Why We Read Classics | Briana, Kim, & Shan

There's a reason why generations of high schoolers have been tasked with reading the classics. These books endure, not only because they're well-written, but because they help us better understand the human condition. The classics force us to think for ourselves; they encourage empathy and connect us to the struggles of those that came before us, struggles that may not be so different from the challenges we face in present day. The characters in classic literature are flawed, multi-dimensional, and sometimes contradictory, their stories make us feel something. So why do so many people resist these novels? Has the "required reading" element tainted the classics for generations of readers? In today's conversation, Briana, Kim, and Shan explore these questions and more, while also sharing their reasons for returning to these timeless tales. 

Book Recommendations 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 

Intro Music by nikitsan

Transcript

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Classics I Read

Briana: [00:00:00] Cheers. Welcome to Top Shelf with the librarians of Russell Library. I'm Brianna, joined by The Shan and Kim. 

Shannon: Hey. 

Briana: Thank you for joining us today. On Top Shelf, you'll hear about the compelling reads from the people who know books best. Our librarians will share titles that connect to a unique theme each episode.

Briana: We'll offer glimpses into what we're doing here at Russell Library, and hopefully spark inspiration to bring back to your community. We're very excited to turn the page with you. The focus of today's show is all about classic novels and why we read them. Many of us have had to read the classics in school, most likely when you were in high school.

Briana: All of us at this table were in school at different times, and likely read the same list of classics despite the difference in years between us all, 'cause I feel like the lists never change. We all kind of probably had to read the same thing. 

Shannon: Who read To Kill a [00:01:00] Mockingbird? 

Briana: Yeah. Raise your hand. There is a reason we're still being taught these books in school, and why people across all ages still add them to their TBR.

Briana: Generation after generation of readers have all been able to find something within a classic novel that has resonated with them well beyond the time that they first read it. These books definitely stick with us in a unique way that we don't always encounter with modern novels. We all have that one classic we read in school when we were, like, 17 that stuck with us now through our lives.

Briana: For me, this was Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, which are pretty dark classics, and I don't always gravitate towards dark things right now, so I guess I was going through it in high school. 

Shannon: You know, we're all moody and emotional. 

Briana: We're all moody. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. It's called hormones.

Shannon: Yes. You know? Puberty still. 

Briana: Yes. Mm-hmm. But I still would pick those up at any point in my life and just read them again and enjoy them, and probably get something different out of them every time. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Briana: And I feel like that's just something that [00:02:00] happens with classics. 

Shannon: Agreed. 

Briana: So I'm very excited to dive into classics and why we read them with both of you, and kind of see your thoughts on this topic.

Briana: So without further ado, let's get going. 

Shannon: Yeah. 

Briana: So why do you both read classics, and what makes a classic good? 

Shannon: I'll start. You know, when y- you were just saying it was that one classic that gets you in high school, and I thought to myself, I was 14 and reread Fahrenheit 451. 

Briana: Yes. I never read that. 

Shannon: Ray Bradbury, I suggest you just read him.

Shannon: Mm-hmm. Even, like, I love Dan- Dandelion Wine. 

Briana: Mm-hmm. 

Shannon: Um, The Illustrated Man. Ooh. And, like... And there was movie adaptations of some of these as well. Mm. I haven't read Something Wicked This Way Come, but Something Cool- Mm ... did you have a high school one that got you, where, like, yeah. 

Kim: Yeah, I have to say, it would probably be Heart of Darkness- Mm-hmm

Kim: by Joseph Conrad, because some of it was it's just, [00:03:00] it's blistering honesty. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: Mm-hmm. And then again, it had Apocalypse Now, which, um, I hadn't seen, but it inspired me to watch that too. 

Shannon: Yeah. 

Kim: And I think especially because, uh, you know, as a teenager, you know, you want the truth. Mm-hmm. You want to know what's going on.

Kim: underneath, I mean, a lot of, you know patriotic jingoism- Mm-hmm ... you know, the case of colonialism or, you know, or war even. So that's, that was part of the appeal to me, definitely. Mm-hmm. And, you know, I haven't, I haven't re-read, um, Heart of Darkness, but I, I feel like I could. 

Shannon: Yeah. I feel like I could. Well, it's short enough too, but it's heavy enough- Mm-hmm

Shannon: in that shortness- Yeah. Yeah, 

Kim: yeah ... 

Shannon: of what it is. 

Briana: Yeah. 

Shannon: But Kim, I like that you said truth, because I think that's why people read the classics. Yeah. It unveils some type of truth. How... What I really love about the classics, the so-called classics- ... I always like to put that. You said- 'Cause some aren't that good, but- No.

Briana: No, some are awful. 

Shannon: Some are [00:04:00] awful. Some 

Briana: are, some are bad. 

Shannon: But what I think is, like, a cohesive thing about them is that it really kind of delves into the human experience- Mm ... and it bears truth to a reality that you don't get sometimes with other books. You know, say you're doing your little fun beach read, and you're just kind of reading for pure entertainment.

Shannon: Not saying reading the classics aren't entertainment, 'cause they are entertainment to me. Mm-hmm. Some people may look at it like as schoolwork, but I see it as like, "Oh no, this is a commitment that I'm giving to something that's gonna have an everlasting effect on me-" Mm-hmm ... but it unveils, like, the truth of, like, humans.

Shannon: Mm-hmm. And I think that's why they are the classics the way they are, because they give this vulnerability to humans- Mm ... in a way that you don't normally see. 

Kim: Yeah, and they don't shy away from big topics. 

Shannon: No. Oh, they don't shy away from any darkness either. 

Kim: True. 

Briana: Mm-hmm. 

Shannon: So they- They go 

Briana: right on in there.

Shannon: [00:05:00] They- They exploit it in a way. 

Kim: Yeah, and I think because of those themes too, they endure, not just in a person's particular lifetime, but also through generations. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: Um, and to me, that's part of what makes a classic, is- Mm-hmm ... that, you know, people keep coming back to them, um, and finding different things.

Kim: Mm-hmm. It's like, yes, these themes, because they are, in many cases, universal- 

Shannon: Yeah ... 

Kim: um, keep coming back and it's like, yes, the, this person is articulating something about the human experience in a way that is, that keeps us coming back. 

Shannon: Yeah. It's poetic- 

Kim: Yeah ... 

Shannon: in its way. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Briana: So now that we know why you both read classics and what you kind of use to define a classic as good, based on that, what classics have you re-read, and if so, why?

Kim: Yeah. Well, so you know that I wanna talk about- ... Huckleberry Finn. I'm so 

Shannon: excited. I know. That's why I'm like, "Kim, do you wanna go?" 'Cause I haven't re-read any of the [00:06:00] classics. 

Briana: That's so interesting. 

Kim: Well- I'm not 

Shannon: that kind of girl. 

Briana: Oh. 

Kim: Interesting. 

Shannon: But I have ones I will re-read, I think, in the future. 

Kim: Yeah. One of the things that inspired me to re-read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was the publication of Jane's.

Shannon: Mm. 

Kim: And I am a big - I'm very interested- in books that tell classic stories from another character's point of view. Mm-hmm. Um, I think of Circe by Madeline Miller. Mm. So 

Briana: good. 

Kim: Oh, so good. Um, and the complexity she gives that character, which you don't necessarily get in The Odyssey. 

Briana: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: Um, so Mark Twain I knew would be interesting because, you know, James is an, is an important character in Huckleberry Finn, but he is told through a very specific lens.

Kim: And so when I was prompted by a summer reading challenge, uh, with RJ Julia, um, to read a classic, that was the one that I gravitated towards. And it was interesting 'cause, um, I did go to a library at first, so when I read the [00:07:00] prompt to read a classic, um, I went to the Meriden Public Library. They have a- Mm-hmm

Kim: classics book club. 

Shannon: I love that. Right? That's so cool. I know, 

Kim: yeah. And so they've reread The Count of Monte Cristo, Native Son, um, and Gone With the Wind. Mm-hmm. And The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was their June selection, and I was intrigued because, um, I, well, I asked the, the person who leads the book group why she chose it, and she said, "Well-" A lot of people don't realize that Mark Twain, um, actually wrote Huckleberry Finn in two parts.

Briana: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: So there was the first part that he wrote right after Reconstruction. Everybody was very, um, optimistic- Mm-hmm ... about the country coming back together and things, you know, being more equal- 

Briana: Mm-hmm ... 

Kim: um, among classes, among races, you know, just striving towards cohesion, and then he put it down. Um, there were...

Kim: He had some personal things going on in his life. His wife died, his favorite daughter died, and he didn't pick up the book [00:08:00] again for eight years. 

Briana: Wow. 

Kim: And by then, history had changed a lot. 

Briana: Yeah. 

Kim: And people were not feeling as optimistic about Reconstruction. There were a lot of problems, a lot of racial tensions that weren't being addressed, a lot of people being taken advantage of- Mm-hmm

Kim: in the aftermath of the Civil War, and so he didn't know what to do with the book in the second part. And so unfortunately, he kind of reverted back into the, "This is a, a boy's adventure story," um, and really undid some of the, the good writing that he did in the first part of the book. So I was interested to look at it through that lens- Mm-hmm

Kim: um, as well as read it as a precursor to James. Um, and you know, actually reading the two together, uh, made me not only appreciate what Percival, Percival Everett is doing in James, um, it also made me appreciate Huckleberry Finn even as a flawed classic. I, I think it's very compelling, and it has a lot [00:09:00] to say that's still relevant.

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: So, so one of the things that I like about James is it really does talk about the power of language, um, and in this case, James is telling his story in language that isn't filtered through, like, an exaggerated layer of regional dialect, which Mark Twain sort of made up. James strategically uses language to protect himself from white people who need to feel superior to him.

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: So that- You know, that regional dialect is exaggerated to protect himself, to protect his family, and to protect the people around him. Um, but when he is talking about his own story, um, he uses a more conventional form- 

Briana: Mm-hmm ... 

Kim: of the English language. And for me, it really helped, uh, remove a barrier- Mm-hmm

Kim: to him telling his story, and it really made me appreciate the power of language in a very, in a very specific sense. I mean, he, James is a writer, and he, he loves... He's very intentional with the way he uses language in his life, both [00:10:00] in e- his everyday life, but also as an artist, and I just thought that was really well done.

Kim: And it made me... Again, it removed a barrier to me being able to relate to his story. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: And then going back to Mark Twain's, um, "Huckleberry Finn," I also appreciated the way he uses language to talk about life on the Mississippi River. Yeah. You know, uh, it... I had forgotten that Huckleberry Finn is basically an abused child.

Briana: Mm-hmm. You 

Kim: know, he is, he is running away from his father because his father abuses him, and his life is probably in danger. Um, and so being out on the open water, um, having that freedom is expressed so beautifully by Mark Twain, and not in a fussy way. Um, he, he is very attuned to human dynamics, and he, he doesn't have a problem like- Being critical of them?

Shannon: No, Mark Twain is so good at that. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And the way he uses language, it's like I feel like he's very specific to each word and crafts each, each sentence [00:11:00] specifically. Mm-hmm. And 'cause he is like, he has that flair of comedy within his writing, but it's like- Yeah ... you know, it's just sarcasm. It's like dark humor.

Shannon: Mm. But with something like Huck Finn, it is present in it throughout- Mm ... but I did notice when you say the two parts, there is a significant dip- 

Kim: Yeah ... 

Shannon: within the novel- And- ... completely ... 

Kim: yeah, and you see that break in James, because there's a point where- Mm-hmm ... James, James' story and the way it re- resolves- Yeah

Kim: is very different than how it resolves in Huckleberry Finn. 

Shannon: Yep. 

Kim: Um, in Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer gets involved, and they do this kind of elaborate scheme to free him, and as I was reading it, first of all, it was just... It, it didn't go anywhere. It was just, you know, ridiculous plot on top of ridiculous plot on top- Mm-hmm

Kim: like, it just kept going on and on, and I thought, "This is really disrespectful," because James is captured at this point. 

Shannon: Yeah. 

Kim: The stakes for him are high- Yep ... and to turn it into a, a child's game is [00:12:00] really insulting- Mm ... and really undoes a lot of the commentary that he makes about, you know, Huck looking at Jim as a father figure, as a protector, as someone who is his equal, and, uh, and having Huck Finn say, "Well, I guess I'm a bad person and I'm never gonna fit into society 'cause I, I don't believe that James is a lesser person than me because- Yeah

Kim: he's Black." Um, so yeah, I mean, Mark Twain really undid some of the, the good work that he did in, in Huck Finn with that second part. 

Shannon: He probably, like... 'Cause this goes into the whole other part of classics, like why- Mm-hmm ... people read them. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: I love delving into the author. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: You know? And you write what you know.

Shannon: I think Stephen King said that, or, like, every other, like, writer- Somebody ... says that. Whatever. You know? We'll just give Stephen Kin- King the credit, sure. But you write what you know, so- When he's first writing this whole part in the beginning, and it's profound, it's the way you want it to be presented- Mm-hmm

Shannon: and then it goes through a slump, well, [00:13:00] Mark Twain was in a slump. Yeah. So maybe he didn't know how to reform the rest of it. 

Kim: Right. 

Shannon: But knowing all those things about him and then how it goes into the writing also makes reading the classic so much fun. Mm-hmm. Like, I love knowing that, um, Tolstoy's wife was editing his work.

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: Mm. And, like, you can see the flares of like, is this him or is this her? Mm. Right. You know? When you find that, it's like the stories of, like, Lady Chatterley's Lover, D.H. Lawrence, and, like, unveiling and like, they're like onions and you keep peeling back the layers- Yeah ... but it's also presented in their writing.

Shannon: Mm. So you delve into their writing with this knowledge and you're like, "Am I reading too far into this? Or is this because this happened in your life and this is why you're presenting the character this way?" Mm-hmm. Or they're doing these things, which make it really fun. 

Kim: Yeah. I agree. 

Shannon: But then on the other note, like, James will most likely be a modern classic, if not already- Yeah

Shannon: deemed. Like, when is it [00:14:00] deemed a classic? I don't know. I honestly have no 

Briana: idea. 

Shannon: So it's something to look up, 'cause I was thinking- Yeah ... I'm like, when does it go into the genre? When do we declare it, and how is it declared? 

Kim: Well, and that's an interesting point, 'cause I did read some, some articles about what, um, is considered a classic, and some, some of the definitions have to do with craftsmanship.

Shannon: Yeah. 

Kim: You know, it's, it- a classic is considered, you know, the best of its genre. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: A really good example of its genre. Um, some- but a lot of people also talk about endurance. Mm-hmm. So, you know, I don't know, can something from... I mean, something from 2017 might be very well-written, but I'm not sure it's, it's stood the test to become a classic, you know?

Shannon: That's, 'cause it, it needs that time for people to keep coming back to it- Mm-hmm ... to be like, "Oh, this is still, like, relevant today." Mm. Yep. But also, it's not even the relevance, it's like how this affects people. Mm. What is the impact that it still has on... [00:15:00] 'Cause like, East of Eden wasn't written that long ago, but on my Bookstagram pages, everyone's reading East of Eden.

Kim: Mm-hmm 

Shannon: There's the biblical thing with Cain and Abel. Mm-hmm. I don't think Steinbeck meant to do that, or maybe he was just saying he wasn't into it, but he did do it. Who knows? It's a f- family saga, and it goes through- Mm-hmm ... generations. Mm-hmm. And if people are still reading that today, and I read it, like, two years ago, phenomenal book.

Shannon: I highly recommend it, I'm just gonna say. I wasn't a big fan of Steinbeck in the beginning 'cause I thought he hated women. I've read some interesting articles that say that he didn't hate women as much as it may appear in his writing. Oh. And that you have to look at it through a different lens. 

Briana: Oh. 

Shannon: So- Interesting

Shannon: whatever. I think you can interpret however you want to interpret it. But, you know, the fact that 

Kim: there's that tension- 

Shannon: Yeah ... 

Kim: and that, again, it makes you want to investigate more. 

Shannon: Yeah. 

Kim: Like, okay, so what is his, his intent, but also what is the impact- 

Shannon: Exactly ... 

Kim: that he's having, um, with his books? I think that's interesting.

Shannon: Yeah. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: But so you re- you reread Huck [00:16:00] Finn. 

Kim: Mm-hmm. 

Shannon: I don't know if I could reread Huck Finn, but I, I have- 

Kim: I was dreading it. Yeah. But the language is really attainable. Um, it had- ... the pace of the plot is very good until it gets to the second part, and then it 

Shannon: just- 

Kim: And then it's- ... spins around ... 

Shannon: you're like, "What did you do?"

Kim: But I, as I was reading it, I read, read it and I listened to it, and I was just like, "This is really... This is good." I was, I was- I was, I got sucked in immediately. 

Shannon: That brings me back to the thing I wa- I remembered I wanted to say. I feel like sometimes people look at reading a classic as intimidating. It is not intimidating.

Shannon: Like you literally just said- Mm ... it is fr- like, you know what? I got right into it. Mm-hmm. I was able to do it, but we dread it, and why do we dread it? Because it's like homework? I don't know. 

Briana: Hmm. 

Shannon: But anyone can read classic literature. Mm. It's just you have to devote the time and the commitment- Mm-hmm

Shannon: because sometimes it needs a little bit more of the oomph than what you're giving it. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: You know? 

Kim: It definitely needs... I think classics tend to require more [00:17:00] concentration. 

Shannon: Yes, 100%. 

Kim: You know, it's not something that I'm gonna read, um, with the TV on, not that I do that a lot- No ... but you know what I mean.

Kim: Um- 

Shannon: But I, that's why I also like reading the classics- Yeah ... 'cause it does require the concentration because in a world where we're like bam, bam, so fast paced, run around, do this, it slows everything down, and maybe you did read- Okay ... like just only 20 pages and it took you 40 minutes, but you really read those 20 pages.

Shannon: Mm. You were really, like, in a, a completely different world, and I think that's why I go into a little bubble- 

Kim: Yeah ... 

Shannon: which I love. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: But sorry, Brianna, I don't re- I haven't reread, like, any books. I don't really- I'm- ... reread any 

Briana: books ... so I'm not typically a rereader, so the fact that I've reread Slaughterhouse-Five and The Heart of Darkness the amount of times I have is an outlier for me in my- Mm

Briana: reading style. But they've just stuck with me. Like, Slaughterhouse-Five is more of a comfort book at this point, which again, is very dark. 

Shannon: It's okay. 

Briana: But, like- 

Shannon: Love Kurt Vonnegut ... 

Briana: [00:18:00] reached for it in high school, reached for it in college, reached for it- Mm-hmm ... after college. Like- Mm ... I see it on my bookshelf and I'm like, "Oh yeah, it's time to go back and hang out with the aliens."

Shannon: Do you have a different experience each time, or is it like a sense of nostalgia? 

Briana: There's nostalgia, but there's also... It's kind of a new experience each time, 'cause sometimes- Mm-hmm ... I notice things I missed, because I'm reading it a little bit more intentionally knowing I've read this before, but maybe I can catch something else- 

Shannon: Mm

Briana: by reading this again. Mm-hmm. And I almost always do. 

Shannon: But as you mature, do you get anything else out of it? 'Cause that's what... I wanna go back and reread some books. Like- 

Briana: I feel like high school teaches you how you're supposed to- Comprehend ... learn these books and comprehend them. College does the same thing, but takes it a step deeper.

Briana: So I feel like when you're removed from that and you're reading it on your own, like- You ha- like, you're removed enough where you're reading it from a different perspective- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm ... in a way. Like, I read it, like the last time I read The Heart of Darkness was probably like 2018. [00:19:00] So we're almost in 2027.

Briana: Like, it's been- 

Shannon: Don't say that. 

Briana: I know. 

Shannon: 2017- So- Was five years ago. Two years ago. 

Briana: So if I read it now, it's not the same lens I would have had when I was like 20. 

Shannon: No. 

Briana: We've talked a lot about why we read the classics, why some of us like to reread them, but why do you both think that some readers decide not to read classics?

Kim: Oh, required reading- 

Briana: Yeah ... 

Kim: has ruined classics- It does ... for a lot of people. 

Briana: Which is so unfortunate. 

Kim: It really- It really is. So sad. Um, and I think sometimes, I mean, my sister-in-law is a public school teacher in the Chicago Public Schools, and she's fantastic because she's very intentional about what, um, what her students are reading, and she's not just going back to, "Okay, let's open up the canon and, like, read the same things that people- Mm-hmm

Kim: have always read." Um, now some of them probably aren't, uh, modern classics quite yet. Um, I always use the [00:20:00] example of World- she had her students read World War Z. 

Shannon: Yeah, it's crazy. 

Kim: Um, which, yeah, that's... But it's also, I mean, it's a book that has a, a lot of topics that people can latch onto. Um, it's definitely still resonating through, uh, society.

Kim: But I, I think that ke- uh, you know, having books like that in, um, a curriculum kind of makes people think about the classics differently- Mm-hmm ... also, because then you can see, oh, you know, this, I can see how this relates, maybe I can see how this relates, too. 

Shannon: Yeah. Yeah. No, homework has ruined it. 

Kim: Mm-hmm. 

Shannon: Yeah.

Shannon: Like, the idea that you have to, the required reading. And I think also length of books. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Briana: Mm-hmm. 

Shannon: And because it's a classic, people are intimidated by it because they think that- Yeah ... it's more complex than what it is, and it's not as complex as people think. 

Briana: I feel like when you delve into the 1800s, like early 1800s classics, it does get a little confusing, 'cause [00:21:00] sometimes I have no clue what the heck I'm...

Briana: Like, I took A Victorian Lit College and I did not know what I read the entire time, 'cause I was like, "What the heck are you guys even saying?" 

Shannon: Knew what Shakespeare... I remember- And Chaucer ... Chaucer. Yeah. Chaucer's- I love Chaucer. I love Chaucer. 

Briana: Chaucer's fun but confusing. 

Shannon: Oh, it's so confusing. It is. The only how I understood Shakespeare is, like, I would act it out.

Briana: Yeah. I read SparkNotes. 

Shannon: I was, but I would- That's what I would think. But that's a... SparkNotes are great. I did it too sometimes- Oh ... 'cause I'm like, "What the hell did I just read?" I think 

Briana: that's the only way I got through Macbeth. 

Shannon: Yeah. Oh, I love Macbeth. See, I was that weird family and, like, we would, like, act out Shakespeare- Oh

Shannon: as children. Don't ask. And so, like, we're not theatrical either. It was just kinda like a thing. Yeah. So... 

Kim: Well, and that's a good point. I mean, Shakespeare is technically, I mean, it's theater. It's meant to be- 

Shannon: Yeah ... 

Kim: but I also, like... 'Cause, you know, SparkNotes have their place because sometimes there are the issues of the plot.

Kim: Like- Mm-hmm ... what is actually happening, and then, you know, there, there are the questions of language. Yes. And, [00:22:00] you know, why, why is this constructed the way it is? And, you know, why are they using these particular words? And I think that's actually, you know, again, classics are kind of an entry point into different- societies, different subjects, different- Mm-hmm

Kim: um, different eras. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: Um, and so I think, you know, it's important to read them critically. It is important to say, "Well, why am I reading this? Why, why are we still reading this? Is this still relevant? And if it's not, why is it not?" Yeah. What, what is the thing that is putting us at a distance? 

Shannon: Is there a classic you don't like that you had to read, or you did read?

Briana: Great Expectations was the worst thing I've ever been forced to read in my life, and it made me wanna- You didn't like it? ... gouge my eyes out every time I looked at it. Have you read anything 

Shannon: else by Dickens? 

Kim: That's, 

Briana: I mean- No, because I hated Great Expectations so much, if I'm completely honest. I never looked at a Dickens again.

Shannon: Oh. 

Briana: I was like- 

Shannon: You should read my blog post I'm kidding 

Briana: You know- You're 

Shannon: like, "

Briana: Shan, I'm done" ... I thought about it, and I was like, "Charles Dickens, I [00:23:00] can't with you, bud." It's okay. I was like, "Miss Havisham, I don't care. You're rotting away, you're rotting in your house." 

Shannon: Literally rotting. 

Briana: Like why? 

Shannon: Literally. 

Briana: And I'm like, whatever his name is, Puck, Chip?

Kim: Pip. 

Briana: Pip. Pip. 

Shannon: Close. 

Briana: I was like, "Bro, I don't care about you at all." 

Kim: Dickens is tough, 'cause Dickens is definitely somebody that you can get lost in the language, 'cause he was paid per word. 

Briana: I think that was- Mm-hmm ... so I think that was part of it, too, 'cause I read it as a freshman in high school, and I got lost- Oh

Briana: almost the entire time, and I was like, "I don't care about this, and I'm confused." 

Shannon: Knew what? I read Dickens later in life, and I liked it- 

Briana: Mm ... 

Shannon: because I liked the words. 

Kim: Sure. 

Shannon: I love the words. I love, like who, um, Jude the Obscure. Why am I blanking on the author's name? Is that Tom 

Kim: Hardy? 

Shannon: Yes, I love Tom Har- Thomas Hardy.

Shannon: Yeah, 

Kim: Thomas Hardy. 

Shannon: Oh my God, his romantic language, it's so elaborate and unnecessary sometimes, but someone who actually is confusing to me but I always go back and read him is Faulkner. 'Cause my sister was like, "I loved The Light in August, but then I read, [00:24:00] like, As I Lay Dying." She's like, "Isn't it funny?"

Shannon: I was like, "No." She's like, "You don't get it? It's supposed to be funny." I'm like, "It's supposed to be funny?" She's like, "Yeah, just go reread it." I'm like, "I'm not rereading this right now." 

Kim: That's interesting. 

Shannon: I don't know. Is there one I hated? I hate To Kill a Mockingbird, I think 'cause we read it for, like, three months in school, so...

Shannon: And then we watched the movie, which I loved, with Gregory Peck. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: And then it just ruined it for me- ... but that's me. 

Kim: It's funny you say that because my niece, I asked my nieces what they are required to read these days, and my niece Lila said, "Oh, well, we read Frankenstein." And I said, "Oh, that's, that's really interesting."

Kim: Awesome. You know, and I started talking about Mary Shelley and how it was written, and she's like, "Yeah, we spent two months on it, and that was way too long." 

Shannon: Yeah, you can't do that to kids. 

Kim: You can kind of worry a- Mm-hmm ... a novel to death. 

Briana: Yeah. For sure. You could see why someone stopped after they were required to read it- 

Kim: Yeah

Briana: because there was so much time spent on it [00:25:00] that probably wasn't necessary. 

Kim: Yeah, yeah. 

Shannon: And I wonder why teachers are doing it, because they can't fill the time with another book, or they have to- I don't know ... accommodate everyone's different reading levels. 

Kim: Mm-hmm, 

Briana: yeah. That's a great question. 

Shannon: And if kids actually read the book.

Kim: Yeah. 

Briana: I hope they're reading the book. 

Kim: It's funny because I think a lot of people dislike the classics 'cause they're like, "Well, I know the story," and it's like, you know the story, but have you read it? 

Shannon: Exactly. '

Kim: Cause that is a different experience. Mm-hmm. Um, and sometimes, I mean, uh, I'll just be honest, I could not stand Ulysses by James Joyce.

Shannon: I couldn't get into it. Yeah. I'm gonna go back. I'm gonna go back. I gotta do it. 

Kim: And I think some of it has to do the, with the fact that so much of it was, uh, you know, references of its time. So I didn't have the context of Ireland- 

Shannon: Okay ... 

Kim: or Dublin during that time period. It was Dublin. So some of those, so some of the relationships that he was making through stream of consciousness, I was like, "I don't have an anchor in this at all."

Kim: It just seems like random words. 

Shannon: Yeah. 

Kim: Whereas if I had a better idea of the historical [00:26:00] context, I think I would've appreciated it more. 

Shannon: Do you like novels that are stream of consciousness, like Virginia Woolf? 

Kim: I do like Virginia Woolf. 

Shannon: Me too. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: It depends how stream of consciousness is actually accomplished- Mm

Shannon: because it could just be word vomit. 

Kim: It can. 

Shannon: Or it could actually be like a beautiful melody that's like- Mm ... orchestrated. Like, I know that sounds like crazy- Mm ... but it's a different level of reading. 

Kim: Mm-hmm. 

Shannon: You know? But going into it, you have that. But I did see the first edition of Ulysses, like, the first ever, ever, ever at the Museum of Literature in Dublin last year.

Kim: That's cool. 

Shannon: They had a whole floor dedicated to him. 

Kim: Yeah. Well- 

Shannon: To James Joyce ... 

Kim: a lot of people like James Joyce. You know, I'm glad they do. I, I cannot share that enthusiasm. 

Shannon: It's okay. I'll get through it one day. It was hard. 

Kim: Yeah, we did it in high school and I just- 

Shannon: Well, there you go. How long? A whole year for you, or was it a whole semester?

Kim: Yep, 

Shannon: Ulysses, 

Kim: geez. It was just... Yeah. 

Briana: I kind of thought [00:27:00] Ulysses was about the Ulysses S. Grant, the president. 

Shannon: No. That's the extent- That's 

Kim: disappointing. Yeah. 

Shannon: Mark Twain, that was like his two-volume, like, biography that, like, brought him so much into debt. 

Briana: Oh, boy. 

Shannon: Mm. Just to bring back Mark Twain. Connecticut, let's go.

Briana: Yay. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Briana: So do the both of you think reading classics helped make you a better reader? 

Kim: Uh, yeah, I do. I mean, I think in a practical sense, um, the classics have made me a better writer, a thinker, and a speaker. Um, it's a great way to improve... Like, it improved my vocabulary- Mm-hmm ... and my critical reading skills.

Kim: And I think you make a good point. In high school you are sort of taught how to approach a book, and there is something to, like, how do you, how do you dissect the way a book is structured? And again, language uses, usage. Why are we using... Why is the person using the words that they are? Are they aware that they're, they're doing it, or is it just part of, you know, who they are and where they are in society?

Kim: And, [00:28:00] um, it, I think it, it does, it did open my eyes to different cultures- Mm-hmm ... um, ways of thought- Yeah ... thinking about different time periods, um, and philosophies. So yeah, and, and I think too, like, one of the things about the classics is, like, if you read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, that's, that's the original enemies-to-lovers story.

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: You know? So you can kind of... You, you have that to kind of compare other enemies-to-lovers stories against, um, and why some are successful and, and why some may not be. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: So yeah. 

Shannon: Yeah. It's definitely has made me a better reader. Mm-hmm. I think reading different things, different genres in general, just kinda making yourself a diverse reader makes you a well-rounded reader.

Shannon: Yeah. Especially in the profession that we're in, to try and help the community and kinda, like, branch out as best we can, even if it might not be some of our favorite things, you know? But [00:29:00] to- read different. It may shock you, and I think with the classics it's, it's all those things. It does make you a better writer.

Shannon: Mm-hmm. It makes you more well-rounded as a person from like different cultures, different ways of human experience. To be able to pinpoint like that was the original enemies to lovers story, to then it shows up constantly, not only in the films we watch, in creation of different artistic things, um, into the other books that you read.

Shannon: Yeah. You can always kind of reference it back, 'cause the story was once told before- Mm ... and maybe it was just told a little bit differently, and maybe it was told in like Russia rather than South America. Mm-hmm. I'm just making stuff up. Yeah. But you know what I mean. They kinda are like the rock- 

Kim: Yeah ... 

Shannon: of the rest of what can happen for books and stories.

Shannon: Absolutely. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: And writers always kind of go back to it. Mm-hmm. You know? Like the more you [00:30:00] read, the better writer you'll be in my personal opinion- Mm ... because you're reading different forms of writing constantly, and different styles and how people do it. And my big thing, it's a learning experience.

Shannon: Yeah. And like, you know- 

Kim: Continuous 

Shannon: learning ... lifelong learner right here. You too. 

Briana: Yeah. 

Kim: Mm-hmm. 

Shannon: Um, because when I go in and I'm gonna go read something, I devote so much time to it, and I do research even before reading the book. Yeah. Like I plan on reading Vanity Fair later. 

Kim: Mm-hmm. 

Shannon: Am I doing actually any classic reads right now?

Shannon: No. I'm doing like my beach bum, having a good time, little romantic reads. But you, 

Kim: you are very, like you are kind of grounded in the classics. You're always reading something interesting. 

Shannon: I try. 

Kim: You know? Um- 

Shannon: But I like it, though. No, no, that's, that's- 'Cause it's like my fun-ness that I don't get- Mm ... 'cause I think 'cause I'm not in school anymore.

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: If I could be a forever student, I would love to, which probably would drive other people insane. But if I could like go to class every day, and like talk about stuff like this and discuss [00:31:00] like- Yeah ... oh, you're given homework to read this, and then go have a cool conversation. Yeah. And being able to converse about things of that manner, you know, you're connecting with people in a different way- Yeah

Shannon: and you're connecting with the people in these books, and you're connecting with the author. So you're forming all these cool different types of connections through the classics, which I love. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: Which I just love. 

Briana: It sounds like our listeners should pick up a classic and dive into that, whatever world they choose.

Shannon: Yeah. Whatever. 

Briana: So if either of you can recommend a classic, let's say to one of our listeners who was like, "Oh, I'm intrigued, like I wanna read one now," what would you recommend them to start with? 

Kim: Well, one thing- Oh. The 

Shannon: first thing I would say- What, what do they wanna do? There's so many different avenues to go 

Briana: down.

Briana: It's just- Well- Don't think too deeply into it. 

Shannon: I won't. 

Kim: Well, I mean, one thing I would, I, I would say go to your library and ask a librarian. 

Briana: Mm. 

Kim: But, you know, if you're going to delve into a classic, try to find a classic that relates to something you enjoy. 

Briana: Yeah. 

Shannon: Exactly. 

Kim: So I mean, [00:32:00] for like a science fiction reader, Slaughterhouse-Five- Yeah

Kim: is amazing. It's a great choice because it really, um, uses the genre in, um, a compelling way. Um, also Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. That is like the OG of a lot of- 

Shannon: Mm-hmm ... 

Kim: creature science fiction. Um- 

Shannon: Well, also look up Mary Shelley's background. Her story is crazy. It's crazy. And it really re- it foretold in the Frankenstein.

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: It plays out in Frankenstein- Yeah ... her story of her life. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: So, which I think is cool 

Kim: Yeah, and if, if you're a romance reader, I mean, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy- ... is devastating. 

Shannon: Don't even get me started. I wasn't even gonna put the Russians on there because you guys know how much I love them. 

Kim: You were, yes.

Shannon: Anna Karenina is one of my favorite... I think I've deemed it my favorite book of all time. I wanna go back and reread that book to see if I still love it as much as I love it. 

Kim: Okay. 

Shannon: I think- 

Kim: When did you read it originally? 

Shannon: I was working here. 

Kim: Okay. 

Shannon: I think it was like, I first [00:33:00] started, it was like, three or four years ago.

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: Yeah. And I loved it, and then I read War and Peace. 

Kim: Yeah. 

Shannon: And then I was like, "Anna Karenina is so much better." 

Kim: It's true. War, War and Peace is long, but it doesn't grapple with some of the sub- like, some of the deeper subjects- No ... that an Anna Karenina does. Um- 

Shannon: That's a commitment. 

Kim: It is. 

Shannon: Yeah. 

Kim: It is. But yeah, so I think if you wanna connect with a classic, like, be honest about the kinds of things you like and what you wanna get from a classic.

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Kim: Like, again, if you're a true crime reader, you have to read Truman Ca- Capote's In Cold Blood. Mm-hmm. That is the foundation of so many things that came after it. 

Shannon: It is amazing, that novel. It's, yeah. I can't even explain, like, the writing, and what Truman Capote does to the reader is you are so, you are questioning yourself.

Shannon: Like, "Who am I rooting for?" Even though- 

Kim: Yeah ... 

Shannon: they do something terrible, he, like, rips their identity bare, and, like, you feel bad for [00:34:00] the people who committed these murders. Mm-hmm. It's the craziest experience. You're like, "Oh my God." 

Kim: And from a, like, a, a somewhat journalistic perspective, it cer- it certainly teaches the lesson of not getting too close- 

Shannon: Mm-hmm

Kim: to your subject, because Truman Capote was kind of- He did ... famous for doing that, and it was kind of to his own detriment- 

Shannon: Mm-hmm ... 

Kim: even though it, it infront- it really, um, strengthened the piece- Yeah ... in a lot of ways. Um, so yeah. 

Shannon: There's many to choose from. I think ask your local librarian and kinda go through a reader advisor interview.

Shannon: Like, Ethan Frome, I don't know if everyone read that one in high school, but man, my mom and my sister told me how terrible it was, and my boyfriend, it's one of his favorite books. I have no idea why, but I read it, and I loved Ethan Frome. 

Kim: Hmm. 

Shannon: I really enjoyed it, and maybe it was because the person I love also loves it so much- Mm-hmm

Shannon: so maybe that was going into it 

Kim: Well, that's a, that's a good point too. I mean, you know, reading a book that somebody loves, um, [00:35:00] definitely tells you more 

Briana: But yeah, when in doubt, your li- we are librarians, we are all here to help give you those readers advisory interviews to get the classics in your hands that you will love.

Shannon: Yes. Yeah. 

Kim: Absolutely. And there was, there is a classic out there for you. You may not think it, but there is. 

Shannon: There is. 

Briana: Very, very true, and well said. Great conversation. I feel like I need to go pick up a classic I haven't read now because of what you both said, so- 

Shannon: I can help you with that ... 

Briana: very fun. Or can- Love that.

Briana: If you are local to Connecticut, particularly Middlesex County, stop by the Russell Library on Saturday, September 19th, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM for our third annual library card crawl. So this is a day that we all just come together and celebrate library cards, 'cause September is library card sign-up month, and all that you can get from having a library card.

Briana: So that day we're gonna have some really cool programs. We'll have a program all about possums. They're gonna have possums in the library. It's gonna be amazing. 

Shannon: Oh, fun. '

Briana: Cause they're so ugly, they're so cute. They're [00:36:00] so cute and ugly. They're s- they're amazing. And we're gonna have henna and glitter tattoos- Yes

Briana: a vendor fair with a mix of different, like, local businesses and, um, local groups, and even a touch-a-truck with our local fire department- Mm ... and a meet and greet with a very lovely black lab therapy dog- Yay ... who's very sweet. So it's a day that if you are local, like, come through, it's free. There's so many fun things.

Briana: There's prizes you can earn if you do a fun little scavenger hunt. But if you're not local, see what your local library's doing for library card sign-up month, 'cause they're almost always doing something to celebrate it. Um, so stop by your library and get a library card if you don't have one already, because you should.

Shannon: You should. Mm-hmm. 

Briana: It's time to close the book on today's episode. If you like what you've heard here, please subscribe to the show. This ensures that you won't miss any episodes. And if you have a moment, kindly rate and review the podcast. This helps other bookish people like yourself find the show. Tune in next time to find out what else is on the shelf.[00:37:00]

Briana: Bye-bye. Bye. 

Kim: Bye. Sorry, James Joyce.