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Sudden change on how classics are looked at

Started by Dragoro, October 31, 2009, 01:03:51 AM

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Dragoro

Used to be, even if someone didn't understand a classic or just didn't like it, the books were still treated as classics and good for the genre. It don't seem so much anymore. People criticize (sometimes trying to cover their ass with "I know it was written a long time ago, so I'm taking that into account") and then proceeding to trash it as if they are better than the people that wrote them. This seems to be becoming more and more common these days.  Anyone else sides me irritated with this nonsense?
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delboy

Must admit I've not come across this. Are you talking just about horror classics, or any classics?

The horror people I know fall into two camps - those who love horror fiction (that's you guys), and those who love horror. The latter, which is just about everyone else, wouldn't dream of reading a horror classic so wouldn't have an opinion either way.  In fact, they wouldn't dream of reading anything. To them horror is Saw or Hostel, and even the 1970's and 80's movies are laughed at as simply not being scary. I guess that says a lot about the future of horror. (*)

But of the former, the people I do know who read, I've never seen the classics put down, criticised, or people claiming to be better than those authors. Sure, people don't always like the books. I struggled to enjoy both Frankenstein and The Monk, but I appreciate these guys (and gals) were laying foundations without which nothing else would have been built.

No, the people I know who love any literature generally have great regard for what's gone before.

Derek

(*) Same with music. So many of the guitar kids think the modern generation of shredders are waaaaaay superior to Hendrix, Reinhardt, Robert Johnson, Wes Montgomery etc It's all about speed and flash technique and posing, good looks and videos and attitude, who the marketing departments decide to sell... And I bet cooking is the same. I bet Fanny Craddock really struggles against James Martin in the eyes of the generations who will be buying their products going forward  ;)
"If you want to write, write it. That's the first rule. And send it in, and send it in to someone who can publish it or get it published. Don't send it to me. Don't show it to your spouse, or your significant other, or your parents, or somebody. They're not going to publish it."

Robert B. Parker

Frank Menser

Having dealt with a cretan who called Poe "One of those annoying older authors," I have to say it bugs the Hell out of me. And usually when you read the so called work of these new writers, it is crap.

It's easy to slam something because it's old. It gives the illustion of being cool.

Rook

POE!?!?!?

Annoying!?!?!?!

Ack! I am embarressed by all of the idiots who think they can read...

Not liking something is one thing, but not appreciating those who came before us as artists is ridiculous.

Though, how one can say they are a fan of fiction in general, let alone horror, and not have affection for Poe, is beyond me.
I think, Sebastian, there for I am.
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Caz

I've read two of Poe's stories, The Black Cat and The Tell Tale Heart, and wonderful they are. The only thing I find wrong with them, and this goes for all the old classics I've read, is the writing style. It's not as snappy and fast paced as most of the work by more modern authors, so sometimes I find the stories to be a bit long winded. I'll still keep reading them though as it fascinates me to be hearing the thoughts of someone who lived maybe two hundred years ago. (I read Frankenstein a little while back.)

One of the best I've read, not strictly a horror or maybe it is, was All Quiet on the Western front.   
Some may say slaughtered is too strong a word...but I like the sound of it.

LeeThompson

Yeah, people who have no respect for what came before are missing out. 

Geoff_N

One of my favourite fiction premises is being alone and surviving against the odds. Robinson Crusoe is one of the first, if not the first, such story. I've read the original twice and believe me the unabridged version is full of long-winded politico-sociial diatribe. Also many continuity errors such as the naked Crusoe swimming to the boat then stuffing ships biscuits into his pockets! hah. However, the sense of despair, angst, hope and elation come over masterfully. Huge respect for Defoe.


Frank Menser

Quote from: Caz on November 07, 2009, 02:18:17 PM
I've read two of Poe's stories, The Black Cat and The Tell Tale Heart, and wonderful they are. The only thing I find wrong with them, and this goes for all the old classics I've read, is the writing style. It's not as snappy and fast paced as most of the work by more modern authors, so sometimes I find the stories to be a bit long winded. I'll still keep reading them though as it fascinates me to be hearing the thoughts of someone who lived maybe two hundred years ago. (I read Frankenstein a little while back.)

One of the best I've read, not strictly a horror or maybe it is, was All Quiet on the Western front.   

The more verbose style of writing though is fascinating to me as it comes from an era when writing was considered more of an art form in presentation than it is today with all our abbreviations, slang  etc... It reflects a culture that IMO (despite their own difficulties) was less stressed and less in a hurry.

Dragoro

Yeah Ive pretty much written these latest critics off. Most of em have never even bothered to read the classics, and the few classics they read, they were forced to when they were in HS. Their opinions mean about as much to me as the crap i scraped off my shoe this morning.
NEGOTIUM PERAMBULANS IN TENEBRIS.

Dragoro

Quote from: Caz on November 07, 2009, 02:18:17 PM
I've read two of Poe's stories, The Black Cat and The Tell Tale Heart, and wonderful they are. The only thing I find wrong with them, and this goes for all the old classics I've read, is the writing style. It's not as snappy and fast paced as most of the work by more modern authors, so sometimes I find the stories to be a bit long winded. I'll still keep reading them though as it fascinates me to be hearing the thoughts of someone who lived maybe two hundred years ago. (I read Frankenstein a little while back.)

One of the best I've read, not strictly a horror or maybe it is, was All Quiet on the Western front.   

Cause you dont like the writing style, which was proper for their time, its wrong? Thats what I hate bout modern society, if it aint the way they like it, its wrong.
NEGOTIUM PERAMBULANS IN TENEBRIS.

Caz

Quote from: Dragoro on November 12, 2009, 09:57:39 PM

Cause you dont like the writing style, which was proper for their time, its wrong? Thats what I hate bout modern society, if it aint the way they like it, its wrong.

You're right, Dragoro, there is nothing wrong with their style of writing and I was incorrect to say so.  I guess what I meant was things from a different age, be they books, films or whatever, will always appear to be dated to me. I'm used to seeing stories unfold at a fast pace, and if they don't I sometimes wonder why don't the story teller just cut to the chase. I do appreciate in their day all writers of classics were doing this, but the day of the classic writers is different to mine and as such I find their idea of fast paced somewhat pedestrian.
I will keep reading these old books but only on occasion. I find the time I spend and the speed I read at always lessens when reading books from a hundred plus years ago. Not sure why this should be but it is.
     
Some may say slaughtered is too strong a word...but I like the sound of it.