So this post is meant as more of a lighthearted piece, a break from all the philosophy I've been posting. When I was doing my senior thesis on the importance of classics for education, I encountered the notion of a western canon of those texts which are vital to civilization. I wondered whether there is a similar canon for writers. What classics could educate us fiction writers and help us improve our craft? The following post is an attempt to answer that question. As always, this is subjective and could be totally misconstrued as a misguided attempt by me to get more people to read the classic's. Feel free to let me know which of these works you agree/disagree with in the comments, or tell me if you think I have missed something.
Anna Karenina: Leo Tolstoy.
This is a book that will totally change your perspective on what it means to write nuanced characters. For those who have not read, the story is about a woman, Anna, who abandons her marriage with a government clerk for a scandalous liaison with a dashing army officer. The story goes on to describe her tragic decline up until her suicide. Despite the potential repulsiveness of his subject, Tolstoy handles the plot and Anna's complex character with impressive delicacy. Even though he reproves her actions and the story does not glorify Anna's misdeeds, there is also a glimmer of pity that shows through. At the end, you as the reader wish Anna would have repented and turned from her harmful past.
What Writers Can Learn: How to write morally gray characters who are still compelling protagonists. How to not be afraid of dealing with difficult subjects.
Don Quixote: Miguel De Cervantes
This book is funnier than you would expect a 16th century novel to be. I would highly encourage any writer who wants to write with any degree of humor to read this. For those who have not read this story, it is about a poor farmer who becomes obsessed with books of chivalry and begins to think he is a knight. The story just gets crazier from there.
What writers can learn: How to write characters with contrasting personalities and portray a nuanced clash between their personalities. Also, how to break the fourth wall and engage the reader through metafictional techniques.
The Divine Comedy: Dante Alighieri
This is a classic poem of one man's descent into hell and ascent into heaven, during which time he learns about divine love and the importance of exercising the will rightly. Considered to be the last of the great epic poems in the ancient tradition until Paradise Lost, there is a lot we as writers can learn from this book.
What we writers can learn: how to write good, strong conversion arcs. Also, this story is a story of powerful love and teaches us how to write good romance. Love is a crucial component of every story, and the Divine Comedy teaches us how to write of love and passion in a God glorifying way.
The Count of Monte Cristo: Alexandre Dumas
This is a timeless classic of revenge and love and what happens when these things intersect. It is the story of Edmond Dantes a sailor who is betrayed and imprisoned by those who he thought he could trust. When he returns from prison, he resolves to take vengeance on those who falsely accused him.
What writers can learn: This is the supreme revenge plot in my humble opinion. If you want to write a story with themes of revenge, I would recommend this. Dumas also skillfully handles a large cast of characters while giving each significance and a position in the plot. This is also the novel to read if you want to pull a reverse Tolstoy and redeem an evil character. It also deals with similar storytelling lessons as Anna Karenina, for both novels have likable protagonists who do evil things.
A Tale of Two Cities: Charles Dickens
"Do you wish to be recalled to life?" With this question, we are introduced to a novel of complex plot and great emotional depth. If I had to sum up this noble beast in a single sentence, it would be this. "A doctor and his daughter become involved in the affairs of a French aristocrat in exile on the eve of the French Revolution and are saved by the selfless sacrifice of a drunken young lawyer." But in all honesty, just read it. It's better than I can explain here.
What writers can learn: Again, this is another one to read if you need to learn how to maintain a complex herd of characters. The other major lesson I would say you could learn from reading this book is the power of symbols. There are many symbols and phrases, ordinary things, that Dickens imbues with special resonance, so they stick in the heads of a reader long after they have put the book down.
So that is the end of the list. (For now....) I know I have not been posting on the regular, but there has just been a lot going on in my life right now. At some point in the future, I will do a post on what I have learned during my creative hiatus of the past three months. But for now I have a grad party to prepare for. Till we meet again, my seven loyal readers, adieu.
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