In reading One Day, my curiosity for Dickens was piqued much more than I thought was possible, since leaving behind British Lit in high school and college so many years ago. There were several quotes from Great Expectations that tied in with the theme of the novel, as we moved into adulthood with Dexter and Emma, following them for 20 years after graduation day.
I honestly thought, more than once, “Hmmmm. Maybe I should revisit that novel after all.”
Then Emma referred to Wuthering Heights quite a bit, and I had to wonder if I hadn’t given Catherine and Heathcliff the proper attention when I was in high school. I began to feel like there was something to all that calling out over the moors (I think that another mention of the novel elsewhere had already perked me up to this possibility).
THEN when I sat in on the conference call with David Nicholls, author and screenwriter of One Day, he talked about Tess of the D’Urbervilles being one of his favorite novels, and there was a reference to that book within One Day as well. Thomas Hardy is known for being thick dense fiction, but yes, because I like Nicholls’ storytelling, what he said had weight. In spite of always being a little afraid or put off by Thomas Hardy, I put it on my “lifetime classics to read” list!
What’s funny is that One Day is not a high-brow literary fiction sort of novel. Yes, it’s well-written, and yes it’s thought-provoking and rather grand in scope, but it’s basically a very relatable coming of age adult love story. Maybe that made it speak even more loudly? Because it isn’t high-brow?
I wonder why my feelings about certain books — specifically classics — would change based on them being featured within a book or a movie? I guess it’s because I come to think of characters as friends who I can trust, and if they are excited about a book, I wonder why and give it a second chance. I suppose that the same is true when I hear a real-life friend mention a book that impacted her, either back when it was an assignment, or as an adult, and it’s certainly true that if a like-minded book blogger reviews a classic work that I thought I had forgotten, I might reconsider.
So is it just me? Or have you been moved to look into a certain book or author — classics or contemporary — after another book featured it?
Jennifer appreciates the classics, but is okay sticking with contemporary fare in movies and books. She blogs at Snapshot.
Just had to read “A Moveable Feast” by Ernest Hemingway after reading “A Paris Wife” by Paula McLain. Also, borrowed the DVD of “The Sun Also Rises” b/c it is the book Ernest is writing in “The Paris Wife”!
Joni–I knew that several instances of classics had been in my mind, and The Paris Wife definitely got me interested in Hemingway. I only got as far as checking out a volume of short stories from the library though. I had to return it before I read any of them . . . .
Read Helen MacInnes’ books. Post-Internet, I’ve reread, checking out all of her references to authors, artists, playwrights, and other creative persons. An education in itself–but then, her husband was classicist/educator Gilbert Highet.
Never heard of that book!! I do find that I’m much MUCH more interested in all that stuff when I have some context, so that sounds perfect.
When I read “Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette” the readign guide recommended reading A Tale Of Two Cities. I gave it a go but barely made it through, it was no easier in my 40’s than it was in high school!
Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of about Dickens. I really do want to revisit some of it. I remember Tale of Two Cities as being the WORST (but I’m not very interested in history/war/insurrection etc).
I’ve had that experience with both fiction and non-fiction. With non-fiction, I’ll sometimes pick up mentioned books even if I didn’t enjoy the original book, hoping to find a better treatment of the topic.
I have to add, I love Great Expectations, Dickens in general (except The Old Curiosity Shop), but especially Great Expectations.
I really do think that I’m going to try Great Expectations. I remember it being one of the more accessible Dickens titles I read in school, and it is referenced culturally a LOT.
I’m one of those odd ducks who tends to read the classics first (but then, I’m an English teacher). 🙂 Years ago, when I read the Bridget Jones books, I loved how they wove in so many elements of Austen (Mr. Darcy, etc.) The sequel (The Edge of Reason) actually rips off some scenes from Persuasion, too! Lots of fun.
I’ve been wanting to read Persuasion, and I love Bridget Jones, so maybe I’ll read it first, then revisit the sequel.
Rachel, at http://bookssnob.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/bits-and-bobs/, has suggested a read along of Persuasion in September.
Reading Lolita in Tehran got me to read Nabokov’s Invitation to a Beheading.
. . and Jasper Fforde’s books have gotten me to read some oldies too.
One of my best examples of this is how I read C.S.Lewis’ Mere Christianity (a Christian Classic) because it was quoted in so many of the books that I was reading. When I did read it, I was already familiar with big chunks of it 🙂 That’s when C.S.Lewis became my most loved author, too.
I’d like to read some Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, too because they’re quoted by Philip Yancey, who is another favourite author.