A defence of the classics
Some of our staff recently shared the classic novels and authors they believed were overrated (you can find their thoughts here). This week, some of our other staff defend these same classic novels and authors…
In defence of Shakespeare…
‘I can see he’s not in your good books,’ says I.
‘No, and if he were I would burn my library,’ says Bronte.
Keep at it Bronte and give the dude another go. He’s a true master of pop culture and his stuff is still relevant now, 400 years later. The course of true love never did run smooth. – Dani Solomon, bookseller at Carlton
In defence of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë…
‘Dull’! Where do I even begin to refute this outrageous claim? Even allowing for subjective reader experiences, there is no shortage of action, tension and twists in this novel. As for our heroine being ‘unappealing’ – well, firstly, does it matter if she is unappealing? Secondly, Jane Eyre is appealing and is, for me, among the most admirable, compelling female characters of her era. An early feminist, Jane is passionate, sensitive and principled; she is an independent, flexible thinker and has a fierce sense of justice. Jane is flawed: notable for her intelligent questioning of various interpretations and applications of religion and also of the patriarchal society she must navigate, her concerns about class, while genuine, are also influenced by her own position. The book itself is also flawed, but these flaws are far from fatal. There are many lenses through which to analyse Jane Eyre and there is much to enjoy as significant issues and complex plots are tackled with style, skill and every bit as much courage as its heroine. – Elke Power, Editor of Readings Monthly
In defence of On the Road by Jack Kerouac…
I question whether a book that has been critiqued after only 20 pages needs defending? Should I be defending the first 20 pages, or whether it is okay to give up on a text before it has really presented itself? I acknowledge the scattered nature of Kerouac’s writing in On the Road, how difficult it can be to engage with and I know many people who, like Stella, gave up before it truly begins. It’s the double edge of avant-garde writing: its experimental nature exciting or alienating a reader with its unique voice. While I at times have felt both emotions, On the Road, for me, was revelatory, in both form and content, and deserving of its iconic status. Having viewed the original manuscript when it was exhibited in London, it is difficult not to revere the achievement in this creation, its physical and cultural magnitude still evident almost 60 years on from publication. – Anton Sirianni, Bookseller at Carlton
In defence of Lady Chatterley’s Lover by DH Lawrence…
I tore through Lady Chatterley’s Lover the first time I read it. Whilst it certainly didn’t shock me, I can understand why it caused such a furore at the time and I think that it still reads very contemporary. The novel has something for everyone: the emotional complexities of a broken marriage; a tender love story; social and political commentary about the rise of industry and the class system; and, of course, something for the 50 Shades fans – Constance’s candid exploration of her own body and sexuality that got the book banned. – Isobel Moore, bookseller at St Kilda
In defence of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë…
I certainly do not need to defend the brilliance of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. To me, it is the greatest novel ever written and the quintessential gothic romance – completely riveting, graphic, violent and unsettling. And what makes Wuthering Heights paricularly brilliant is the time and context in which the story was written. How could Emily Brontë concoct such an un-ladylike story of sadism and cruelty, passion and desire, when she was isolated on the moors of Haworth in northern England between 1845 and 1846? My theory is that readers can be divided between those who don’t like to be out of their comfort zone (and therefore enjoy Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre) and those who aren’t afraid of venturing to the dark side (and will certainly do so with Emily Brontë’s brutally harsh themes in Wuthering Heights). Wuthering Heights certainly isn’t your typical relaxing holiday romance novel given that the romance sits unsettlingly close to incest. And not everyone may be up for the vampiric elements, or the nod towards necrophilia. But if exploring the dark elements of the human mind is your thing, it’s pure genius! – Emily Harms, Head of Communications and Marketing
