Read the Classics
When I was very young, my mom told me two stories that forged my understanding of good storytelling. “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs (published in 1902) introduced my young mind to anticipation and tension. “The Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton (published in 1882) is, for me, the original open ending. Both stories present the idea of fate and the characters’ struggles to outwit it. This leads me to another story, which I’ve told my children: “The Appointment in Samarra” (as retold in 1933 by W. Somerset Maugham). Like many other classics, these short stories inspired generations of storytellers. Like many other writers, you’ll improve your work if you acquaint yourself with classic literature.
What makes a book a classic? Age? Controversy? Relevance today? Did it have a lasting impact on the craft of writing? Did the author showcase a new writing technique? Did he or she introduce new language? Or, is it simply a stellar work of literature?
Many authors from decades past, if not the creators of new genres, propelled specific genres into mainstream reading culture. Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood brought true-crime fiction into the limelight. Wilkie Collins, a contemporary of Charles Dickens, paved the way for the modern detective novel with his books The Moonstone and The Woman in White. Agatha Christie, nicknamed the “queen of crime,” is thought by many to be the genesis of the modern murder-mystery novel. I just finished reading my first Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None (© 1939). It was wonderful! There’s a lot to be learned here for a writer interested in penning mysteries. Of course, no one needs reminding of how popular vampire stories have become in the years following the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. What Stoker began is today its own bestselling genre.
How did I overlook Agatha Christie, the bestselling fiction writer of all time (aside from Shakespeare), for so long? Sometimes, we’re so focused on new releases, we miss out on amazing books already waiting for us at our local library or bookstore. Good literature does not have an expiry date. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published in 1897, is a case in point. The epistolary form of this novel — newspaper articles, telegrams, letters, diary entries — is too often mistaken for an exclusively modern writing technique. Stoker expertly wielded this writing form with optimal effect. Another seemingly modern quality of this novel is its strong female heroine, Mina. She has a profession and is financially independent. She’s intelligent, brave, and caring. She’s opinionated and resourceful. She’s passionate. She’s complex. She’s not unlike many of today’s popular fictional heroines.
When my niece was very young, she received her first pair of glasses. As her mom and she drove home from the optometrist, my niece exclaimed her surprise at seeing that cars have two headlights, not just one. Reading the classics is like that. Suddenly, within the text of your current read, there’s more to see — so much more. Authors frequently include allusions to other literary works. Those references are there, hidden for the well-read reader. Onions have layers. Cakes have layers. Ogres have layers. Good writing has layers.
When we, as writers, appreciate and learn from the groundbreaking work of authors past, when we understand the roots of today’s bestsellers, we can be inspired and equipped to write with skill, knowledge, and depth. Regardless of publication date, books are books, and writers are writers. You’ll love some and hate some. But, you’ll improve your writing and enrich your reading if you add a few classics to your bookshelf. Reading well means writing well.