Why Read the Classics?

An Invitation to Read Slowly, Deeply, and Together

There’s something quietly powerful about opening a book whose pages have withstood time. When we read a classic, we’re not just reading a story, we’re joining a long conversation. One that stretches across decades or even centuries, connecting us with people we’ve never met, places we’ve never been, and thoughts we may never have imagined on our own.

But why do we keep going back to these books?

What makes them classic?

And why should we still read them today?

It’s true: some classics are challenging. The language might be unfamiliar, the pacing slower, the references distant. But, reading a classic is a form of time travel; with every chapter, we are not only gaining insight into the past, we’re sharpening (and shaping) the way we think, read, and live in the present.

1. Classics teach us how to read deeply.

In a world of constant mindless scrolling, reading a classic asks something different of us: patience, reflection, engagement. Classic books are not meant to be consumed in a hurry; they reward close attention and invite re-reading. They slow us down in the best way possible.

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2. Classics challenge our assumptions.

Classic literature often reveals the values and tensions of the time it was written (hence the importance of reading in context), but it also holds up a mirror to our own. Regardless of whether we agree or disagree with what we find in them, classics make us think critically. They prompt readers to interrogate character motivations, social dynamics, and ideological frameworks: What could the book potentially tell us about the world then—and about our world now?

3. Classics remind us that we are not alone.

Themes such as grief, love, ambition, injustice, and hope are enduring aspects of the human experience. When we engage with works like Jane Eyre, Hamlet, or The Iliad, we are confronted with the fundamental questions that have haunted individuals across time and place. There’s something comforting in that continuity, of recognizing the same emotions that a character from a 19th-century novel or a 17th-century play feels. Literature connects us as humans.

4. And yes, classics can still surprise us.

Some of the most unexpected encounters in literature arise from works designated as “classics.” Far from being uniformly solemn or conventional, many canonical texts display wit, irony, and a subversive edge that continues to resonate. For instance, Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey playfully satirizes the conventions of Gothic fiction, revealing her sharp eye for genre and social commentary. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray offers a decadent and provocative exploration of aestheticism and moral corruption. Similarly, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper disrupts the boundaries of domestic fiction to deliver a powerful critique of gender roles and mental health practices in the nineteenth century. These works remind us that the classics are often more daring, inventive, and socially engaged than they are typically given credit for.

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Reading the classics is not merely a matter of completing a checklist of canonical works; rather, it is an invitation to encounter voices that continue to resonate across generations. To read a classic is to participate in an ongoing, global conversation—one that spans centuries and cultures. It is also, quite simply, the opportunity to immerse oneself in a compelling narrative that endures not because it is old, but because it remains meaningful.

If a classic has been waiting on your shelf, perhaps now is the moment to begin. And if you are unsure where to start, let curiosity guide you. Choose a work that captures your interest, approach it with openness, and allow its language, themes, and questions to reach you.

Join Us: Read the Classics with Books & Culture

If you’ve ever longed for thoughtful guidance—and a sense of community—while engaging with some of the great works of literature, I invite you to join Read the Classics with Books & Culture: a year-long exploration of six enduring texts that continue to shape our literary imagination.

Over the course of twelve months, we’ll take the time to slow down and read deeply, approaching one classic at a time. Together, we’ll enter the historical and imaginative worlds these books create, examine their central concerns, and reflect on how they continue to speak to readers today. This program is about reading attentively, thinking critically (and creatively), and experiencing the intellectual and emotional richness that classic literature can offer.

Each book in the program is accompanied by a range of carefully curated resources designed to support and enrich your reading:

✦ A preparatory guide offering context on the author, historical background, and thematic entry points;
✦ An introductory video lecture framing the text and proposing key questions for reflection;
✦ A live guided reading session in which we read and discuss the opening chapter together;
✦ An academic article selected to deepen your understanding and offer scholarly perspective;
✦ A concluding in-depth video lecture providing interpretation, analysis, and space for thoughtful closure.

Our 2025 reading list includes:

• Possession by A. S. Byatt;

• Hamlet by William Shakespeare;

• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys;

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott;

• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving;

• Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.

Are you revisiting these texts or encountering them for the first time? You are welcome! You’ll be invited to read in dialogue—with the text, with your mentor (me!), with fellow readers, and with the long tradition of interpretation each work has inspired. There is no need to arrive with all the answers. You need only bring an open mind, a love of literature, and perhaps a warm cup of coffee (or tea!).

Join us as we read the classics together and rediscover why they continue to matter.