Friday, April 18, 2014

What Are Classic And New Classic Books

By Essie Osborn


Neo-classicism, as it applies to literature, is best understood by first identifying what is classic literature, otherwise known as vintage books. Both vintage literature and new classic books apply to fiction, as opposed to non-fiction. Examples of fiction include "Bleak House, " "Little Men" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." Non-fiction, on the other hand, are works like encyclopedias, dictionaries and biographies.

What is vintage literature? Some experts restrict this definition to literature created during Ancient Greece and Rome. Others see it as a book that really stands out or representative of an entire period or style. Classical books tend to evoke strong emotions. Examples of this genre of literature include "Oliver Twist, " "Gone With the Wind" and "Robinson Crusoe." Neo-classical literature would include titles such as "1984, " "Lord of the Flies" or "A Clockwork Orange."

Homer's the "Iliad" is a perfect example of the hard-core definition of classical literature. It was written in ancient Greece by an ancient Greek (Homer was born circa 8th century B. C.). An example of epic literature, the "Iliad" had a massive influence on the history of literature. Epic literature is a long, narrative poem depicting heroic deeds.

"The Count of Monte Cristo " was written by Alexandre Dumas in 1845. The story takes place in Italy, France and islands in the Mediterranean. It details the wrongful imprisonment of a man who escapes from prison, earns a fortune and devotes himself to wreaking revenge on the people who helped land him in prison. A great read for people who love revenge stories.

"Robinson Crusoe, " authored by Daniel Defoe, is by far the oldest of our three classical tales. Published in the United Kingdom in 1719, it relays the biography of a fictional character, Robinson Crusoe, who was cast away on a remote island near the island of Trinidad. This is an example of historical fiction.

"The Hobbit, " by J. R. R. Tolkien, is a children's fantasy novel and the sequel to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, set somewhere in time between the "Dawn of Faerie" and the "Dominion of Men." The central themes to the story are personal growth and heroism. The structure of the novel is that of an episodic quest, with each chapter heralding the arrival of a specific type of creature or a new character.

Also entitled, "The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death, " "Slaughterhouse-Five" is a satire about World War II experiences. While the book is an easy read, the underlying story is anything but. It was written by Kurt Vonnegut in 1969, Slaughterhouse-Five was made into a film in 1972 starring Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, Eugene Roche and Valerie Perrine.

"The Road, " by Cormac McCarthy, is a work of post-apocalyptic literature, a genre which deals with the aftermath of the end of civilization. In fact, in "The Road, " the cause of the cataclysm is of no importance. The story instead revolves around the survival of the destruction of human society and, ultimately, all life on Earth.




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