Ever since I was a little girl curled under my blanket with a flashlight and a beat-up copy of Pride and Prejudice, I have loved classic literature. 

I’m not sure where this originated–it could be that my Jane Austen box set was a gift from my grandmother, or maybe that my copy of Wuthering Heights had gold pages. For whatever reason, I have read nearly every book in the classics section of Barnes and Noble, and I believe they are the most valuable books on shelves today. 

A classic novel is generally defined as a novel of literary significance that remains popular years after its publication. They often contain strong themes and morals, and tend to be dense texts full of literary devices.

Unfortunately, as these books get older and students get lazier, their popularity has been decreasing. The number of my friends who have read more than one page of a classic novel outside of school curriculum is close to zero. For many reasons, teens today seem to have this shared hatred for books they haven’t even read. 

More often than not, it’s this school-only experience that leads to the problem. Teachers tend to force over-analysis, tests, and essays on students who already have negative opinions of the genre. But, classic books are not just curriculum. I guarantee that if you read a classic outside of school you will enjoy it significantly more. Beating any story to death for metaphors and analytical quotes is miserable, so let’s stop blaming the genre itself. 

These books are certainly not the easiest choice reads. They admittedly contain a few too many unrealistic love monologues and painfully extensive descriptions of country scenery, but the lessons they teach are undeniable. 

The dense text can be intimidating and hard to read. But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible, and there are many resources available online to aid in understanding the important messages contained in these books. 

Another big reason people don’t like classics is that their topics are often complex and sometimes taboo. The books were written in a different time, and because of this many ideas, plots, and details can be considered offensive or ignorant today. But this is just one more reason that we should read these novels. 

It is critical that teens are able to read about topics like sexuality, violence, morality, and racism through well-written characters and stories to come to their own conclusions and develop a stronger sense of empathy. 

Though the popularity of classics has been decreasing, their cultural relevance hasn’t. The majority of the meanings and themes in these books are still incredibly relevant to society today.

Alongside this, the search for meaning itself teaches critical thinking and analysis skills that cannot be learned anywhere else.

The list of things I’ve learned from classic literature is tremendously long. There are things in these books that cannot be taught by movies, or even by school. From Charlotte Bronte’s advice on happiness, to Harper Lee’s message about empathy, classic books are my favorite teacher. 

Classic literature may not be easy, and it may not be perfect, but I believe it is absolutely worth the effort.