IDEAS #2 IDEAS ABOUT LITERATURE, CLASSICS, ADAPTATIONS, AND ABRIDGEMENTS
So what is literature? And is it the same as “the classics”? What are the “great books?” And aren't these all just dusty tomes that no one reads anymore? Why do they deserve our attention? Literature has more than one definition. It can mean a body of work on a certain subject. But we are using it to mean a work of superior and lasting artistic merit. Or a pithy definition I like is “a book that never finishes saying what it has to say.”
A Classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy, according to wikipedia. This would describe a work of literature, as well.
“The Great Books” is a phrase used by many historians and classicists to describe a collection of “classics” that should be read and experienced in one's lifetime. These are often published as a set, and/or listed chronologically so one can work one's way through time, beginning at the dawn of civilization and ending today.
I like to simplify: LITERATURE, THE CLASSICS, THE GREAT BOOKS are simply LIVING BOOKS that have been around for a while.
They have been tested by time and have proven themselves by gripping the emotions of their readers and transmitting their ideas for at least fifty years. Readers have found the ideas contained in these books to be so universal, so relevant to the human experience, that anyone, in any time, in any place, in any walk of life, can relate to them.
What exactly does it mean when a classic is abridged or adapted? Are these the same thing? Many purists believe that you should NEVER use abridged or adapted versions of classics, but I'm here to advise, you should never say never.
An abridged version of a classic has been shortened by cutting out descriptive passages and even incidents that are non-essential to the main plot. This can sometimes make a very wordy author's novel more palatable to a younger or distracted audience. Although some passages are missing, the author's beautiful, rich language remains unchanged. The ideas will not be greatly affected.
The easiest way to describe an adapted classic is to say that it is someone else's narration of the classic work. Someone else has read the work and then written the storyline down in their own words. The targeted reader is often a third grade audience. All of the original author's beautiful, rich language is lost and the ideas are completely absent; only the events of the story remain.
There may be times when an abridged or adapted work is called for, but I would argue that they are few and far between.
As I may have mentioned before, you know your student and you are in charge; do whatever is best for you and your student (but not necessarily what results in the least complaining.)
Finally, I'd like to encourage you.
If you're just starting out choosing and reading living books, do not expect “results” tomorrow, or anytime soon. Reading classic literature and living books for enjoyment takes time and practice. It is part of a life-long pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness.
If you have been reading living books with your students for a while, you know it can be harder to interest your students in them than it is to interest them in a new graphic novel or the latest addition to their favorite fantasy series. This is because living books and classics are not easy, it takes more work and effort on the reader's part to mine the ideas. We and our students can't turn our brains off while reading classics, the way we do when we binge-watch a favorite television series. We have to be engaged, continually making connections to other living books we've read, constantly evaluating our conclusions and analyzing their validity.