise and don’t read." - Mark Twain
I really like that quote by Mark Twain! I thought this was a great length for a blog, a nice easy read. Much nicer than my post this week, it's so incredibly long!
ReplyDeleteI love the fact you call him chuck. Kinda makes me think of how when I read I feel like I am now personal friends with the writer because they are talking/writing for me and me only.
ReplyDeleteI like the quote too. Very true--so good job on picking up a classic! I'm assuming you liked it and would recommend it?
ReplyDeleteI understand exactly what you mean, or at leas think I do. I read Wuthering Heights my freshman year of HS for English class, and did not like it. Then, during my senior year, I forced myself to re-read it and found myself faced with an entirely different perspective of the characters. Heathcliff made more sense, and Catherine was suddenly paying for crimes she committed, rather than just being a horrible person. If I may make a suggestion for one of your next reads, The Three Musketeers. It's my favorite of all time, and would love to read your opinions.
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