My Commonplace Book - What makes a book a classic?

My Commonplace Book

May. 26, 2006

What makes a book a classic?

    I was discussing this very thing on a mailing list I am on: "What makes a book a classic?"

    I agreed with someone that Anne of Green Gables is a classic book because the stories "stay with you" and are universally beautiful and thought-provoking.

    I love all the lessons in those books. My favorite one is when Anne says she is "in the depths of despair" and Marilla replies, "to be in the depths of despair is to turn your back on God." Whoa. What a lesson!! I have carried that in my heart for so many, many years.

    How many books really touch you in a way that you ponder what they have to say in your heart for as long as you live? I think that's another test of whether a book is a classic or not!

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Comments

Sep. 6, 2006 - what makes a classic

Posted by Anonymous

i would have to say that a classic keeps you thinking throughout every word, every page, and even after the book is finished. thats the most important factor to me that makes up a classic book.

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Jan. 9, 2008 - classic book

Posted by Anonymous

- are timeless and universal
- tell us what it means to be human
- are influential
- are well crafted
- have memorable plots and characters

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Commonplace books are a means of coping with information overload! They help us select, organize, classify, and remember key moral precepts. "When it came time to put away childish things, the role of the copy book was assumed by its close cousin, the "commonplace book." The process of maturation required the production of more-personal collections of writings, meant to provide inspiration, direction, and moral fortitude. Reading the commonplace books of historical figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or any number of antebellum Southern ladies gives us an interior view of each person's self-image and the words that motivated him or her. -- Rachel Toor "Commonplaces: From Quote Books to 'Sig' Files" The Chronicle of Higher Education May 25, 2001"