Being a lover of books and words, I could not accurately calculate how many tomes I’ve read in my lifetime. My mother and I would go to bookstores as an outing and she, along with my grandmother’s, my older brother, and my Uncle Larry, introduced me to every genre, which helps explain my writings and the novels I love.
When I’d visit libraries by myself as a youngster, I’d always take out at least five books. These would be by my favorite authors, or novels I wanted to read, and I would always include at least one that had been deemed a classic. That decision has led to a life-long skepticism regarding such declarations.
Yes, I discovered some gems which I treasure to this day, such as Great Expectations, The Count of Monte Cristo, To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, and The Invisible Man. I’ve read the first three at least ten times, and the other two left vivid impressions about society and America on a younger version of me.
Then there are the other ones, which I either read or attempted to, before throwing them across the room. Lol. I was quite ambitious in my reading choices because I wanted to know why these tales were considered classics. Moby Dick, Wuthering Heights, Beloved, The Great Gatsby, and quite a few others failed to either keep my attention or live up to expectations. Who declared that these were classics? Other writers? Consumers? Or… educated people whose condescending attitudes influenced these choices?
In a recent discussion with my two brothers, Brian and Harold, we agreed that Catcher in the Rye is vastly overrated. A privileged young white dude complaining about his life and his views on the world were not cynical or spot-on, just the opinions of someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Classic? Nope. Just slightly ahead of its time.
I could keep going, but what’s the point? I’d rather be writing or reading Fannie Flagg, Elmore Leonard, Larry McMurtry, Twain, King, Cormac McCarthy, Walter Mosely, or Dennis Lehane. I’d put some of their books such as Standing in the Rainbow, Get Shorty, Lonesome Dove, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, It, No Country for Old Men, Gone Fishing, or Mystic River against most of the so-called classics. These were worth my time.
