"A classic is a book that has never finished seeing what it has to see" - Italo
Calvino. So I think in our lifetime most of us have been intimidated by one
classic or another. When we talk about the classics, we're generally talking
about literature from the 19th century all the way back to antiquity and that's
thousands of years of literature to choose from. But thanks to this immense
period of time, classics don't just designate a genre they cover a wealth of
literature from hundreds and thousands of years, from across the genres.
Because of this I'm pretty certain that no matter what your contemporary tastes
are, there's a classic out there for you too. So, these are my classic
recommendations for the modern reader. Whether you've just been too intimidated
to get your feet stuck in or have had a bad experience at high school or even
already a classics fan and just looking for your next read; let's have a look at
the books shall we? Now given the popularity of The Hunger
Games I'm pretty sure there's a few dystopian fans watching now, so if you
like disturbing pictures of the future then I have to recommend to you: H. G. Wells
The Time Machine. Now this classic sci-fi novel takes place 800-thousand years in
the future. When our protagonist discovers the unfortunate future of the human race
and what we have become, an interesting examination of human nature and one of
the pivotal books in future speculation. From dystopian futures to magical worlds,
I know there are quite a few Lord of the Rings fans out there. If you enjoy
fantastical journeys where mythical and magical beasts are encountered, groups are
torn apart and destinations never quite seem to be reached and if you're sitting there
thinking "the Lord of the Rings is kind of a classic in itself" well, I've
got something quite a bit earlier for you and that is the ancient Greek epic
Homer's Odyssey. In this classic adventure tale, the Greek hero Odysseus
on his return from war meets a multitude of different mythical characters and
creatures that waylay him on his travels home. But if you like your fantasy a
little less long-winded and epic, then there's always the classic fairy tales.
Whether it be the Grimm's Brothers, Hans Christian Andersen or a compilation of
the best, then what is more classic fantasy than stories of fairies and
witches that Disney so terribly wrong? If you'll allow me to
return to reality for a moment, I've got something for the romance fans. Whether
you love your romantic comedies like Bridget Jones or something a little bit
more serious... then Jane Austen has a book for you. Now, there's a reason Jane Austen
is so popular and that's because her stories still resonate with people
today. For those looking for a little bit more of a comical fix; there's Emma and
Northanger Abbey. Northanger Abbey is a slight parody on the Gothic novel genre
that was popular when Jane Austen was writing the story, whereas Emma is about
a pushy matchmaker who can't see love right in front of her and for the more
serious romantics in the house, there is Sense and Sensibility. Two sisters; one
who follows her guts and the other who's reliably sensible, both navigating the
murky waters of romance and heartbreak. The next recommendations I have are for
the fans of something a little bit darker. First up is for those who enjoy a
bit of a psychological thriller or a study on a dark character like American
Psycho or even the TV show Dexter and that is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor
Dostoyevsky. The protagonist is a young intelligent but impoverished student, who
has some interesting theories he'd like to test out by committing the murder of
a family he doesn't think deserves to live. If that sounds just a bit too dark
for you and you want some crime then how have you not read Sherlock Holmes? If you
enjoy a contemporary crime novel or TV show then I don't know what you've been
up to, if you haven't been reading Sherlock Holmes. And if you love BBC's
Sherlock and you still haven't read these books, well... Given that the stories
of Sherlock Holmes are a bit of a minefield themselves in quantity
get yourself a little bind up. For those who like the sound of a little bit of
darkness we have a bind up collected together by David Stuart Davies called
tThe Dark Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes, but for the rest of you there's always
The Best of Sherlock Holmes. Now, I could stand here for hours and keep
recommending you classics but if you've got a favorite classic work then leave
it in the comments down below for everybody to have a look at and if
nothing in this video is sounded like a cup of tea then let me know what kind of
thing you like to read and I'll try and give you a recommendation in the
comments. But before you go don't forget to give this video a little thumbs up
and enjoy your classics adventure. If the
spark doesn't come, that's a pity but we do not need the classic sight of duty or
respect but only out of love. Last week we had The Sir Tony Robinson, in this
building, signing copies of his new autobiography No Cunning Plan. This is
the third time. She's messed up twice already... just pretending it's the first time.