Reading classics, for me, had always been about research. I prefer going straight to the source. I learned what dystopia was by reading 1984 and Brave New World, skipping our generation’s collective phase of the teen dystopian book era. Then, I did a deep dive into cyberpunk by reading the Neuromancer trilogy. If I want to learn about something and I don't want to go through the non-fiction route, it's always going to be reading the classics. I will have a paracetamol at my side just in case, but I will read the classics.

Only recently did I discover that some readers hesitate to read the classics. Sometimes they think they're not smart enough to understand or appreciate it. This could lead to them almost always fleeing the challenge of reading one, being overcome by feelings of intimidation, or being overwhelmed.

I argue that everyone should read classics, regardless of their level of confidence in being able to handle one. If you can read any book, you certainly can read any classic.

Stories are a form of history that aged into forgetfulness before repeating itself. It was then retold and became a classic. Notable pieces of fiction were colored by the society their authors lived in. It was shaped by their experiences growing up, by the events that were happening when the idea came to them or when they were developing the story, and by the subsequent political environment that enabled its publication and circulation. Thus, a classic is a time capsule. Understanding this piece of history will help us prevent the same atrocities, know how to prepare for one, or if you're living in it, how to fight back. You might even be compelled, like these writers, to write the would-be classics of the future. We all failed to heed what people before us said because we didn't read them.

Rereading goes hand in hand with reading classics. I don't often reread books. I only do that when something about them interests me again, to check if what I read or heard was correct, or I want to feel safe and was looking for something comfortable, homely, or nostalgic. I realized rereading could lead to two things: First, I find things I thought originated from me but was in fact from something I’ve read. Second, I thought I understood something one way, but when I reread it (and I've grown much older), it was different. It could be different in the sense that it could contradict my previous beliefs, or it could give me a fresh epiphany. Going back to the classics (or any book) that we've read before is always a new or different experience, simply because we've grown. We have new life experiences, understanding, and associations that were not present when we first read the book. These gave new meaning to what we’ve read. The same goes for the next time you will reread it in the future. New interpretations will come up every time you reread.

Therefore, you were never too smart to read a classic. Rereading and reading more will advance your knowledge (as it should), and it's humbling to know that there’s no limit to what we can know. So, we might as well read it now. We can always come back someday.

Speaking of reading more, there are a lot of books that talk about a specific theme. Reading them all can give you differing perspectives. It will add to your lenses of understanding when you encounter a new book, or rereading an old one.

Finally, reading books without reflecting is like gripping sand as it flows through the gaps in your hands. Write about what you've felt while reading. Your epiphanies, your comments, your opinions, and even every thought that comes to your head while reading should be recorded. It can be through writing a response, or just an annotation, as long as you can go back to them when you reread. Writing can help you remember. It can sort through your thoughts and your emotions. Yes, it's additional material to go through when you re-read, but it can also be a nostalgia gold mine and more "Why did I think this?" kind of moments.

No, you don't need to be smart to read or even understand a classic. Understand what you can now. Go back at it when you've grown a little old feel nostalgia and get new ideas. Stories being told now were already told back then. We just didn't care about them.

You need to read the classics.

6/16/2025