OK, I admit it – I have an on-going love affair with the classics. My ‘comfort food’ consists of indulging in a feast of Charles Dickens or Jane Austen. Who could resist an opening line like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” It’s delicious. Or what about Dickens’ David Copperfield opening: “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” I’m in awe of those openings and every time I dive in to one of these greats, I enjoy it all over again.
Go ahead – treat yourself! Go to the library or a used book store and pick up one of these golden oldies for a reminder of how a great story can still leave you thinking and inspired!
What’s your favourite classic?
Maybe she’s too contemporary to be a classic, but I’ll list her anyway: Alice Munro. I never tire of reading her short stories, especially the earlier ones. She captures small town/rural Ontario so well. And her characters — so complex and so real.
I have to confess that I haven’t read a lot of Alice Munro, but I’m inspired to give her a read. I’ve only just discovered Iris Murdoch as well – LOVE her!