Classic Literature To Read And To Enjoy

The term classic literature can prove difficult to define. Originally, it was a blanket term for the collected literary works of antiquity, specific to Ancient Greece and Rome. Since then it has grown to include the ancient literature of any culture, as well as any fine works stemming from later eras.

The term classic also indicates perfection. That which was produced in the past had an innate aesthetic, which contains worth in itself. Usually, classic literary works also highlight the enigmas of the human condition, and, sometimes, even offers answers to the puzzles of our existence.

However, very few people have made deep acquaintance with the classics. The average person delves into them briefly while at school and rarely encounters them again. The language of yesteryear may seem contrived to a modern reader. Some elements of the work may be lost in translation. Whole bodies of work can focus on social issues which are no longer relevant in the modern day. And so, for a variety of reasons, the modern reader abandons his journey into the heart of literature and leaves appalled or, worse, unimpressed.

This is a tragedy, as the works of old contain some of the most moving and wonderful of tales. Below is a list of some of the more accessible and catching classics.

Gilgamesh

The oldest work of literature, coming from Ancient Sumer, Gilgamesh chronicles the trials of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, a man without equal. He takes any woman he pleases and slays any man that dares to stand against him. His own people beg the gods for aid against him, and so the divine powers create a beast man called Enkidu. Enkidu and Gilgamesh battle, and though Gilgamesh defeats Enkidu they become firm friends and the king mends his violent ways. Enkidu and Gilgamesh embark on an adventure to gain fame, and what follows is a meditation on the brevity of existence and a search for eternal life.

The Iliad

The cornerstone work of Western literature, the Iliad is an epic poem that tells a portion of the siege of Troy. It begins with "the rage of Achilles, Peleus' son", as the legendary hero is thwarted of his prize, a captive woman named Briseis whom he took in battle, when she is claimed by the Greek king Agamemnon.

Achilles vows to no longer support the king in his cause, a prolonged war that has lasted ten years, and pulls away the support of his own troops. It is a mature work, lamenting the needlessness of war. It also explores the concepts of homecoming, fate and wrath, all of which are deeply entwined in the story, and come to a head when Achilles battles Hector in mortal combat. The story is excellent and can be enjoyed in both poetic and prose form.

Oedipus Rex

The Greek playwrights can easily deter readers, but if there is one play that everyone should read it is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. The play recounts the fall of Oedipus, king of Thebes. After overcoming the Sphinx and becoming lord of the city, he is led by various avenues to realise a truth so terrible that it destroys him completely. It is a dramatisation of the myth of Oedipus that is immensely powerful and disturbing.

1001 Nights

The king of Persia Shahryar is disgusted at the lecherous ways of women, and so vows to take a new wife each night and have her beheaded the following morning. In bid to stop this odious practice and prove the king wrong, the daughter of the king Vizier, Sheherazade, marries him and prolongs her existence by telling the king stories which she never concludes on the night of the telling, prompting him to delay her execution. This continues for the span of 1001 nights, and thus is born a vast anthology of stories, containing legendary favourites such as Aladdin and Ali Baba, plus many more besides. Of interest is that the oldest detective story is found in the anthology, the Story of the Three Apples.

This book can easily be read in stages, simply perusing interesting stories at will.

Journey to the West

One of the four classic novels of China, Journey to the West is an incredible story, containing some of the most absurd and fantastic situations in literature. It tells the story of the Monkey King, a Monkey that becomes divine through various means and wields a 13 000 pound staff. The Monkey accompanies the Buddhist monk Sanzang on a journey to a remote monastery in India to obtain a sacred text. They are joined by Pig, a man reincarnated into the body of a pig, and also Friar Sand, a stubborn monk.

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