Is Italo Calvino, Why Read A Classic?

I never heard of this book until PRIME. Once I started PRIME I told people about the books I had to read and everyone said that they loved reading this book. Once I heard about the book from a few people I was excited to start reading it. This was probably my favorite book to read so far. This book challenged me to rethink how I go about doing things. As I said before it challenged me to be more bold, and rethink what success meant. It also challenged me to be more persistent. I tend to be a person who if I fail at something I like to go back to something that makes me feel comfortable when the same opportunity comes to

A much more accurate definition was coined by Louise Cowan, a former chairmen of the English department at the university of Dallas. Louise Cowan defines a classic as a book that, “Portrays life as complex and many sided, depicting both negative and positive aspects of human character in the process of discovering

I really enjoyed the book because from the beginning it started giving background information about the characters, which really helped me see how they became the person we see in the book. Also the book does a wonderful job at painting pictures in your head. One part described the city as “… a ceaseless passage of carriages, trains, and grip cars all with iron clad wheels that struck the pavement like rolling hammers.” With that description I could see the cars and hear the wheels, plus it just helps me understand the book a little better.

Throughout high school students have to read novels that are American Classic, but what even makes a book be considered a classic? A classic is when a novel is relatable throughout decades of being made and it makes the reader intrigued.

I was not really into reading at the time, but I remember that my teacher made us read for at least fifteen minutes at the beginning of every class. If we did not have a book there were many books from her library to choose from. I believe this was one of the first books that I read in her class, and think I chose this book in particular because it stood out. I mean the title itself already piqued my interest. I honestly did not think that I was going to enjoy it as much as I did, It was such a bizarre read with all the strange events and abnormal characters. And in a weird way, the strangeness of the story was what I really liked. I do not think I would have liked it as much if it was not for that. It was one of the first chapter books that I did not have to force myself to finish. This was also one of the first books I read that really got me into loving to read. I just loved getting lost in another world and I wanted to keep reading books that did that for me.

In this day in age, classics range from movies such as Titanic, to books such as Moby Dick, or even television shows such as I Love Lucy. But what does that mean? What even makes something “classic”? The definition of classic includes descriptions like “traditional”, “enduring quality”, “literary work of the first rank”. So what makes these works of art timeless or classic? Herman Melville, a classic author himself, stated that “To produce a mighty book you must choose a mighty theme.” Theme, in literature, is the main idea or underlying message of the book. The reason why theme is, in my opinion, the quality that makes a story classic is because it reaches the reader intellectually and emotionally. Good themes, more often than not, churn

Though I really enjoyed this book I did find that at some points I was saying in my head “I get it!” I think my slight boredom with this book was simply from the lack of experience with this kind of book. Normally in the past the books I’ve read were fiction and were action packed. However I would easily understand if someone who was big on literature really found this book entertaining.

What does it mean for a book to be a classic? When something is a classic, it has been judged over a long period of time and come to be considered one of the best of its kind. So a classic book is one that has tested time, teaches a lesson, entertains many audiences, and changes your perspective or values after reading the book. Some examples of classic books would be Moby Dick, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Hobbit. The Maltese Falcon, an exceptional book written by Dashiell Hammett, is filled with mystery, crime, and adventure. The Maltese Falcon should be a classic because the characters are very interesting, it makes the reader reconsider the acts of good and bad, and it was one of the first unique detective books.

Timeless is defined as “not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion.” Truman Capote was quoted as saying that the “first essential of the nonfiction novel” is that “there is a timeless quality about the cause and events.” However, non-fiction books cover a huge variety of genres and not all of them are timeless.

   A classic literary work has been defined as a work "that lasts through generations because of its universality of theme, ageless symbolism, word choice and the ordering of detail."  A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway should be considered a classic literary work due to the universal themes, ageless symbolism, word choice, and story detail.

I agree with you on Tony Porters talk, most of the characteristics that he talked about are still relevant today. The severity of the characteristics that are carried out greatly depends on the family that he comes from. I think that these characteristics are still seen today because they are carried out from generation to generation, the boy sees the way his father treats his mother and thinks that is the way he is suppose to act. Another contribute is the abuse that is implemented on the child by his father when emotion, ect. are

“A Classic is a book that doesn’t have to be written again.” – W. E. B. Du Bois

There are a numerous amount of books that have been placed on the “classic” book list. Classical literature is generally associated with well-known novels, however, it is frequently a book that marks a turning point in history. Warriors Don’t Cry, written in the 1990’s, by Melba Pattillo Beals is scrutinized as a “classic” book because it incorporates morals and educational uses.

One question I ask myself every once in awhile is, “What makes me... me?”. The first things that come to mind when I think of myself is a hard working, dedicated individual who has an inquisitiveness for sports, technology, and helping others. The root for these self interests is my active personality. As a child, I was always occupied; from playing with a ball to messing up something in my mother's bathroom. I never liked sitting down or watching as much as going outside and hanging with my friends. These actions just carried over into my teenage life and matured over to make myself who I am today.

Mimesis: The basic theoretical principle in the creation of art (Encyclopedia Brittanica). Mimesis was a term and principle used by both Plato and Aristotle. According to Plato, art is an “imitation of and imitation” when compared to the forms. What he means by this is that an art creation is an imitation of something physical, which in itself is an imitation of a form. Aristotle believes artist creations are an “imitation of an action”. This is interpreted as art is the imitation of the action of life. Together they both agree that artistic creations are imitations of the truth or imitations of the forms. Rather than seeing artistic creations as imitations, I argue that art is an individuals perception of the forms, as well as it is the closest an individual can come to comprehending the forms. The supporting reasons for this argument include proving that the sensible are in fact artworks in their own way, that everyones perception of the forms are different, and that art is the closest way of portraying our versions of the forms.