Read classics? Maybe, maybe not

I’m looking for a new novel to read, and I decided to turn to my bookshelf.

This is crazy, because I usually go to the bookstore or library and read anything but books I already own.

One of the books on my shelf is Babbit by Sinclair Lewis.

I’ve never read this book before. But I probably originally bought it because, as one Goodreads reviewer, put it:

In the fall of 1920, Sinclair Lewis began a novel set in a fast-growing city with the heart and mind of a small town. For the center of his cutting satire of American business he created the bustling, shallow, and myopic George F. Babbitt, the epitome of middle-class mediocrity.

Generally, I like stories about middle-class mediocrity. It hits very close to home for me. Suburban, urban, rural ennui — I’ll take it. (I like Richard Ford! And John Updike! And Otessa Moshfegh!)

This is the edition that I have:

But the language and even the paragraph setup was a shock to my system.

This edition had small print. The paragraphs were lengthy.

It wasn’t anything like the book I had just finished, Tell Me I’m An Artist¹ by Chelsea Martin, which had spaced out paragraphs, lists, and even some graphics.

Babbit is a snapshot in time, even though its themes — striving, getting older, family problems — are relevant, and perhaps I’m just now entering the time for that.

Similarly, my wife brought home Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver the other day.

It’s a retelling of David Copperfield, the Dickens novel. And honestly? I know who Dickens is, but I don’t think I’ve read Dickens since high school. (And I have a master’s in English).

And I can’t tell you what David Copperfield is about. My head goes to the magician.

I re-read something about Nicholas Nickleby, which is also a Dickens novel. But what’s it about? Is it different than Oliver Twist or David Copperfield? Why do they all have names like that?

All of this presents more questions for me. I’ll try to share some answers, but I don’t know if I can:

1. Can I use classics to write something new? Yes.

When I dove into Babbit, I immediately tried to think of ways to rewrite it. I’m bad at coming up with new plot points, and I actually like copying older books to get my mind going on story points. Babbit is in the public domain, but is there any thirst out there for it? Probably not. But it can be jumping off point.

2. Are classics worth revisiting & re-reading? Some are.

In general, yes. (history, repeating, etc). Others are still valuable, others aren’t. I think that’s obvious. They surface new ideas, they help us remember, they improve our comprehension and break us from our mind molds (see notes above about Babbit).

But: It’s hard. The language, it is different. The times, they are different. The topics, they are different. What makes it valuable also makes it more difficult.

But which classics do we get exposed to? In my mind, it’s cyclical. Stoicism has taken off because Ryan Holiday decided to invest more time in it.

I’m sure we could have a Dickens revival if somebody really invested the time, much like in the same way the Hollywood complex and fiction rewrote the rules of Jane Austen.

3. How to read classics? Pre-read

A friend of mine read Moby Dick a few years ago, and absolutely was floored by it. I’ve never read it, I don’t feel ashamed about that.

If I was going to tackle a long book like that, I’d probably read the Cliffnotes or Wikipedia first. My mind will be prepared.

Because there is so much going on — different style of language, tone, plus story — it’s better to look for the plot points rather than discover them.

I’m not doing that with Babbit because it’s not as complex as Moby Dick, but I’m doing this in a way right now by re-reading the Bible. I have a book that summarizes the chapters of the Bible, and I usually read that before diving into the actual text — so I know what to look for.

Doing this isn’t cheating (you’re not in school), it will actually help you stick with it. That way, especially with a book that’s a great whale, you can let some of the text wash over you and not get completely lost.

Have you read a classic novel lately? Do you read a lot of classics? What was it? How did it go?

Comment below!

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Last Thing

I’d be remiss not to mention the events of my hometown, Nashville, TN.

The killings at the Covenant School happened while I was on a cruise. In some ways, that was a weird blessing because we weren’t glued to the news (no Internet). My wife and I are part of the same Christian denomination as that school, and had friends of friends who were directly impacted. One of our good friends is a teacher there, the ties go deeper in our community of friends.

If you’d like to donate or support the Covenant School, this is a vetted donation site.

Beyond the political, there’s still a lot of healing for that community and the continuation of education for the students. Thank you and happy Easter.

Last Last Thing

• “Whatever the misery, he could not regain contentment with a world which, once doubted, became absurd.”
  ― Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt

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Josh

1. This is an affiliate link! As are some of the other book links in this post.