On Reading the Classics

There was a time in my life when I would read the classics all the time. I loved them, or if I didn't love them, I could see the value in them and wanted to know why they gained the reputation they did. It's how I came across my love of Joseph Heller and realized after reading Anna Karenina that I never, ever wanted to read War & Peace. These books were my friends. They stuck with me for weeks as I lugged them from bus to bed to couch to appointment waiting room and occasionally even stuck  with my thoughts.

Something changed between high school and now though and I'm not completely sure what it is. Sure I "got busy," but we're all busy and I was always busy; that shouldn't have prevented me from continuing to read these worthwhile novels. I'll cut myself some slack for the university years; I was reading a lot of books for school and when I was reading for pleasure I didn't necessarily want to think critically. That doesn't give me an excuse now.

I'm not going to lie; I have an absolute ton of classic novels bought for very little money, lining my shelves, completely untouched. I love reading YA (I wouldn't blog about it if I didn't), but why can't I read both? Granted these books are HUGE. The size is intimidating to say the least. I  mean look at The Count of Monte Cristo!

875 Pages of VERY TINY script! 

See! See! (I'm sure you can also see that I need to work on my photography skills) But I shouldn't keep using that as an excuse, should I? I have these books sitting here; I SHOULD read them. Plus, they're classics for a reason... right?

I'm still nervous about the amount of time they're going to eat up. Time I could spend reading multitudes of other books, or watching movies or hanging out in my pyjamas with the boyfriend, but it could also be time well worth it. Time I spend immersed in another world, expanding my mind. One of the first up on my list is The Count of Monte Cristo, followed by The Lord of the Rings and maybe some Dostoevsky in the end. I can't guarantee I'll make it through, but it's worth a shot. 

So friends, what do you think? Do you read the classics or did you at any point? Does anybody out there have any tips on follow through for me?