books What classic literature do you find overrated?

[weesh 690]

I appreciated most of the books I was assigned in school, but I loathed "the great gatsby" as well.  

 

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Of the books I read for pleasure, "The Three Musketeers" was exceedingly disappointing. 

I'm not going to say it was bad, but given its legacy, it was a surprise how not good it was.

 

The four main characters are entitled idiots.  They spend money like there is no tomorrow, and flaunt their "wealth", and basically luck into their adventures.  I was really hoping for an epic book like "The count of monte cristo", but this was not it.  It's a shame because it opens really well.

Edited July 15, 2016 by weesh

[On-Locoweed 108]

There isn't any "new" classic literature around because usually it takes a couple of generations for a work to be recognized as "classic", which means it says something of great insight about the time in which it was written. Also, The Great Gatsby is one of the most important American novels ever written, philistines.

[weesh 690]

Also, The Great Gatsby is one of the most important American novels ever written, philistines.

 

I really appreciate the themes, and how they are still surprisingly relevant, but it was awful to actually read.  

[LordSwinton 759]

As someone studying literature,

 

I loathe Jane Austen, I find her characters really annoying

 

Shakespeare's all good once you get the language though some of the flowery bits gets kinda annoying

 

Great Gatsby was painful though good for analysis and stuff

 

I liked All My Sons but a lot of people hated it

[Brony Number 42 10,069]

I have no interest in classic literature. I had to read The Scarlet Letter, boring. I willing read the Foundation Trilogy and I was so bored that I couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in it.

[Lexamena 391]

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.

That is all.

I actually enjoyed The Metamorphosis. I thought the writing was very descriptive and I was captivated by the idea.

[Buckbuck 44]

I find none overrated, if its a good classic. I think all literature of back then is amazing! They knew how to be creative and thats why i love'em. If i dont get it, it means i am still a fool.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

"Overrated" I find none of them to be. Great classics are such for a reason. However there are some works of classic literature that I don't like. "Boring" is never an insult I could hurl at them, but often times I may not like them for the same reason I don't like a modern book or film, I don't like the theme or how it's handled.

 

Three such come to mind.

 

The Great Gatsby: Mostly in a form of " . . . . I don't get it." I mean the plot is about Gatsby climbing his way upward into a "fake" rich in order to reach Daisy. Thing is, it's not an act, Gatbsy actually does become fabulously wealthy yet he's still looked down upon with disdain. Why? He paid his dues. I fully admit there is likely something I'm missing in this picture but it's a reason why it's not one of my favorite books.

 

Brave New World: For a couple reasons. One, it seems rather dated now. I mean open sexuality as a tool of the oppressive state or even a bad thing in of itself? That's a joke. Two, even with that the book depicts a world that's bad but it doesn't really scare me into trying to change anything or watching out for signs. Third, I read in the foreword at least of my copy that Huxley got the inspiration at least in part from when he visited the United States and read My Life and Work by Henry Ford and was horrified by what he beheld. Needless to say, that significantly soured my impression of the book.

 

Catch-22: Okay stretching the definition of "classic" but I HAAAAAAATE this book! The guy spends the entire novel tearing down every institution, societal and personal; law, morality, ideals of any kind. Then as I slaved through the book going "okay AND?" my only desire to see his answer. If none of these answers to the world's and individual's problems are the right answer then what is?! The book and Heller's response? "There is none." And THIS is supposed to be some great work of satire?!

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

Also, it shocks and disheartens me to see so many people saying "all of Shakespeare." Plays people will be quoting, and performing into the next century and beyond. Words that have inspired and enchanted for hundreds of years.

 

Shakespeare is NOT overrated.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Steel Accord

[Twilight Dirac 721]

 

 

Anyway, as for my pick for overrated literature, the great gatsby. The symbolism is as subtle as a bull in a china shop, none of the characters have any redeemable traits, the plot is utter garbage and it gets way too much credit for what it actually is. It's a book for literature critics who get their kicks on analyzing something to death over solid storytelling, even after all the hidden meanings have been found and unceremoniously extracted.  

 

Quoted for truth.  I had to read through this in high school, and while the English teacher had a field day with the symbolism I found the story itself to be dull and the characters to be absolutely detestable.  The latter could be intentional, but it makes the reader completely unsympathetic with the characters and by extension the story, which is a pretty big flaw for something that is supposed to be a "classic".

 

I also could never get into Great Expectations.  Besides being stuck with another abused English orphan (seriously England, what the heck?), a lot of the character motivations never made sense to me and some of the events felt contrived.

 

 

 

"Overrated" I find none of them to be. Great classics are such for a reason. However there are some works of classic literature that I don't like.

 

 

I don't know, it seems like your opinion of Catch-22 goes beyond mere dislike.  And it would seem really easy for the classics to be overrated precisely because they are classics; the bar of public perception is set so high to begin with you can only think "what the heck is wrong with the literature community" after you suffer through the likes of the Great Gatsby.  Even some of the better classics while interested to read through, still leave you with the question of what exactly made it a classic rather than just a good read.  Example: The Most Dangerous Game, good story for sure, but timeless cultural edifice?

 

I do agree with you on Shakespeare though, that man earned his place as one of the greats.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

 

 

I don't know, it seems like your opinion of Catch-22 goes beyond mere dislike.  And it would seem really easy for the classics to be overrated precisely because they are classics; the bar of public perception is set so high to begin with you can only think "what the heck is wrong with the literature community" after you suffer through the likes of the Great Gatsby.  Even some of the better classics while interested to read through, still leave you with the question of what exactly made it a classic rather than just a good read.  Example: The Most Dangerous Game, good story for sure, but timeless cultural edifice?   I do agree with you on Shakespeare though, that man earned his place as one of the greats.

 

Perhaps I did go a little bit over board with that last instance. I apologize. But I stand by what I said, I don't think many classics are "overrated" in the sense that they are purported to be better than they are. We might disagree on the merits of one book or another, but if its been around for more than a hundred or so years, there MUST be something about it worth talking about. Hell, even if you don't like the book, the fact that there's something to critique still makes it a conversation piece.

 

(And I like the Most Dangerous Game. Timelessness its setting specifically may not be but its premise is powerful enough to be homaged and parody a hundred times fold.)

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I'm not a fan of The Great Gatsby. I find it long and plodding with a somewhat simplistic message. The better version of this story, IMO, is Death of a Salesman.

[ErisPegasus 56]

Without a doubt 1984. Heavens to god 1984.

 

It's become the trump card of every conspiracy lunatic and pseudo-intellectual out there.

 

Government does something? Literally 1984.

 

General population likes *insert x thing*? Literally 1984.

 

People think certain actions are unacceptable? Literally 1984.

 

Someone says your rants are dumb? Literally thought crime repression double-speak totalitarian political correctness government get off my lawn freeze peach don't tread on me or i'll shoot you Room 101 1984

Edited July 17, 2016 by ErisPegasus

[Guest]

Without a doubt 1984. Heavens to god 1984.

 

It's become the trump card of every conspiracy lunatic and pseudo-intellectual out there.

 

Government does something? Literally 1984.

 

General population likes *insert x thing*? Literally 1984.

 

People think certain actions are unacceptable? Literally 1984.

 

Someone says your rants are dumb? Literally thought crime repression double-speak totalitarian political correctness government get off my lawn freeze peach don't tread on me or i'll shoot you Room 101 1984

 

Hm, I haven't come across this, but if you say so ...

The book itself is a masterpiece, though!

[ErisPegasus 56]

Hm, I haven't come across this, but if you say so ...

The book itself is a masterpiece, though!

It's still a great book. but overrated in my opinion. A lot of the themes are pretty on the nose; half of it is explained flat out in a book-within-the-book.

 

The best use of 1984 is as a hook to get less-confident readers into the classics.

 

I still like Orwell, but out of his corpus Homage to Catalonia is my favourite. It's basically a gateway drug to anarchism, lel.

Edited July 18, 2016 by ErisPegasus

[FlutteringDweamz 2,086]

Haha, maybe shakespeare xD

Edited July 18, 2016 by PinkuRiku

[Guest]

It's still a great book. but overrated in my opinion. A lot of the themes are pretty on the nose; half of it is explained flat out in a book-within-the-book.

 

The best use of 1984 is as a hook to get less-confident readers into the classics.

 

I still like Orwell, but out of his corpus Homage to Catalonia is my favourite. It's basically a gateway drug to anarchism, lel.

 

I was actually looking for new titles to read. Homage to Catalonia sounds thrilling. Thanks for bringing that one up!

[Member Berry 1,217]

Macbeth was boring as shit. I don't miss English in school. What is it with schools dragging out literature? We took about half a year to read Of Mice and Men -____- I ended up reading it myself in a couple of days.

 

They don't teach Tom Sawyer, it's Huckleberry Finn (dat N word).  But at least that story was entertaining.  The Great Gatsby was boring as shit as were most 'modern American classics'

Fuck 'Native Son'

Fuck 'A Separate Peace'

Fuck 'Lord Jim'

Fuck 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. 

The only books that I read in high school that were bearable were the first and the last and those were Call of the Wild and Catcher in the Rye.  Don't read the rest cause they suck

I quite liked To Kill a Mockingbird. I thought the beginning was a bit dragged out though.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Kayleigh

[Jeric 46,854]

Well, it doesn't matter, but I would like to know why

I agree with some of the points you make, but I find it to be eye-opening. One might recognise one's own patterns of thought. 

 

 

CitR is one of the greatest novels ever told. As with most media, your approach to it, along with your psychology and world view, will determine how one appreciates a story and characters. One of my older cats was named Holden, and I actually have a red hunting cap

 

I actually despise the use of the term overrated when it comes to classical literature. Talk about oversimplification. I mean, Jack London isn't exactly considered a great writer for exploring characterization, but if that is your focus when studying his prose ... of course you are going to hate it. He loves to use distancing techniques for a reason. 

 

Hemingway on the other hand writes with a scalpel like precision that was unparalleled in his time. Every word was deliberately selected.

 

Salinger wanted to explore elements that hadn't been considered in writing. There is a reason he is widely praised.

 

 

 

 

 

*opens fist

*mic drops

[Guest]

CitR is one of the greatest novels ever told. As with most media, your approach to it, along with your psychology and world view, will determine how one appreciates a story and characters. One of my older cats was named Holden, and I actually have a red hunting cap

 

I actually despise the use of the term overrated when it comes to classical literature. Talk about oversimplification. I mean, Jack London isn't exactly considered a great writer for exploring characterization, but if that is your focus when studying his prose ... of course you are going to hate it. He loves to use distancing techniques for a reason. 

 

Hemingway on the other hand writes with a scalpel like precision that was unparalleled in his time. Every word was deliberately selected.

 

Salinger wanted to explore elements that hadn't been considered in writing. There is a reason he is widely praised.

 

 

 

 

 

*opens fist

*mic drops

 

All the yes!

 

But the question is ... how do you define "a masterpiece" or how do you define "art" when it comes to books?

Is a book only masterpiece if you deliberately select every word, every punctuation, and every piece of information? Or is it, as I have come to believe, a masterpiece when the author gives the book life and lets the story speak for itself? 

 

I mean, I highly doubt that every succesfully well-known painting was made with very prudent and deliberate strokes. Nah, art is also an ivory tower and a canvas on which you can let your true, unfiltered emotions splash out, eh? 

 

But then again, you're right about Hemingway and there is something magical about that man and his choice of words. 

 

Thanks for the link! It's always exciting to hear someone else's opinion, taste, and even world-views! Oh, and vlogbrothers hold so much cool. They're almost bursting with coolness.