Do You Actually Read the Classics?

Books & Literature     From Emily Faherty, your About Books & Literature Editor     Mark Twain once said a classic is “a book which people praise and don’t read.” Well, we know at least one person out there who’s making his way through these renowned and celebrated titles. Meet Adam Burgess, the About.com Classic Literature Expert! Let’s take a look at what he’s been pulling off the ol’ bookshelf recently.   Follow us on:     Go Behind the Scenes of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? From twisted personalities to a very dramatic ending, Edward Albee’s play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) is, in a word, intoxicating. We love the on-point dialogue, which is quite a feat considering how mentally unstable and irrational Albee’s characters are. READ NOW   Why We Like Cannery Row (Even If There’s ‘Not Much of a Plot’) John Steinbeck is famous for many American classics including East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men. But according to Burgess, Cannery Row (1945) is a stand-out. While “there is not much of a plot,” he says Steinbeck’s narrative voice opens the reader up to the people and mood of its setting (but without the author’s typical “preachiness” about politics and morality). READ NOW   Science Meets Religion in The Sirens of Titan Science, religion, futuristic politics? You’ll get all that and much more in The Sirens of Titan (1959) by Kurt Vonnegut. Expect “superbly written — just over-the-top enough to remain non-offensive, but certainly damning” cynicism and dark humor, in a story that may leave the reader questioning the purpose of life. READ NOW   Is Mansfield Park Jane Austen’s Most Important Book? Anyone who reads the classics is familiar with the many works of Jane Austen. But Burgess says Mansfield Park (1814), the story of Fanny Price, is perhaps “the most complex, the most daring, and the most revolutionary” of them all. READ NOW   ADVERTISEMENT Featured Articles 10 New Books to Read This July How to Encourage Summer Reading Top Books Becoming Movies in 2014 What Is Flash Fiction? Review: ‘Black Vodka’ by Deborah Levy Our Favorite Children’s Books This Month More from About.com Sign up for Shareables! An every-morning rundown of the day in history, with headlines and trends produced by your pals at About.com. Click here to sign up! It's free (of course) and we think you'll like it! Want More From About.com? Check out our social channels tailored to every interest! Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. If you would like to unsubscribe from all newsletters sent from About.com, please send an email to optout@about.com with "Unsubscribe" as the subject line. Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2014 About.com