Why Authors Should Read Classic Literature

So Many Books, So Little Time

I didn't start reading classic books because I was looking to expand my horizons. I was simply limited to the library in my home. As it was, my parents provided a rich and varied selection of fiction and non-fiction. They loved to read, and they loved to fill their bookshelves. Out of sheer boredom, I would be driven to pick up a title just to see if the old saying was true - Don't Judge a Book by its Cover. The adage didn't apply a hundred percent, but more often than not, it proved to be sound advice. In the end, I may have started reading classics out of curiosity, but I kept reading them out of a new-found enthusiasm that continues today.

And while I never set out to increase my vocabulary or cultural awareness, the result was inevitable. And expanding my mind wasn't the only consequence; I also absorbed complex sentence structure and nuanced storytelling, both of which help me today day as a writer.

Another element I picked up was the music of language. Different authors carry different tunes and the more a person reads, the better ear they develop for writing their own rhythmic narrations. Great composers don't just listen to modern music to supply themselves with inspiration. They immerse themselves in the classics in order to discover gems that will enhance and enrich their own creations. Writers have to do the same thing. By doing so, authors will construct better sentences, describe better scenes, and develop better characters. They will increase their ability to craft well-written stories that people will want to read again and again.

Now, if the thought of reading classics fills your heart with feelings of dread, never fear! You don't have to limit yourself to James Joyce and Leo Tolstoy. The classics offer untold treasures that cater to every taste. Here is a list of 10 classic books that I recommend for beginners:

• Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

• The Call of the Wild – Jack London

• Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet – Arthur Conan Doyle

• The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

• Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne

• Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

• The Blue Castle - L.M. Montgomery

• O Pioneers - Willa Cather

• The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

• Heidi - Johanna Spyri