The push-pull of the classics

“Classic” A book which people praise and don’t read. 

                                                   — Mark Twain

I wouldn’t say I have a love / hate thing with the classics (it’s really not that dramatic), but we could probably call it an aversion / affection thing. 

I confess that I can’t recall the last time I read a classic without some provocation: book club, book bingo, genre study.

Something in me says, “That book… That book is gonna be work.”

And sometimes it is.

But almost always, it’s worth it.

Still, when I saw this completely luscious display of the Word Cloud Classics at Book Expo, I had the usual mixed response: total book lust (they’re such beautiful books!) blended with “Please don’t make me read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!”

And then I feel like a very bad person.

People, here’s the harsh truth of the matter: I’m a lazy reader.

But I’m also all about the self-improvement.  

So when one of the book club ladies suggests we read a classic, I stop myself from doing the knee-jerk groan, and I say, “I’ve also wanted to read that.”

Meaning: I wish it were over, but soon it will be, and then I’ll be enriched by the experience and everyone’ll be happy.