So this is from an academic’s perspective. I see many people are confused about the introduction so let me explain. If you are a ‘general reader’ and not an ‘academic’, introduction is NOT what you read first. It is meant to be a summary + analysis to contextualise the actual book. So I recommend skipping it until you’re done reading the book then you can go back to it with the story fresh in your mind. It’ll change your reading experience. Concerning the literary movements, I agree. Knowing them is useful and they are accessible and easy to learn. Learning about them is one of the very first things literature students do. For example, if you don’t like poetry, it means that there’s a low chance you’ll enjoy Romanticism since it’s poetry based. You mentioned the point of elitism. Yeeah, academics don’t really agree with it. It’s people on social media wanting to feel special for reading the classics. Don’t listen to them, read whatever you want, and enjoy it!
Love this comment. I 100% agree with everything you say! Thank you so much for explaining this. By the way, I am an exception concerning poetry/romanticism. I love the fiction novels, but I can't get into the poetry, no matter how hard I try. Maybe one day...
Not that long ago I bought The Brothers Karamazov and the introduction started straight up spoiling what the book was about. Decided to just skip it altogether. Most often these introductions are just a barrier to get into the book. If I just got a classic, I want to start reading the first chapter, not some twenty page text written only five years ago.
You made some great points. I avoid abridged versions in actual books and audiobooks at all costs. I think if you pay for a book, you want the whole thing. I also avoid the introductions until I have read the book. Too many times, I have had a book spoiled by the introduction. Thank you for another thoughtful and helpful video.
The second time I had the ending ruined by the introduction, I realised I was doing it wrong haha. We usually learn it the hard way. I don't want to know whether or not the main character lives or dies at the end. 😂 Thank you for watching (again)!
I so agree about watching movies before the books, especially with novels with a large cast of characters. For me, at least, it is MUCH easier to keep all those names straight when I already have a face to go along with them thanks to the movie.
I can see that. It can really make things easier and less complex, but it is a thing that is looked down upon in the book community. I wish it wasn't. :)
I actually do this for more complex books, like fantasy/sci-fi/distopia. This month was time for Hunger Games. I'm not native English speaker, and I've been learning English and reading books in that language since two years. And this helps me sooo much to understand better the story/plot.
Oh thank you so much Em. You are helping an old guy so much. I HAD to read some books in college. Didn’t like them much because they were hard for me to understand for all the reasons that you have mentioned in your videos. I’ve never felt like I had time to read until after retirement. Ive started trying to read. I’ve made some of the mistakes that you have mentioned, but you are helping me. I’ve watched a bunch of your other videos about reading helps and the classics. Please don’t stop. Now I feel like I can read even the big books. You have given even an old guy confidence to read!!! You are awesome!!!!! Please keep up the good work!!!
You have no idea how much this means to me! It's so good to know that my content is helpful to my fellow readers out there. What is one of the big books you wish to tackle in the future?
Em, I tried to reply yesterday. Not sure if you were able to see it. I think I did it wrong. As far as what big book I would like to read next… was thinking about War and Peace if it’s not too big of a jump. I have been reading Anna Karenina and loving it!!! I figured out that Tolstoy is really something!!! So that’s why I was thinking about W&P. It’s my first big book. It was translated by Louis and Aylmer Maude. Bought it at a thrift store. Would also like to read Count of Monte Christo. There’s so many that I’m finding out that I want to read. Any advice that you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
I agree about the Introductions. I don't know why they do things that way. It's helpful to have some background on what the book is about. But don't ruin the story for people before they even start! I am going to assume they are written by people who have read the book so many times that they don't even realize they are giving too much away. They have to keep in mind there's always a FIRST time someone is reading that book! Edit: Yes, and the Introductions written by the author, too. Of course they will spoil things.
It's not about not realizing they are spoiling. They know that. They are asked to give their scholarly short analysis on the book and the author, as if they were teaching students. In doing so, spoiling a story is irrelevant, since they are acting as if the reader is a student that is familiar with the book and is trying to garner some valuable academic insight on it. The book is no longer about finding out what happens in the story, it's about understanding and appreciating the complexity, characters, descriptions, environment, relations, whatever the book has of value. Think of it as if they told you to read the book for next class and now you've arrived at the class and they decide to begin talking about it. Sure, it's weird presenting it as an "Introduction" to the laypeople, but it is what introductions typically mean, academically.
@@danielfelix3927 I'm not saying it's wrong. I love digging deeper into a work. I would just personally read it after I read the book. Other people may do things differently, and that's fine. It's just that if you're new to this, you should be aware that the story will very likely be given away if you do read that type of material beforehand. And once you read something, you can't "unread" it!
Exactly! I love that they pick people who have studied the work and the author. They have such interesting things to say, and I always learn so much. As a new reader I just didn't realise exactly what it was, and I've had more than one ending ruined. 😂
Oh my God! So true with the abridged and unabridged version. Before, whenever I see a classic on a thrift shop, I just buy it and then read it. One time, I bought The Count of Monte Cristo and I was loving it and was already about more than half of the book when I looked closely on the cover, found out that it was abridged version. The sadness that enveloped me was terrible!! I made the decision to push through it and then I bought the Penguin classics version after watching your video about it. It was still beautiful tho (abridged version), I just don't want to miss anything especially meaningful quotes sprinkled around the unabridged versions of classics. Thank you for this wonderful video!
Totally agree with the introduction segment. My girlfriend once asked what the point of an introduction even is and i replied "Just someone's opinion bro, plus spoilers". They should really be put at the back and called afterwords.
Such good pointers! I remember Wuthering Heights as my first classic novel and after each chapter would read a sparknotes summary to make sure that I got all the information on each chapter.. I assumed that this was how classics were read. I know better that now, Wuthering Heights or Edgar Allan Poe are more intermediate reads. I think more people would enjoy classics if they began with the easier reads instead of (exactly how you mentioned), beginning with the more famous (and difficult) reads.
You are so damn underrated, it felt like watching and leraning from a pro! Good points and your voice is really relaxing and I LOVE the way you pronounced the french authors names. Keep it up
An excellent video with sound advice! 👍✨ I enjoy reading classics and tend to gravitate toward modern classics. I find all your advice very valuable because I had to find out about it the hard way in the first few years of tapping my toe into the classics 😉 Not only movie adaptations are a great way of approaching classics. I would also recommend graphic novels, book adaptations, and reading simple classics from your favourite genre. I discovered "Nils Holgersson" this way and adored it.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Oh, I don't have any experience with comic books, but that sounds great! I'd love to find comic books based on my favourite novels, just to see what they've done with it. 🤔
Hey Em, To answer your question about “what big book I wish to tackle in the future”… I was thinking about War and Peace. The reason is because I’m currently reading Anna Karenina. I bought it in a thrift shop. I start reading it and I cannot put it down. It’s the biggest book I’ve ever tried. Never read anything like this. Tolstoy is a genius!!! So I am hoping that War and Peace would be in the same style??? Im a little worried that W&P is a big jump. There is just so many interesting book suggestions on TH-cam. The Count of Monte Christo, that you are holding in this video, just sounds so great to try. I’m just like a kid in a candy store now that I have watched your videos. Candy candy everywhere and only so much can one have at a time…ha ha. Good problem. I’m open to your guidance and suggestions. Thanks again
Anna K is an amazing read. You will enjoy War & Peace as well, because they are similar in style, characters, and family drama. However, the parts about war can make it a challenging read. My advice would be to read a smaller novel going on the side, so you can switch between them. (You'll have to try and see!)
I started War and Peace on January 1st, and finished it on April 15. Loved it, but I was reading other things at the same time. It's cinematic in a way, even though it was written before movies. At times it's magical.
Thank you for this Emmelie! With regards to abridged editions; while I can understand the desire to read an abridged edition, I prefer to read the entire text. Sure, sometimes the original author can get a bit longwinded but I prefer this to a text in which an editor has decided what part of the book I should read. You are certainly correct when you talk about reading the book before reading the introduction! Penguin Classics, for example, have great introductions packed with great information but as you rightly say often with spoilers! However I also love the charts and maps they place in some of their books. Happy reading! 🙂
Oh yes, I had to learn it the hard way after getting some endings ruined 😂 But I love returning to them once I have finished the book. They're a joy to read.
I usually try to read the books first, but with Edith's Whartons The Age of Innocence, I couldn't get into the book. I stopped on chapter 7 and gave up. When I watched the movie with Daniel Day-lewis, I fell in love with the movie and thought id give the book another try, and I ended up liking the book after the movie! The movie was very close to the book. Happy about that.
That's exactly what is so wonderful about adaptations. It can really make you see the book differently and alter the experience. That is indeed a great movie.
As a non-native English speaker that is nonetheless somewhat fluent in English I had a lot of second guessing whether to read classics in original or in Polish translation. It's definitely easier to read for me in Polish, as those XIX-century books have quite a lot of vocabulary I'm not familiar with, yet the translations clearly lack the flow and beauty of the original. It's hard to point out exactly what's wrong, but it's just... not there. My "worst" translation was Great Expectations, which was translated from FRENCH into Polish for whatever reason, and it was also slightly abridged which I realized like halfway through the book (and was not disclosed anywhere). The beauty of the prose (even worse for poetic things, Shakspear don't have any melody in Polish translation) is hard to translate I guess (especially across the language groups). I don't feel it as much with Russian literature, Tolstoy's feels amazing in Polish, but I also don't know how exactly it feels in Russian. Anyway just a little insight, from the foreigner point of view. Also I'm so grateful to hear that you struggled too with Wuthering Heights, this one was SO hard for me I almost gave up.
From French to Polish, my gosh. That is horrible... A book should always be translated from the original 😮💨 I have exactly the same with my own language. Classics are horrible in Flemish, and I can't really say why. English flows better and is more poetic... :) Strange, isn't it?
@@ProseAndPetticoats It is a bit strange, l think the beauty in different languages relies on its very structure, the way it's naturally spoken with a natural rythm and melody, which cannot be translated directly. I've read some great translation in Polish, especially older ones (we have XIX century translations of Don Quixote, Illiad and Odyssey and they're all amazing). Haemingway is fine too, probably due to his very direct language. But I'm afraid in translation a decision needs to be made between being exact or poetic, and there are probably good reasons to rather be exact to not "override" the original language with your own perception.
:26 Uh oh! I am looking at that little edition of CoMC in your hand because I just bought that teeny edition of Moby Dick. I hope it's not abridged! Edit: Okay, it does say it's complete/unabridged. Whew! Thank you for that reminder. It's something that I didn't know either for a long time. (Will watch the rest when done working.)
Realism is my favourite too! What it is not surprising because as older generation I was brought up on realistic classic authors.😊 And I am glad that a young person like you likes realism🤗 Thank you for websites recommendations!❤ Interesting video as usual🫠
No🙂. Maybe I didn't say correclly. It s better to say that I was educated mostly on realistic works through school readings and my personal interests. And my parents used to read me picture books 🫠 when I was little girl and later buy me different kind of books.
I read extremely abridged versions of classics like jane eyre and charles dickens back when i was a kid and it was a great introduction of the genre for me. I feel it is because of those books that i got into classics and now i am patiently (impatiently) waiting for the day I get to read them in their whole glory. I would say I did not even know I was reading abridged classics back then😂. Sometimes they also help if you feel intimidated.
I love how English isn't your first language but you're more well read in the classics of English literature than most English speakers. I think that would be a safe assumption.
These are some great tips and things to know for beginners and people that have been reading classics for years. I’m the latter. Yes to the reminder of not reading the introduction first. But I also have to remember to go back and read it. lol Snobbism - yes! That is so rampant in the classics community. And it’s terrible! Nobody should be vilified or ridiculed for what they read, how much they read, how they read and why they read what they read. I saw the 2005 version of P&P, and loved it! I haven’t read the book yet and I agree there’s nothing wrong with seeing the movie first. Thanks for the video! Oh, I finished Candide by Voltaire a few minutes ago and loved it. Did you make a video or included it in a video a review of it? I thought you did. But maybe I’m thinking of something else.
You put it into words so beautifully. I'm glad you enjoyed it, even as an experienced reader. The 2005 movie is absolutely wonderful. Oh, you loved Candide, yay! I didn't make a separate video, but I think I mentioned it briefly in my Harvard video. ;)
I have to read the chronology and introduction first, because I appriciate the book all the more and the beautiful history behind its creation. Also, knowing the author's own journey encourages me in my own writing adventure. Pairing an audiobook verison with the print version as a read-a-long would help too.
@@ProseAndPetticoats For books such as The Man in The Iron Mask and the City of God, understanding the historical context and the author in that period of time enriches my reading experience. I see Napoleon Bonaparte in a different way after learning more about Alexandre Dumas.
@@ProseAndPetticoats Your videos have helped me not feel stressed out about taking my sweet time with my reading. I now feel satisfied and productive spending nearly half an hour going over one or two chapters I just read; I skim it over, reread some parts of it, transcribe a quote or two, and then write a paragraph or more on my perspective on it. I've gradually developed a system.
I think research is crucial if you want to read a book from a very different culture. I'm from the Netherlands so when I started reading a Russian book I got really confused with the use of fathernames and other certain customs like name days. It's a learning curve but well worth it since Russian books are now among my favorites.
I wish I had thought to mention this in my video (about the Russian names) - this confused me so much in the beginning. Indeed, there are some amazing Russian classics out there. Tolstoy and Pushkin are among my favourites.
Hi Emmelie... Thank you for sharing your hard learned wisdom. I always prefer the original text of a novel and don't understand why there are abridged versions out there?
Exactly. I will always go for the full versions, as originally published. I can't imagine reading an abridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo or Les Misérables...
Hello Emmelie! Great video as always. I agree with you on everything. I don't have a problem with translations either, I trust B&N books, Penguin Black Spine and Oxford World Classics. I also have used Sparknotes and even Wikipedia at times to help understand what is occurring. I agree with movie adaptions too which I have watched prior to reading. Watching the BBC series on War & Peace, movies of Pride & Prejudice; Sense & Sensibility; Emma; The Name of Rose and even the 1968 3 Musketeers as a kid helped out with those books. I have also done group reads which helped. I enjoy, and thus, always try to buy books in the Barnes & Nobles Classics or the Library of Essential Reading; Penguin Black Spine and Oxford World Classics b/c that format works for me. Finally, my greatest wish for me personally is that I wish I had known about Goodreads before I was already 10 years into my classic reading journey; so I think using that site is too late for me. Great video and I look forward to your next one. Have a great week! 😀
Oh yes, Wikipedia also sometimes has chapter by chapter summaries. It's amazing. If you don't use Goodreads, is there another system you use to keep track of what you have read? Or don't you feel the need to? :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats I pretty much know which books in my shelves I have or have not read and whether I enjoyed it or not. Unfortunately for me, I don't always remember the details of the story. I would have used Goodreads to keep track of this information had I known of its existence when I started classics, but that was so long ago that it may not have existed.
I absolutely hate spoilers in the introduction. I would like to know why they don't always put this information at the end of the book because in some cases they do. After I finish reading a book I love to learn more about it and it's history and influence. AFTER. 😄 Sorry, for the emotional comment but I finally found someone who has the same problem. When I started reading classics 20 years ago I would have loved a video like this. I started with books that I could not really appreciate at the time like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I had no one to teach me about the art of reading classics but despite making many mistakes I loved it and stuck to it.
@@captnkyras.571 Exactly - I've made the same "mistakes" and wanted to share them. I hope it reaches the right readers! 🥰 Indeed, such an introduction would be more perfect as an outro haha. Starting with Notre-Dame is... VERY challenging! ;)
I'm reading the unabridged Les Miserables. I should've got short version as the novel wanders off. Valjean disappears and other characters we don't care about suddenly appear. That's old time writing...
Oh yeah. Dostoevsky of course. Then Chekov for plays, short stories, Gogol...all those guys. Balzac is my guy from France. I write too. I'm my favorite author.
if you read for example the illiad and odysses by older translators like Alexander pop you will see a day and night difference but, yeah I get your point...taking to much time stressing about what translation to go with is nonsense.
Hi Emmelie, thanks for your video about this topic, I found it useful since I will be starting my classics journey in a bit; just need to decide on what to get! The bit about the introduction was especially useful, so thanks a lot! I will make sure to check out the video you attached in the comments too. One other thing: I think that the video had audio issues. There was a constant but subtle echo after every word you said, as if you were in a church. Hope it's nothing too serious. Take care and see you next week!
Good luck with your journey! That is so exciting. That is strange, because I don't hear any echo or other issues. Could it be your audio device? This is the first time I hear this! Would love to know. Thanks for watching 🤎
I tested this and surprisingly I hear this echo only on my phone, while on my computer it isn'there as much. All other videos are fine, even other videos from you. Most likely it's nothing but something on my end. Will try to spot this thing in the next video you post, hoping nothing will be there. Take care!
Have you ever tried the Ilias and Odysseia translations by Imme Dros? Her Dutch verse translation has been widely praised. In which languages do you read translations?
@@ProseAndPetticoats If I may ask, why do you solely read translations in English? And why not in French (which I presume you understand) and Dutch? There is a wider trend amongst readers, I guess, to read translations in English; why is that? I do apologise for my inquisitiveness, but it interests me very much.
Be careful with LitCharts. I have finally started Moby Dick. I think I'm up to Ch. 3. I decided to look at the prior chapters just to check out the site. It already had spoilers for the ending. Oh, goodness, there's actually a 1956 movie and it's free on Tubi. I may have to watch it!
@@DeadNetCord "A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy." Wikipedia has an interesting page, but you can find more definitions online! :)
@@CedricsMom They cut the parts that don't influence the storyline that much, for example ramblings about politics, or they make long scenes shorter and only keep what matters most.
Excellent video! Thank you for sharing these really helpful tips. Have you read Faulkner? The Sound And The Fury was a seminal reading experience for me at 17. What is your favorite American classic?
I haven't read Faulkner (yet), but I will get to it! I don't have a favourite American classic at the moment, because I feel like I am "underread" in American literature. I think The Scarlet Letter was the best choice up until now. Some American authors I will get to this year are Henry James and Edith Wharton. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.
@@ProseAndPetticoats Sounds like you will quickly overtake me in the real “classic” category. I have yet to read James or Wharton, or even Melville’s Moby-Dick. But of the more modern American classics, if you haven’t already read them, I would recommend Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls, Steinbeck’s East Of Eden, Nabokov’s Lolita (transplanted Russian-American), Kosinski’s The Painted Bird (Polish transplant), Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, and two great Hollywood novels: Nathanael West’s Day Of The Locust and Budd Schulberg’s What Makes Sammy Run? All of these are much “easier” reads, because I am lazy that way. ;) Faulkner is difficult, but most of the time worth the trouble, and The Sound And The Fury his masterpiece. Thanks again for your video, I will subscribe and keep watching.
@@benskelly8892 Oh yes, Moby Dick. I don't yet know if I want to tackle that one. Something holds me back. I tried Hemingway, but his writing doesn't click with me. I've already read Nabokov (but I always count him as a Russian author!) and Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men), and I will add the others you mentioned to my reading list. Thank you for subscribing - I'm looking forward to seeing you around.
@@ProseAndPetticoats The Ionian Hippodamus of Miletus is the father of Urban Planning he was the first to lay out the grid pattern of streets and city and town blocks that we know today
@@ProseAndPetticoats i was shocked to see Dr. Victoria Bateman On TH-cam video as she gave a lecture at Cambridge University on The Naked Truth. And Brexit as she took off her Bra Panties Dress in Public in total Nudity as her audience then aporoached her to sign their names on her naked body !
IMO The Samuel Butler translation of The Iliad was pretty terrible. It was Latinized and that made it difficult to read. A bad translation can absolutely ruin your reading experience.
Watch my classics beginner guide here 🧡 th-cam.com/video/GPscc5seStY/w-d-xo.html
So this is from an academic’s perspective. I see many people are confused about the introduction so let me explain. If you are a ‘general reader’ and not an ‘academic’, introduction is NOT what you read first. It is meant to be a summary + analysis to contextualise the actual book. So I recommend skipping it until you’re done reading the book then you can go back to it with the story fresh in your mind. It’ll change your reading experience.
Concerning the literary movements, I agree. Knowing them is useful and they are accessible and easy to learn. Learning about them is one of the very first things literature students do. For example, if you don’t like poetry, it means that there’s a low chance you’ll enjoy Romanticism since it’s poetry based.
You mentioned the point of elitism. Yeeah, academics don’t really agree with it. It’s people on social media wanting to feel special for reading the classics. Don’t listen to them, read whatever you want, and enjoy it!
Love this comment. I 100% agree with everything you say! Thank you so much for explaining this. By the way, I am an exception concerning poetry/romanticism. I love the fiction novels, but I can't get into the poetry, no matter how hard I try. Maybe one day...
Not that long ago I bought The Brothers Karamazov and the introduction started straight up spoiling what the book was about. Decided to just skip it altogether. Most often these introductions are just a barrier to get into the book. If I just got a classic, I want to start reading the first chapter, not some twenty page text written only five years ago.
@@lGalaxisl It's worth it to return to the introduction after you finish the novel 🥰
You made some great points. I avoid abridged versions in actual books and audiobooks at all costs. I think if you pay for a book, you want the whole thing. I also avoid the introductions until I have read the book. Too many times, I have had a book spoiled by the introduction. Thank you for another thoughtful and helpful video.
The second time I had the ending ruined by the introduction, I realised I was doing it wrong haha. We usually learn it the hard way. I don't want to know whether or not the main character lives or dies at the end. 😂 Thank you for watching (again)!
I so agree about watching movies before the books, especially with novels with a large cast of characters. For me, at least, it is MUCH easier to keep all those names straight when I already have a face to go along with them thanks to the movie.
I can see that. It can really make things easier and less complex, but it is a thing that is looked down upon in the book community. I wish it wasn't. :)
I actually do this for more complex books, like fantasy/sci-fi/distopia. This month was time for Hunger Games. I'm not native English speaker, and I've been learning English and reading books in that language since two years. And this helps me sooo much to understand better the story/plot.
@@examenesinternacionalesaf3576 Love those movies :)
Oh thank you so much Em. You are helping an old guy so much. I HAD to read some books in college. Didn’t like them much because they were hard for me to understand for all the reasons that you have mentioned in your videos. I’ve never felt like I had time to read until after retirement. Ive started trying to read. I’ve made some of the mistakes that you have mentioned, but you are helping me. I’ve watched a bunch of your other videos about reading helps and the classics. Please don’t stop. Now I feel like I can read even the big books. You have given even an old guy confidence to read!!! You are awesome!!!!! Please keep up the good work!!!
You have no idea how much this means to me! It's so good to know that my content is helpful to my fellow readers out there. What is one of the big books you wish to tackle in the future?
Em, I tried to reply yesterday. Not sure if you were able to see it. I think I did it wrong.
As far as what big book I would like to read next… was thinking about War and Peace if it’s not too big of a jump. I have been reading Anna Karenina and loving it!!! I figured out that Tolstoy is really something!!! So that’s why I was thinking about W&P. It’s my first big book. It was translated by Louis and Aylmer Maude. Bought it at a thrift store. Would also like to read Count of Monte Christo. There’s so many that I’m finding out that I want to read. Any advice that you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Have not bought W&P yet
I found your reply from yesterday. So please just ignore this comment. Thanks again
I agree about the Introductions. I don't know why they do things that way. It's helpful to have some background on what the book is about. But don't ruin the story for people before they even start! I am going to assume they are written by people who have read the book so many times that they don't even realize they are giving too much away. They have to keep in mind there's always a FIRST time someone is reading that book!
Edit: Yes, and the Introductions written by the author, too. Of course they will spoil things.
It's not about not realizing they are spoiling. They know that. They are asked to give their scholarly short analysis on the book and the author, as if they were teaching students. In doing so, spoiling a story is irrelevant, since they are acting as if the reader is a student that is familiar with the book and is trying to garner some valuable academic insight on it. The book is no longer about finding out what happens in the story, it's about understanding and appreciating the complexity, characters, descriptions, environment, relations, whatever the book has of value. Think of it as if they told you to read the book for next class and now you've arrived at the class and they decide to begin talking about it. Sure, it's weird presenting it as an "Introduction" to the laypeople, but it is what introductions typically mean, academically.
@@danielfelix3927 I'm not saying it's wrong. I love digging deeper into a work. I would just personally read it after I read the book. Other people may do things differently, and that's fine.
It's just that if you're new to this, you should be aware that the story will very likely be given away if you do read that type of material beforehand. And once you read something, you can't "unread" it!
Exactly! I love that they pick people who have studied the work and the author. They have such interesting things to say, and I always learn so much. As a new reader I just didn't realise exactly what it was, and I've had more than one ending ruined. 😂
Oh my God! So true with the abridged and unabridged version. Before, whenever I see a classic on a thrift shop, I just buy it and then read it. One time, I bought The Count of Monte Cristo and I was loving it and was already about more than half of the book when I looked closely on the cover, found out that it was abridged version. The sadness that enveloped me was terrible!! I made the decision to push through it and then I bought the Penguin classics version after watching your video about it. It was still beautiful tho (abridged version), I just don't want to miss anything especially meaningful quotes sprinkled around the unabridged versions of classics. Thank you for this wonderful video!
I feel this in my heart. You must have felt so betrayed! Glad to hear you enjoyed the video (:
Totally agree with the introduction segment. My girlfriend once asked what the point of an introduction even is and i replied "Just someone's opinion bro, plus spoilers". They should really be put at the back and called afterwords.
Such good pointers! I remember Wuthering Heights as my first classic novel and after each chapter would read a sparknotes summary to make sure that I got all the information on each chapter.. I assumed that this was how classics were read. I know better that now, Wuthering Heights or Edgar Allan Poe are more intermediate reads. I think more people would enjoy classics if they began with the easier reads instead of (exactly how you mentioned), beginning with the more famous (and difficult) reads.
@@tarrynclaassen9581 Yes, absolutely! I must admit I only understood Wuthering Heights the second time I read it. 🤭
You are so damn underrated, it felt like watching and leraning from a pro! Good points and your voice is really relaxing and I LOVE the way you pronounced the french authors names. Keep it up
Aww, what a kind comment. Thank you for making my day!
An excellent video with sound advice! 👍✨
I enjoy reading classics and tend to gravitate toward modern classics. I find all your advice very valuable because I had to find out about it the hard way in the first few years of tapping my toe into the classics 😉
Not only movie adaptations are a great way of approaching classics. I would also recommend graphic novels, book adaptations, and reading simple classics from your favourite genre. I discovered "Nils Holgersson" this way and adored it.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Oh, I don't have any experience with comic books, but that sounds great! I'd love to find comic books based on my favourite novels, just to see what they've done with it. 🤔
Hey Em,
To answer your question about “what big book I wish to tackle in the future”… I was thinking about War and Peace. The reason is because I’m currently reading Anna Karenina. I bought it in a thrift shop. I start reading it and I cannot put it down. It’s the biggest book I’ve ever tried. Never read anything like this. Tolstoy is a genius!!! So I am hoping that War and Peace would be in the same style??? Im a little worried that W&P is a big jump. There is just so many interesting book suggestions on TH-cam. The Count of Monte Christo, that you are holding in this video, just sounds so great to try. I’m just like a kid in a candy store now that I have watched your videos. Candy candy everywhere and only so much can one have at a time…ha ha. Good problem. I’m open to your guidance and suggestions. Thanks again
Anna K is an amazing read. You will enjoy War & Peace as well, because they are similar in style, characters, and family drama. However, the parts about war can make it a challenging read. My advice would be to read a smaller novel going on the side, so you can switch between them. (You'll have to try and see!)
Monte Cristo is a perfect beginner novel. Fast-paced, action-packed and brilliant storyline! I hope you will read it one day.
I started War and Peace on January 1st, and finished it on April 15. Loved it, but I was reading other things at the same time. It's cinematic in a way, even though it was written before movies. At times it's magical.
Thank you for this Emmelie! With regards to abridged editions; while I can understand the desire to read an abridged edition, I prefer to read the entire text. Sure, sometimes the original author can get a bit longwinded but I prefer this to a text in which an editor has decided what part of the book I should read.
You are certainly correct when you talk about reading the book before reading the introduction! Penguin Classics, for example, have great introductions packed with great information but as you rightly say often with spoilers! However I also love the charts and maps they place in some of their books.
Happy reading! 🙂
Oh yes, I had to learn it the hard way after getting some endings ruined 😂 But I love returning to them once I have finished the book. They're a joy to read.
I usually try to read the books first, but with Edith's Whartons The Age of Innocence, I couldn't get into the book. I stopped on chapter 7 and gave up. When I watched the movie with Daniel Day-lewis, I fell in love with the movie and thought id give the book another try, and I ended up liking the book after the movie! The movie was very close to the book. Happy about that.
That's exactly what is so wonderful about adaptations. It can really make you see the book differently and alter the experience. That is indeed a great movie.
Hello! I loved this video. It was so helpful. Thank you for all the tips on websites. I’ve saved them all. 😊
@@nicolycoutinho9338 You're welcome! Glad you found it useful 🥰
As a non-native English speaker that is nonetheless somewhat fluent in English I had a lot of second guessing whether to read classics in original or in Polish translation. It's definitely easier to read for me in Polish, as those XIX-century books have quite a lot of vocabulary I'm not familiar with, yet the translations clearly lack the flow and beauty of the original. It's hard to point out exactly what's wrong, but it's just... not there.
My "worst" translation was Great Expectations, which was translated from FRENCH into Polish for whatever reason, and it was also slightly abridged which I realized like halfway through the book (and was not disclosed anywhere).
The beauty of the prose (even worse for poetic things, Shakspear don't have any melody in Polish translation) is hard to translate I guess (especially across the language groups). I don't feel it as much with Russian literature, Tolstoy's feels amazing in Polish, but I also don't know how exactly it feels in Russian.
Anyway just a little insight, from the foreigner point of view.
Also I'm so grateful to hear that you struggled too with Wuthering Heights, this one was SO hard for me I almost gave up.
From French to Polish, my gosh. That is horrible... A book should always be translated from the original 😮💨
I have exactly the same with my own language. Classics are horrible in Flemish, and I can't really say why. English flows better and is more poetic... :) Strange, isn't it?
@@ProseAndPetticoats It is a bit strange, l think the beauty in different languages relies on its very structure, the way it's naturally spoken with a natural rythm and melody, which cannot be translated directly.
I've read some great translation in Polish, especially older ones (we have XIX century translations of Don Quixote, Illiad and Odyssey and they're all amazing). Haemingway is fine too, probably due to his very direct language.
But I'm afraid in translation a decision needs to be made between being exact or poetic, and there are probably good reasons to rather be exact to not "override" the original language with your own perception.
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Uh oh! I am looking at that little edition of CoMC in your hand because I just bought that teeny edition of Moby Dick. I hope it's not abridged! Edit: Okay, it does say it's complete/unabridged. Whew! Thank you for that reminder. It's something that I didn't know either for a long time. (Will watch the rest when done working.)
It's so easy to forget when you're shopping for books. I'm glad for you that it isn't abridged!
Realism is my favourite too! What it is not surprising because as older generation I was brought up on realistic classic authors.😊
And I am glad that a young person like you likes realism🤗
Thank you for websites recommendations!❤
Interesting video as usual🫠
Thank you! When you say brought up, do you mean that your parents read to you as a child? :)
No🙂. Maybe I didn't say correclly. It s better to say that I was educated mostly on realistic works through school readings and my personal interests. And my parents used to read me picture books 🫠 when I was little girl and later buy me different kind of books.
I read extremely abridged versions of classics like jane eyre and charles dickens back when i was a kid and it was a great introduction of the genre for me. I feel it is because of those books that i got into classics and now i am patiently (impatiently) waiting for the day I get to read them in their whole glory. I would say I did not even know I was reading abridged classics back then😂. Sometimes they also help if you feel intimidated.
@@hsk-ti3tl Absolutely! Aww that's amazing, I love that 🤎
I love how English isn't your first language but you're more well read in the classics of English literature than most English speakers. I think that would be a safe assumption.
Haha. I'd like to think that I am well-read one day 🥰
@@ProseAndPetticoats maybe we'd rather be known for our great memory and high comprehension skills than the volume of books read.
These are some great tips and things to know for beginners and people that have been reading classics for years. I’m the latter.
Yes to the reminder of not reading the introduction first. But I also have to remember to go back and read it. lol
Snobbism - yes! That is so rampant in the classics community. And it’s terrible! Nobody should be vilified or ridiculed for what they read, how much they read, how they read and why they read what they read.
I saw the 2005 version of P&P, and loved it! I haven’t read the book yet and I agree there’s nothing wrong with seeing the movie first.
Thanks for the video!
Oh, I finished Candide by Voltaire a few minutes ago and loved it. Did you make a video or included it in a video a review of it? I thought you did. But maybe I’m thinking of something else.
You put it into words so beautifully. I'm glad you enjoyed it, even as an experienced reader. The 2005 movie is absolutely wonderful.
Oh, you loved Candide, yay! I didn't make a separate video, but I think I mentioned it briefly in my Harvard video. ;)
This was great! So many great points.
@@Michelle-bk5uq I'm glad to hear that!
I have to read the chronology and introduction first, because I appriciate the book all the more and the beautiful history behind its creation. Also, knowing the author's own journey encourages me in my own writing adventure. Pairing an audiobook verison with the print version as a read-a-long would help too.
I can see that. You don't mind the spoilers? I really don't like knowing the ending before I start 🫢
@@ProseAndPetticoats For books such as The Man in The Iron Mask and the City of God, understanding the historical context and the author in that period of time enriches my reading experience. I see Napoleon Bonaparte in a different way after learning more about Alexandre Dumas.
@@ArthurKain Absolutely. That's why I always do my background research 🥰
@@ProseAndPetticoats Your videos have helped me not feel stressed out about taking my sweet time with my reading. I now feel satisfied and productive spending nearly half an hour going over one or two chapters I just read; I skim it over, reread some parts of it, transcribe a quote or two, and then write a paragraph or more on my perspective on it. I've gradually developed a system.
I think research is crucial if you want to read a book from a very different culture. I'm from the Netherlands so when I started reading a Russian book I got really confused with the use of fathernames and other certain customs like name days. It's a learning curve but well worth it since Russian books are now among my favorites.
I wish I had thought to mention this in my video (about the Russian names) - this confused me so much in the beginning. Indeed, there are some amazing Russian classics out there. Tolstoy and Pushkin are among my favourites.
Hi Emmelie... Thank you for sharing your hard learned wisdom. I always prefer the original text of a novel and don't understand why there are abridged versions out there?
Exactly. I will always go for the full versions, as originally published. I can't imagine reading an abridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo or Les Misérables...
Such great points!! I’m planning on reading 1-3 classic novels each month next year. I’ll definitely be watching this video again before doing that.
That's a lovely goal. I'm glad you found it useful!
Hello Emmelie! Great video as always. I agree with you on everything. I don't have a problem with translations either, I trust B&N books, Penguin Black Spine and Oxford World Classics. I also have used Sparknotes and even Wikipedia at times to help understand what is occurring. I agree with movie adaptions too which I have watched prior to reading. Watching the BBC series on War & Peace, movies of Pride & Prejudice; Sense & Sensibility; Emma; The Name of Rose and even the 1968 3 Musketeers as a kid helped out with those books. I have also done group reads which helped. I enjoy, and thus, always try to buy books in the Barnes & Nobles Classics or the Library of Essential Reading; Penguin Black Spine and Oxford World Classics b/c that format works for me. Finally, my greatest wish for me personally is that I wish I had known about Goodreads before I was already 10 years into my classic reading journey; so I think using that site is too late for me. Great video and I look forward to your next one. Have a great week! 😀
Oh yes, Wikipedia also sometimes has chapter by chapter summaries. It's amazing.
If you don't use Goodreads, is there another system you use to keep track of what you have read? Or don't you feel the need to? :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats I pretty much know which books in my shelves I have or have not read and whether I enjoyed it or not. Unfortunately for me, I don't always remember the details of the story. I would have used Goodreads to keep track of this information had I known of its existence when I started classics, but that was so long ago that it may not have existed.
I absolutely hate spoilers in the introduction. I would like to know why they don't always put this information at the end of the book because in some cases they do. After I finish reading a book I love to learn more about it and it's history and influence. AFTER. 😄 Sorry, for the emotional comment but I finally found someone who has the same problem.
When I started reading classics 20 years ago I would have loved a video like this. I started with books that I could not really appreciate at the time like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I had no one to teach me about the art of reading classics but despite making many mistakes I loved it and stuck to it.
@@captnkyras.571 Exactly - I've made the same "mistakes" and wanted to share them. I hope it reaches the right readers! 🥰 Indeed, such an introduction would be more perfect as an outro haha. Starting with Notre-Dame is... VERY challenging! ;)
Terrific, instructive discussion. I'm currently reading the count of Monte Cristo, such great fun.
Thank you so much! Monte Cristo is such an amazing novel. Enjoy 😍
Love Gothic and Romantic literature
Me too!
What????? I had no idea publisher's would actually cut out chapters etc. I thought once a book was written it would always stay in that form 🤯🤯
Unfortunately not. It's good to be aware when you make a purchase!
I'm reading the unabridged Les Miserables. I should've got short version as the novel wanders off. Valjean disappears and other characters we don't care about suddenly appear. That's old time writing...
I cared about all of those characters. 😊 I'm sorry to hear you're not enjoying it that much. Will you give up on it?
Oh no. I'm going to finish the novel. When it comes to big books, the Russians can't be beat.
@@aaronaragon7838 I love Russian classics, but I love the French more 🤭 Do you have a favourite Russian author?
Oh yeah. Dostoevsky of course. Then Chekov for plays, short stories, Gogol...all those guys. Balzac is my guy from France.
I write too. I'm my favorite author.
Great insights!!
@@DrL_Reads Thanks for watching!
if you read for example the illiad and odysses by older translators like Alexander pop you will see a day and night difference but, yeah I get your point...taking to much time stressing about what translation to go with is nonsense.
Exactly :) And yes, I do stress a bit more about ancient classics translations - I find them to have the biggest differences in translation.
I know it's irrelevant
But you look so pretty 👉👈
Such a kind compliment. Thank you :)
You should think of Q&A too
Do you mean I should make a Q&A video? :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats absolutely
Good video, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Hi Emmelie, thanks for your video about this topic, I found it useful since I will be starting my classics journey in a bit; just need to decide on what to get! The bit about the introduction was especially useful, so thanks a lot! I will make sure to check out the video you attached in the comments too.
One other thing: I think that the video had audio issues. There was a constant but subtle echo after every word you said, as if you were in a church. Hope it's nothing too serious. Take care and see you next week!
Good luck with your journey! That is so exciting.
That is strange, because I don't hear any echo or other issues. Could it be your audio device? This is the first time I hear this! Would love to know.
Thanks for watching 🤎
I tested this and surprisingly I hear this echo only on my phone, while on my computer it isn'there as much. All other videos are fine, even other videos from you. Most likely it's nothing but something on my end. Will try to spot this thing in the next video you post, hoping nothing will be there. Take care!
@@MaleniaArtHoarder Thanks for the update! I will test it as well.
Have you ever tried the Ilias and Odysseia translations by Imme Dros? Her Dutch verse translation has been widely praised. In which languages do you read translations?
I read in English. I have never heard of her - I love that there is a good quality translation in Dutch out there!
@@ProseAndPetticoats If I may ask, why do you solely read translations in English? And why not in French (which I presume you understand) and Dutch? There is a wider trend amongst readers, I guess, to read translations in English; why is that? I do apologise for my inquisitiveness, but it interests me very much.
Be careful with LitCharts. I have finally started Moby Dick. I think I'm up to Ch. 3. I decided to look at the prior chapters just to check out the site. It already had spoilers for the ending.
Oh, goodness, there's actually a 1956 movie and it's free on Tubi. I may have to watch it!
That's great advice, thank you. I haven't used Litcharts enough to know this.
How do you define classic lit? Been wondering about this for quite some time
@@DeadNetCord "A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy." Wikipedia has an interesting page, but you can find more definitions online! :)
Do you have an instagram? The page provided on the all links link doesnt work.
Prose and Petticoats - the same name! :)
My question is how do editors decide what to cut when they abridge books?
@@CedricsMom They cut the parts that don't influence the storyline that much, for example ramblings about politics, or they make long scenes shorter and only keep what matters most.
@@ProseAndPetticoats I imagine in MOBY DICK, they would cut the chapter on cephalopods.
Excellent video! Thank you for sharing these really helpful tips. Have you read Faulkner? The Sound And The Fury was a seminal reading experience for me at 17. What is your favorite American classic?
I haven't read Faulkner (yet), but I will get to it! I don't have a favourite American classic at the moment, because I feel like I am "underread" in American literature. I think The Scarlet Letter was the best choice up until now. Some American authors I will get to this year are Henry James and Edith Wharton. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.
@@ProseAndPetticoats Sounds like you will quickly overtake me in the real “classic” category. I have yet to read James or Wharton, or even Melville’s Moby-Dick. But of the more modern American classics, if you haven’t already read them, I would recommend Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls, Steinbeck’s East Of Eden, Nabokov’s Lolita (transplanted Russian-American), Kosinski’s The Painted Bird (Polish transplant), Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, and two great Hollywood novels: Nathanael West’s Day Of The Locust and Budd Schulberg’s What Makes Sammy Run? All of these are much “easier” reads, because I am lazy that way. ;) Faulkner is difficult, but most of the time worth the trouble, and The Sound And The Fury his masterpiece. Thanks again for your video, I will subscribe and keep watching.
@@benskelly8892 Oh yes, Moby Dick. I don't yet know if I want to tackle that one. Something holds me back.
I tried Hemingway, but his writing doesn't click with me. I've already read Nabokov (but I always count him as a Russian author!) and Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men), and I will add the others you mentioned to my reading list. Thank you for subscribing - I'm looking forward to seeing you around.
If you are so well read maybe you can tell me something about Hippodamus of Miletus.
Why don't you tell me about him? I might learn something from you. :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats The Ionian Hippodamus of Miletus is the father of Urban Planning he was the first to lay out the grid pattern of streets and city and town blocks that we know today
@@ProseAndPetticoats i was shocked to see Dr. Victoria Bateman On TH-cam video as she gave a lecture at Cambridge University on The Naked Truth. And Brexit as she took off her Bra Panties Dress in Public in total Nudity as her audience then aporoached her to sign their names on her naked body !
I always watch the movie first. If I read the book first, I spend the entire movie complaining about what they left out. 😂
Oh yes... If you start with the movie, it only makes the book better (and it increases your chance of liking the movie) 😂
abridged books are disrespectful to the author and shouldnt exist
IMO The Samuel Butler translation of The Iliad was pretty terrible. It was Latinized and that made it difficult to read. A bad translation can absolutely ruin your reading experience.
@@dustinneely I got myself the Robert Fagles translation - it was excellent. I always do some research when I want to read the 'Ancient classics 🤭
Abridged editions are an abomination and are produced for those with a short attention span.