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TIGER999 wrote: ↑05 Oct 2017, 04:08 Which classics books would you recommend?

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Simply amazing.

I think classics that deal with race relations, such as To Kill a Mockingbird are definitely relevant today because they remind us of our history and provide benchmarks to better understand what would have been the better course of action when dealing with similar situations. As a society, we have to learn from our past, but also realize that people, at their core, are not too different even if they are separated by generations. Learning from the lessons classic books provide is valid because our goals are no different in this age than of two centuries ago, all we want is to love and be loved with extra stuff on the side.

The reason classics have become classics is that they speak to every generation and bring meaning to every time period. Shakespeare’s comedy and tragedy, Swift’s satire, Poe’s horror are the foundations of literature. The problem with writers today, I think, is that they are writing for the times instead of for the ages.

Tbunde5 wrote: ↑15 Mar 2018, 11:49 The reason classics have become classics is that they speak to every generation and bring meaning to every time period. Shakespeare’s comedy and tragedy, Swift’s satire, Poe’s horror are the foundations of literature. The problem with writers today, I think, is that they are writing for the times instead of for the ages.

If you say that classics "bring meaning to every time period", how can that be divorced from "writing for the times"?

There are several authors from this century whose works will be considered “classics” for future generations, across all genres. That’s because the quality of their storytelling, the depth of their characters, and the themes they pursue are truly meaningful. But so many authors today publish just to publish, writing for mass consumption instead of meaning. It doesn’t mean they don’t write good books. It does mean that they will not, in all probability, become classics. True classics transcend time to be relevant to every generation.

Tbunde5 wrote: ↑16 Mar 2018, 19:21 There are several authors from this century whose works will be considered “classics” for future generations, across all genres. That’s because the quality of their storytelling, the depth of their characters, and the themes they pursue are truly meaningful. But so many authors today publish just to publish, writing for mass consumption instead of meaning. It doesn’t mean they don’t write good books. It does mean that they will not, in all probability, become classics. True classics transcend time to be relevant to every generation.

I think "publishing just to publish" comes with how easy it is to get one's story out there. I think that with a greater volume of work being put out, even if they are only mediocre, there will be a proportional amount of greats.

I hope that to be true. The question is, will anyone be reading them? In a world where Shakespeare is a tv show and more people recognize “Go the F#!k to Sleep” than “The Color Purple”? My faith is failing.

I believe Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, is an important classic. It deals with themes of isolationism and grief which are very relevant in today’s society. Shelley asks the question that is still very important today, “What makes someone a monster?”

I do feel classics are relevant today . After all they are called classics because they have stood the test of time and appeal to audiences of all ages ,milieu and time.

All stories are relevant, even if they are extremely old and outdated they serve as a piece that helps you understand the past, without it it is hard to build a functional picture of our own time.

As others have said, I believe true classics are always relevant. In addition to the ones already mentioned, some of my personal favorites include Albert Camus's The Fall, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. The Fall in particular brilliantly expresses the bitter truth that, no matter how much we seek to justify ourselves, we are all worse than we think we are.

Animal farm and pride and prejudice are still relevant because most of the issues they tackle are still happening and affecting people in today's world.

We could all use a reading of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand right about now. "Consider if you were Atlas, with the weight of the world on your shoulders, judging by the way it looks today, what would you do?" This is a paraphrase, quote from the top of my head, something Rand answered when she was asked why the title when she published the book.

Classics would be classics. It woudn't be called classic if its not relevant. But classics requires a deep vocabulary and critical thinking for the user to understand it clearly

There are so many classics that are still relevant to society today. I think that is what makes them classics - their themes are universal and their social and political messages often ring true in any time period. Most classics are relatable and timeless.