What Makes a Book A Classic?
#1
What makes a book a classic? That’s one of the most acrimonious, endless and irresolvable discussions in the literary world. Like debates over which books are “great” (and why), it’s also a mostly pointless question, fodder for overcaffeinated undergraduate bull sessions, feral comments threads and other milieus suffering under the delusion that we can arrive at an ironclad consensus on what constitutes literary merit."

More at:
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/30/what_mak...a_classic/

Anyone here have a view of what makes a book a classic?
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#2
Well, why does a book "stand the test of time"? Because it makes universal connections. Another criteria is sometimes called elasticity. Meaning that it's themes and ideas are able to hold up to different ages, eras, cultures and moralities.
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#3
(01-29-2014, 10:24 PM)Tiamat Wrote: Well, why does a book "stand the test of time"? Because it makes universal connections. Another criteria is sometimes called elasticity. Meaning that it's themes and ideas are able to hold up to different ages, eras, cultures and moralities.

Great response!
I thought perhaps you might reference a specific book, but your statement "nails it" for me.
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#4
(01-29-2014, 10:28 PM)Wonky Wrote:
(01-29-2014, 10:24 PM)Tiamat Wrote: Well, why does a book "stand the test of time"? Because it makes universal connections. Another criteria is sometimes called elasticity. Meaning that it's themes and ideas are able to hold up to different ages, eras, cultures and moralities.

Great response!
I thought perhaps you might reference a specific book, but your statement "nails it" for me.


Well, one person's classic is anothers garbage. I don't appreciate every classic out there. Off the top of my head I tend to like some more "accessible" ones: To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the wind, LotR, Lonesome Dove. I have a rotten memory. I've read more than I remember.
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#5
It had to be at least as old as Wonky.
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#6
(01-29-2014, 11:24 PM)chuck white Wrote: It had to be at least as old as Wonky.

Age, dear Chuck, may be less important than mileage.
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#7
(01-29-2014, 06:12 PM)Wonky Wrote: What makes a book a classic? That’s one of the most acrimonious, endless and irresolvable discussions in the literary world. Like debates over which books are “great” (and why), it’s also a mostly pointless question, fodder for overcaffeinated undergraduate bull sessions, feral comments threads and other milieus suffering under the delusion that we can arrive at an ironclad consensus on what constitutes literary merit."

More at:
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/30/what_mak...a_classic/

Anyone here have a view of what makes a book a classic?

When its JUST the right sizes so's the table won't wobble no more.

OR, when it's a book that the reader enjoys just as much in 1850 or in 2014.

BTW I don't mean the same reader.
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