Beginner's Guide to Reading The Classics
Summary
TLDRDr. Andrew Moore, an associate professor of great books, offers guidance for those interested in delving into classic literature and philosophy. He advises against self-punishment if certain classics are too challenging and suggests starting with accessible genres like drama or poetry. Dr. Moore recommends using online course syllabi to find reading lists and emphasizes the importance of choosing the right edition with helpful notes and introductions. He encourages readers to embrace the challenge, as it strengthens critical thinking and allows them to join a centuries-old conversation.
Takeaways
- 📚 Dr. Andrew Moore, an associate professor of great books, encourages readers to explore classic literature without feeling overwhelmed.
- 🚫 Avoid self-punishment for not being able to get through dense or lengthy classics; it's not a requirement.
- 🔍 Start with works that interest you to build momentum in reading classics, such as shorter plays or poetry.
- 💡 Use online resources like university course syllabi to find recommended reading lists and specific pages to focus on.
- 🎭 Consider genres like drama and Greek tragedy, or authors like Shakespeare, for more accessible entry points into classics.
- 📈 Look for editions with helpful footnotes or endnotes to aid understanding, especially for philosophy and political theory.
- 📖 Editions from publishers like Penguin Classics, Hackett, Oxford World's Classics, and Norton Critical Editions are recommended for their quality and annotations.
- 🤔 It's okay not to understand everything when reading classics; the goal is to stretch your thinking and engage with challenging ideas.
- 🌟 Reading classics allows you to connect with a historical conversation and find resonance with human experiences across time.
- 💬 Dr. Moore suggests creating a recommended reading list and invites feedback from viewers on what they'd like to see included.
Q & A
What is Dr. Andrew Moore's profession and how does it relate to reading classic literature?
-Dr. Andrew Moore is an associate professor of great books at St. Thomas University. His profession involves reading and teaching a vast number of books, particularly classic literature, which allows him to guide others in understanding and appreciating these works.
Why should someone not punish themselves when trying to read classic literature?
-Dr. Moore suggests that if someone finds reading a particular classic work excruciating and it's not a requirement, they should not force themselves to continue. The goal is to enjoy and appreciate the literature, not to suffer through it.
What is the importance of momentum when starting to read classic literature?
-Momentum is important because it helps in maintaining interest and building a habit of reading. Dr. Moore recommends starting with shorter works to achieve quick wins and build up confidence before tackling longer, more complex texts.
Why are older books or works of philosophy sometimes harder to read?
-Older books and philosophical works can be harder to read due to their age, with language and concepts that have evolved over time, making them denser and more complex compared to modern literature.
What is a practical tip for finding out what classic literature to read?
-A practical tip is to search for university course syllabi online, which often list recommended readings for various subjects. This can provide a curated list of classic works and their importance in the academic world.
How can reading classic literature help in personal development?
-Reading classic literature can strengthen one's thinking muscles and stretch the brain, as it often involves grappling with complex ideas and language. It's a form of intellectual exercise that can enhance cognitive abilities.
What are some genres that are easier to start with when reading classic literature?
-Dr. Moore suggests starting with genres like drama, Greek tragedy, or poetry, as these can be shorter and more accessible than lengthy 18th-century novels or ancient epics.
Why are footnotes and endnotes in scholarly editions helpful for beginners?
-Footnotes and endnotes in scholarly editions provide explanations and context for difficult words or references, aiding beginners in understanding the text without getting lost in the complexity of the language.
What are some recommended editions of classic literature according to Dr. Moore?
-Dr. Moore recommends editions such as Penguin Classics, Hackett editions for philosophy, Oxford World's Classics for their notes, and Norton Critical Editions for their interpretive essays and expert analysis.
How does Dr. Moore feel about the idea of creating a recommended reading list for classic literature?
-Dr. Moore is open to the idea of creating a recommended reading list for those interested in classic literature and invites feedback from his audience to gauge interest.
What is the profound experience Dr. Moore mentions about reading classic literature?
-The profound experience is the connection with the thoughts and feelings of people from different times and places, as expressed in classic literature, which reminds us of our shared humanity.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Reading Classics
Dr. Andrew Moore, an associate professor of great books at St. Thomas University, introduces himself and his series aimed at helping people navigate the world of classic literature and philosophy. He emphasizes the importance of not punishing oneself for not being able to read or enjoy certain classics and suggests starting with works that genuinely interest the reader. Dr. Moore highlights the value of momentum when beginning to read classics and recommends starting with shorter works like plays and poetry to build interest and confidence. He also advises searching for university course syllabi to find reading lists and to focus on key sections of dense works, as professors often provide specific pages for students to read.
📖 Choosing the Right Edition for Classics
Dr. Moore discusses the importance of selecting the right edition when reading classic literature or philosophy. He recommends specific editions such as Penguin Classics for their affordability and durability, Hackett editions for philosophy and political theory, and Oxford World's Classics for their comprehensive notes. He also praises Norton Critical Editions for their scholarly essays and interpretive approaches to the texts. The professor encourages readers not to be discouraged by difficult language or concepts, as part of the value in reading classics is to challenge and strengthen one's thinking. He reassures that even experienced scholars and professors do not understand everything in these works, and that the goal is to engage in the ongoing conversation about these timeless texts that connect us as human beings across time and space.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Classic Literature
💡Philosophy
💡Momentum
💡Course Syllabus
💡Genres
💡Shakespeare
💡Editions
💡Footnotes and Endnotes
💡Norton Critical Editions
💡Great Conversation
Highlights
Dr. Andrew Moore introduces himself as an associate professor of great books at St Thomas University.
He discusses the challenge of starting to read classic literature, philosophy, or poetry.
Dr. Moore advises not to punish oneself for not enjoying a particular classic work.
He emphasizes the importance of finding books that genuinely interest the reader.
The professor suggests starting with genres like drama or poetry for a less intimidating experience.
Dr. Moore recommends using online course syllabi to find great books to read.
He advises looking for course outlines from universities to get a curated reading list.
The professor suggests that reading great books can be like a workout for the brain.
Dr. Moore talks about the practicality of choosing the right edition of a classic book.
He recommends the Penguin Classics series for their quality and affordability.
The professor highlights the usefulness of footnotes and endnotes in scholarly editions.
Dr. Moore suggests that not understanding everything in a classic work is normal and part of the learning process.
He encourages readers to embrace the challenge and enjoy the intellectual exercise.
The professor shares his personal experience of still encountering difficulty in understanding some texts.
Dr. Moore reflects on the profound experience of connecting with authors from the past through their works.
He concludes by inviting viewers to join the conversation of reading and understanding great books.
Transcripts
hey friends so a lot of people are
interested in Reading More classic
literature or classic works of
philosophy or poetry but they don't know
where to start maybe you find it
overwhelming there's so many things to
choose from maybe you want to read some
of these famous works to see what all
the fuss is about but some of them are
really long some of them are really
dense and hard to understand so where do
you start I can help you with that my
name is Dr Andrew Moore I'm associate
professor of great books at St Thomas
University I'm back again with my weekly
series where I talk about books into a
camera and you watch on your telephone
nice to see you again I can't I can't
see you nice to be seen
nice to be here in my house on the
internet so like I said I'm a university
Professor for real I've even got the
fancy robes I teach in a great books
program and what that means for you is
that I've I've read a lot of books and I
I teach a lot of books that's my job to
help people who don't know anything
about these books know lots of things
about these books that's what they pay
me for so I can I can give you some
guidance on this the first thing you
need to know is don't punish yourself I
think for a lot of people there are
these books they they feel they need to
read or they ought to read and they try
and it's painful if the goal here is
that you want to read more Classics you
want to read some of the great books and
you you tried with with James Joyce or
Paradise Lost something really you know
Hefty and you just you've failed and
then you beat yourself up over it don't
do that to yourself if no one is forcing
you to read these things and you're
finding it it excruciating don't do that
to yourself I promise you you there is
more to read than you have life left to
live so we want to find some great books
some works of classic literature that
actually interest you and then we'll go
from there I promise we can find
something that you will love now it is
just the case that that older books
written hundreds of years ago or works
of philosophy they can be tougher than
your average read this is why if you're
trying to get into reading these things
one of the things that's really
important is momentum if you're trying
to kind of change your intellectual diet
I think it's important to get some quick
wins for example you don't necessarily
need to begin with with enormous 18th
century novels or or ancient epics think
about different genres think about drama
think about Greek tragedy or think about
Shakespeare these plays are performed on
the stage and they only take a few hours
so if you're reading them they can only
take so long it's not going to take you
weeks and weeks to finish poetry can be
great in this way too you can find
collections of poems read one every
night before bed boom you're reading the
classics but how do you know what to
read how do you know where to start with
great book books one tip that a lot of
people don't know about is to go online
and search for a course syllabus so you
can look up course syllabi on medieval
literature or Chinese philosophy a lot
of University professors College
professors will post their course
outlines online so you can see what what
books people are reading courses on
African literature or Renaissance
literature or whatever and I would say
too if you're looking to get into
something like philosophy but you're
you're intimidated by these books they
can be dense they can be complicated
they can be really really long searching
for a course outline can be really
helpful there too because professors
will often indicate on their course
outlines specific pages that they want
their students to read so if you're just
a beginner you're reading Philosophy for
the first time this can be really
helpful if you're just looking for an
introduction to a thinker you may not
have to read all 500 pages of their most
famous book and Googling course outlines
can help you kind of zero in on the most
important sections I've been thinking
about this a bit myself about making
some kind of checklist or or recommended
reading list for people is that
something that anyone would be
interested in you could let me know in
the comments maybe I could make such a
thing if you're the kind of person who
who wants to get into reading the
classics reading the great books and
you've you've struggled in the past it
may be worth thinking about whether or
not you've had a bad experience in the
past I think a lot of people probably
had like a bad High School experience
reading Wuthering Heights or Hamlet and
so they're completely turned off old
books but there are a lot of old books
and there's a world of difference
between the Great Gatsby and sergowan
and the Green Knight and if you hated
Jane Austen you might love Virginia
Woolf so if you had some terrible
experience with with look I love
teachers not everybody has a great
teacher and so maybe you had just a
really bad experience studying some book
it doesn't have to be that way don't let
a really unpleasant group project that
you had to do when you were 17 prevent
you from accessing the world's
Storehouse of wisdom and Beauty now just
a practical tip let's talk about
choosing the right Edition not all
editions of books are created equal so
especially with with classic works of
literature with with the the great works
of philosophy or political Theory
whatever
um you'll find that lots of different
Publishers put out editions of those
works so there'd be lots and lots of
additions of the works of Descartes or
something and professors often take
great care in choosing the additions
that that we assign to students that we
ask them to read I find that the penguin
classics series they're they're pretty
good they're they're in these nice kind
of aesthetically pleasing black
paperbacks I use these editions quite a
lot they're they're relatively
inexpensive they're pretty durable they
hold up well I know in my program where
we're talking about like philosophy or
political Theory we read a lot of these
hacket editions again they're relatively
inexpensive and and a lot of these works
are in Translation right if you're if
you're reading in English I mean these
translations send to be pretty reputable
now I really like these Oxford World
Classics again that you know all
matching book covers they look very nice
together in the bookshelf these are
probably a little pricier but the real
virtue the real advantage of these
additions they have I think generally
the best notes especially they're the
ones I use whenever I teach Shakespeare
if I'm teaching Shakespeare I find the
oxfords have the best notes and this is
this is one of the things to pay
attention to when you're when you're
reading classic literature when you're
reading philosophy a lot of these
additions especially these these
scholarly editions that we'd use in like
University classroom have footnotes or
endnotes and those can be really helpful
to you if you're a beginner if you're
reading this stuff for the first time
because if there's there's words or
there's references that you don't
understand you can check the footnotes
or you can check the endnotes and and an
editor will explain that stuff to you
another set of additions that's really
helpful in this way these these Norton
critical editions these are these are
pretty good they give you good notes
again but the other thing that's nice
about these is that at the back of every
Edition the Norton critical editions
they they have a selection of essays
written by Scholars experts on on the
texture reading and so they will give
you different approaches different ways
of understanding the text there's these
short interpretive essays so if you're
if you're wondering like how do I how do
I understand this text what do people
say about this text what's the
significance or importance of this text
you can find that stuff in the back
matter I know that when you're when
you're first reading this stuff
sometimes it can be intimidating or the
language can be difficult and it can
feel sometimes like like a bit of a
chore but it's important to remember I
think that lots of things that are good
for us don't always feel good at first
if you're you know if you're thinking
about like exercise right when you first
start exercising you first start running
or or doing yoga it doesn't always feel
good at first but the more you do them
the better you start to feel and and I
think this this can apply with reading
too when we're trying to change our
reading habits the more you read this
stuff the more comfortable you will
become and I it's important to note if
you're reading and you don't understand
parts of it some of it a lot of it
that's okay sometimes the language is is
archaic sometimes in in works of
philosophy the language can be dense in
poetry the addiction can be very strange
it can be hard to understand what's
going on even more difficult if you're
not a native English speaker this stuff
can be really hard but part of the
reason to read this stuff is that it
strengthens your thinking muscles part
of the goal here is is to stretch your
brain so if it's difficult it's you know
it's probably supposed to be a little
difficult so don't worry too much about
that and I'll tell you a secret I like
again I'm a professor I went to
University for nine years I've been
teaching for about 15 years I read this
stuff and there's still things I don't
understand there are whole debates
professors Scholars writing essays and
and articles and books debating the
meaning and interpretation of of texts
of words of particular ideas that that
these authors have so if you're if
you're a beginner and you're reading
this stuff and you're thinking gee I
don't understand what this means welcome
to the club like we're all trying to
understand what this stuff means and
this may be the most important thing
about starting to read classic
literature or starting to read great
books you get to to enter into this
great conversation that has been going
on for hundreds of years in some cases
thousands of years there is something
profoundly moving about reading a book
that was written 300 500 a thousand
years ago
and hearing another person put into
words
something you have experienced
but have never been able to articulate
to hear someone from long ago and far
away describe your own thoughts and
feelings
that is a profound experience and it
reminds us I think that we are all in
this together as human beings living in
this world and that that people
everywhere of course were very different
in lots of ways but but in a lot of
really fundamental ways we are the same
and reading great books reminds us of
that now if you want specific book
recommendations you can find those in a
video over here I will see you there and
I'll talk to you soon
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