How do you define a classic?

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Katherine Powell-Polkey
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Re: How do you define a classic?

Post by Katherine Powell-Polkey »

That's an excellent question. I agree with some of the other replies that there can be an instant classic.
Elendu Clement Ekechukwu
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Post by Elendu Clement Ekechukwu »

A book despite the time of release could be read over and over again without getting bored or tired.
Philosopher2022
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Post by Philosopher2022 »

I agree with you. To me, a classic never gets old.
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Chandelier Eden
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Post by Chandelier Eden »

Interesting Topic... In my opinion, a classic is a book genre, that hit society so hard, made a maximum impact, and spans through a period, untouched.
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Ma Leonarda Castañares
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Post by Ma Leonarda Castañares »

When I hear the word “classic”, it makes me think of the word “old”, “etymology”, and bunch of words I could not seem to comprehend. Moreover, when people say classic, I would think that it is something that could re-arrange my brain chemistry XD
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Ben Madeley
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Post by Ben Madeley »

Fascinating question, I think it possibly needs to be more than 50 years old and I think it perhaps needs to have gone out of popular culture for a little while.
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Willow Dunn
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Post by Willow Dunn »

For me, a classic is a timeless book. A book that, no matter when you read it, you can identify human behavior or social patterns in it.
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Deborah Campion
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Post by Deborah Campion »

I have been pondering just that question for a long time. My favorite local book store, Bookman's, avoids the question by grouping 'fiction and classics' together. When I browse in that large section, I am equally likely to pick up something I missed in Jr. High as a New Yorks Times' bestseller. I kind of like that openness, as there are great works in both categories.
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Laura Ismajli
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Post by Laura Ismajli »

I feel like a classic can be contemporary, in a way. When a few decades pass, it is easy to see the impact that a book had on a generation. It is a lot harder to see that happening right in front of you. Simply put, I think a classic is something that receives immense popularity or defines a generation. That, or something that hasn't been done before and sets the trend. It isn't always great literature. :P
Mary Horney
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Post by Mary Horney »

The simplest definition of a 'classic' is a book that an immense amount of people read and enjoyed (for any number of reasons) and perhaps even read more than once over time.
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chongjasmine
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Post by chongjasmine »

I think classics are books that stood the test of time.
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kathryn_coombs
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Post by kathryn_coombs »

In my opinion I feel like a classic is a book that when someone says the title of everyone knows what if is and what if is about.
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vaaniundersky
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Post by vaaniundersky »

this is way overdue, but this post got me thinking. while I agree that a lot of the definition of classic has to do with a book's timelessness, I wonder if some of it is merely because it belongs to the past. archaic art and literature fascinates us because it reveals a world we haven't lived in. so its archaicness becomes a factor for its appreciation.

but I guess while this said, at all times there are multiple definitions of what a classic is. it's a fluid term with several explanations just like how the term 'literature' is.
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Nimra Kiran
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Post by Nimra Kiran »

Classic novels are literary works that have stood the test of time, maintaining their relevance and popularity across different eras.
Something that has achieved a timeless and enduring quality. It holds cultural or historical themes reflecting the lives of audiences across generations and a true classic work contains universal themes or emotions.
We are actually attracted to any classical work at an emotional level!
"A bear knows seven songs and they are all about honey."
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Okewunmi Pelumi
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Post by Okewunmi Pelumi »

Classic is simply a things that is significantly approved at the top; beyond normal or usual, it portray excellent.
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