I have always been fond of reading. I have been reading ever since I can remember, probably from the age of 5 or 6. By the time I turned nine, I started reading the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore (the former’s nephew) and Satyajit Ray. As I grew a little older, European classics made their way. From Ben Hur, to Hercules, to children’s adaptations of Jules Verne, Alexander Dumas, RL Stevenson, became my favourites.
Later, the likes of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and the Brontë Sisters captivated my mind like anything. Victorian England became my go-to place for solace in solitude.
Classics continue to be my favourites to this day.
But why classics? In this age and time?
Well, there are ample reasons. From incredible plots to strong, grounded characters to the roundabout conclusions, they appeal to my senses a lot.
The intricately woven plots often made my imagination wild. From Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea to A Journey To The Centre of The Earth and Around the World in 80 Days – all have helped polish my imagination like anything. I have travelled as a companion with Captain Nemo in his “monster” submarine to be the female version of Phileas Fogg or the cohort of the German scientist Otto Lidenbrock who accompanies him into the depths of the abysmal volcano—I have been there all. In the pages of classics, I have befriended some of the most intelligent individuals who have helped shape my worldviews. In my long summer holidays (while a student), classics would be my confidant who helped me deal with loneliness. I still recommend books to those looking for some treasured friends for life.
RL Stevenson’s Treasure Island opened up the world of pirates to me. Through his work, I got to explore places hitherto unknown and the courage with which they sailed in those times. A rhyme from Treasure Island still rings in my mind
“Fifteen Men on the Dead Man’s Chest
Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum”
Years later, this couplet was used in the popular Hollywood flick Pirates of the Caribbean.
Dickens’ David Copperfield and A Christmas Carol are the two books that I often re-read. David’s stepfather was sent off to a strict boarding school, following David’s challenges growing up, which often got me thinking about life.
On the other hand, A Christmas Carol made me realise the importance of not holding on to materialistic things. The protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge went on to become so popular that more than an epoch later, in the latter half of the 20th century, Walt Disney Pictures created a cartoon character named Uncle Scrooge, modelled after Dickens’ protagonist. Just like the novella’s protagonist, Uncle Scrooge (super-rich miser) is always accompanied by his three young nephews – Huie, Douie and Louie – often reminiscent of the three spirits that guide Ebenezer Scrooge.
As I stepped into adulthood, my higher studies in literature unlocked a plethora of classics that further helped consolidate my love for this genre. From ancient Greek masterpieces like Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to the works of Euripides and Aristophanes, poets like Sappho, the abundance of classics made me ponder how human beings have been intrigued exceptionally about their own fellow beings and the workings of their minds that influenced their behavioural patterns.
In classics, I found my solace to heartbreaks, the monotony of everyday life and often the lack of love and relationships, including friends. I made friends and re-visited them when I needed them; fell in and out of love with heroes who captured my emotions greatly; treasured the time I spent with them on long summer holidays and even on normal day existences.
I am still so much enamoured by classics that modern works of sci-fi failed to capture my senses. Somehow, I felt a lack of profundity in those works. On the other hand, in classics, the long, elaborate sentences and endless descriptive paragraphs transported me to a different world. A world where I built my own castles, kissed my prince charming and “lived happily ever after.” I read classics to escape the world I live in – to explore places I have never been and to get swept off my feet in a timeless romance. Because I want to be in a different place and time…relish the smell of the pages of old books (somehow, I feel classics smell differently); get lost in the world where people communicate through hand-written letters in cursive writing, ride in horse-drawn carriages through meadows and in heavy snow-clad roads and reside in country houses or castles. I want to be in a time and space where life’s challenges are minuscule.
However, over the past few years, I have read some contemporary literature along with autobiographies and self-help books. While the former were inspiring and the latter insightful in terms of practical life skills, the allure of classics was a miss.
Often, the general public and “woke” readers appallingly malign classics. Some adjectives associated with classics by them, happen to be “most boring”, “too lengthy”, “wordy”, “way too unrealistic” and even “out of the modern world.”
Nonetheless, one can actually gain so much from classics – an understanding of different cultures, traditions, lifestyles, and culinary habits. It is like a journey into the past. An insight into how human beings have been evoking the same passions and emotions, strengths and weaknesses, speaking and seeking the universal language of love.
I read classics because of the kind of feeling they evoke in me – a genuine and lovely sense of spiritual union – that provides a relief from today’s hard-hitting reality.
By the way, which is your favourite classic?
By Sampurna Majumdar
Sampurna Majumder is a communications professional born and raised in Kolkata. Fascinated by creativity from a young age, she has a deep love for music, literature, and world cinema. An avid reader and traveler, she holds a Master’s degree in Literature from the University of Delhi.
