classic books are just different
in a world where books are designed to hook you in with striking covers, 'tropes' and simple language, there is something so sweet and refreshing about opening a classic. it feels more real and precious. classic books aren't made for skimming through and then marking as read on goodreads. they make you stop and slow down for a bit. take this passage from 'jane eyre':
"Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear panes of glass, protecting, but not separating me from the drear November day. At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon. Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast."
what is essentially happening here is that jane is sitting behind the curtains, hidden from sight, and she's reading and looking out of the window. but that is not how it was written! instead, we get a delightful little paragraph with small details and phrases like 'scarlet drapery' and 'storm-beat shrub'. these may feel small (and maybe unnecessary) but i absolutely love them. they make the writing feel intentional and special. it feels like the book is giving me a warm hug.
for me personally, this is one of the reasons i always go back to classics. no matter what the genre is, i 'save' the classics on my shelf and read them at special times. because i know for certain that what's in the book is going to be an absolute work of art.
in a world of mass-produced and factory made things, classics are truly handmade with love