Sunday 20 April 2014

The Differences Between Classic And New Classic Books

By Essie Osborn


In order to understand the genre of neo-classic literature, it is first necessary to be able to identify classic, or vintage, literature. Vintage and new classic books are generally applied to fiction, which is made-up literature, as opposed to non-fiction, which is factually true literature. Examples of fiction books include "Little Women", "Catcher in the Rye" and the Harry Potter series of seven novels. Non-fiction books include the "Holy Bible, " "Gray's Anatomy" and the "History of Classical Music."

How do you define classical literature? There are those who insist that it must stem from the eras of ancient Greece and Rome. A more liberal definition is that it evokes strong emotions and that it typifies a particular period in time, or a particular style. Examples of classical literature include the "Iliad, " "The Count of Monte Cristo, " and "Gulliver's Travels." "Valley of the Dolls, " "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "A Clockwork Orange, " fall under the category of neoclassicism.

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.

"The Great Gatsby, " by F. Scott Fitzgerald, follows an assortment of fictional characters in the summer of 1922. It is widely regarded as a literary masterpiece and a contender for the elusive prize of the Great American Novel. In terms of which sub-genre it would fall into, it is considered a cautionary tale about the American Dream.

"A Clockwork Orange" is an example of the dystonian genre of literature. These are written about negative or depressing societies. In this case, the story's anti-hero, a teenage boy, relates tales of his life of violence. Written by Anthony Burgess, the book occupied the Time Magazine's list of the 100 best English language novels since 1923. It was made into a film, directed by Stanley Kubrick, and released in 1971.




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