Mica's guide to reading classics

Hi there! Mica here. I’ve been in a kind of hectic week, trying to figure out how the hell to use my new camera (which I hate and had to come back to my boyfriend’s). I’m really considering selling it because I CAN’T STAND IT. This is something that happens to me very often: buying things and then be like BUT I HATE IT. Yep.

Moving on, I recently uploaded a Jane Austen book on my Instagram, and a lot of you commented on how hard it is to get into classics in general, and even Austen herself, so I figured maybe I could do a blogpost on this. 

I actually been into classics for a lot of time, mainly because I approached them just as books, not "OMG A CLASSIC SO HARD, SO SCHOOLISH, GET IT AWAY FROM ME”, you know? YA KNOW.

I don’t remember the first classic I read because it would be like remembering the first contemporary book I’ve read or something like that. I was also short on money when I was a kid, so that meant I went through my mom’s bookshelf and read what I could find, which were mostly classics. 

But enough about this, let’s get into this awesome guide to get into classics by yours truly. YOU BETTER GO READ SOME CLASSICS AFTER THIS MISSY/MISTER! 

Little disclaimer: I’m not a classics expert, I haven’t read them all, I don’t read them that often either so don’t hate on me if this bonkers please, bye.

1. Start small 

If you’re intimidated by classics in general, imagine having a 700+ pages book in front of you from the go. That’s a big no-no. Don’t feel like a cop out just because you start on short books, or even short stories! Classics have a way of making you feel enriched and kind of awesome afterwards, even if it’s a 100 pages story. 

I recommend: Frankenstein (273 pages), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde (144 pages) and Antigone (80 pages). 

2. Read what you know

You know that saying “write what you know”? I feel it translates well into reading classics. Even if you never picked up one, you know SOMETHING about one classic or the other. You will also be very surprised about how much they differ from pop culture’s take on it. 

I recommend: Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby and Dracula. 

3. Be patient 

You have to be patient in many ways when reading classics. Firstly, they may take a while to read. I don’t know why but classics take me more time to finish. And second: you may struggle finding an author or a genre to stick with. Just like with books in general, you may not love the first classic you pick up, and that’s okay. 

To avoid frustration, I recommend action packed classics: Journey to the Center ofthe Earth, The Diary of a Young Girl and The Old Man and the Sea. 

4. And finally: choose classics as you would regular books

We all have a favorite genre, author or theme. Most of the time we stick to that when choosing what to read next, and with classics that is no exception. There are so many genres and themes explored in classic literature you would be amazed by it. 

When you do make yourself comfortable reading classics, THEN I urge you to stay out of your comfort zone and read them as they come. I avoid romance books like the plague, but Jane Austen’s books are my favorites!

Based on genre, I recommend: 

Contemporary: Northanger Abbey, The Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar. 

Fantasy: The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia and The Princess Bride. 

Romance: Emma, Madame Bovary and Little Women. 

Sci-fi/Dystopian: 1984, Brave New World and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. 

Mystery: A Study in Scarlet, They Do it with Mirrors and 4:50 from Paddington. 

So that’s that! Hopefully this guide will help you if you really want to get into classics but don’t know where to start. I repeat, I’m not an expert, I just read a lot. As one does.

If you read classics, do you think these are good points? If you don't, would you give them a chance now?