IT'S SO CLASSIC TAG!

HELLO AND HAPPY SATURDAY! (which is what I wrote when I thought I would post this on Saturday) Today I give you guys a break from my forcing all my 2020 plans in your face and talk about something I probably haven't talked about before: THE CLASSICS.

Nicole tagged me for the It's So Classic Tag. A long time ago. Like, way back in August, apparently. lol whoops I'd seen this tag going around and was kind of hoping to be tagged for it, but at the same time I don't really know why I was hoping for that because I really haven't read that many classics. xD Anyway, thanks for the tag, Nicole, and I hope you enjoy watching me struggle to come up with answers. *gulps*

The Rules:

1. Link your post to Rebellious Writing
2. Answer the questions
3. Tag at least 5 bloggers

Onto the questions!!

1. What is one classic that hasn't been made into a movie yet, but really needs to?

I don't know how many people have heard of Island of the Blue Dolphins or consider it a classic, but I'd probably say that one. Apparently there was a movie made of it in 1964, but without having seen it I'm gonna say it's probably a safe assumption that they could make it even better now. (Although now I'm kind of interested in watching the '64 version.)

2. What draws you to classics?

The desire to feel more well-read and cultured. XD

3. What is an underrated classic?

Lol remember when I said I hadn't read very many classics? Yeah, I'm already starting to feel that. xD I'm gonna plead the fifth on this one, because I HAVE read so few and I don't feel like any of them are underrated. Sorry. Rule-breaker here.

4. What is one classic that you didn't expect to love, but ended up loving anyway?

Oh jeez, I have no idea. I haven't straight-up loved a lot of the classics I've read. Unsatisfactory answers up in here, I know. xD In terms of just a classic that I enjoyed more than I thought I might, I remember liking Julius Caesar. (Is that a classic? I'm gonna say it is.)

5. What are your most favorite and least favorite classics?

My very, very favorite? Well, I'm going to bar Lord of the Rings and Narnia from this question, since they'd obviously be my answer AND they're series instead of standalones. So for this one, I'll say The Wizard of Oz. It does have more books that follow it, but I can for sure say the first one is my favorite.

Least favorite? Paradise Lost. Stay tuned for the elaboration on that one.

6. What is your favorite character from a classic? Or if that is too hard, what is your favorite classic character trope (e.g. strong and silent, quiet sidekick, etc.)

I'm trying to think outside the box here and use the ones that would be really obvious for me, like LOTR. So for this one I'm going to say Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird, which I'm reading right now. He's really the only character from a classic that I've actually really appreciated and enjoyed reading about.

7. What's a popular classic that you felt wasn't actually that great?

PARADISE LOST. Maybe I can't fairly use this as an answer because I didn't actually finish it, but uGhHhH my head still hurts when I think about this book. I was reading it for a book review in school, and I literally couldn't even force myself to finish it. I had to read a book with a minimum of 200 pages, so I convinced my teacher (*cough*my mom*cough*) to let me just read up to 200 pages to get the minimum in and then QUIT THAT THING. It was a painful experience. No judgment for those who enjoyed it-- I actually have a lot of respect for you because I don't know howww someone could get anything out of it. (Maybe these classics aren't culturing me as much as I thought. xD)

8. Who is your favorite classic author?

I'm going to go with E.B. White for this one. Of course I love Charlotte's Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan was one of the first books I remember really falling in love with. (Fun fact: I haven't read it since that first time! So I should really read it again and see if the magic's still there. I did buy it recently, so I'll have to get on that.)

9. In your opinion, what makes a classic a classic?

My initial answer to this was that if it becomes and remains a household name, it can be considered a classic. But that's not really fair since I know there are plenty of classics that I only heard of in recent years (therefore, didn't necessarily grow up hearing about), so just because they're not as well-known as, say, Alice in Wonderland doesn't mean they're not still classics.

So I'll tweak that answer a bit to say that if it's a story that is still widely loved years after it's published, it can be a considered a classic. That's still somewhat of a shallow answer, but those are my thoughts.

10. Relating to newer books, what attributes does a book need to have in order to be worthy of the title "classic"?

A powerful message and characters you care about. Part of what makes the classics so well-loved is the message behind the story, and if you can relate to and root for the characters, that makes it that much better.

All this to say that I really, really need to read more classics. xD (See question #2.) I have a few on my bookshelf that I haven't read yet, so this year I'm hoping to really knock some of those out. As well as maybe reread some, like Heidi and Little Women. I'm off to a good start; I've read The Tale of Despereaux (is that considered a classic? see, this is the problem with classics, with many of them there's the age-old question of IS THIS EVEN A CLASSIC) and like I mentioned, I'm currently reading To Kill A Mockingbird. I forget sometimes, in the middle of all my speculative fiction reads, that I do enjoy a good simple real-world story.

Thanks again to Nicole for tagging me! Aand now it's my turn! (This part is always so hard. Far harder than it should be. xD) I taaag:

Alexa @ Summer Snowflakes
Faith @ The Writer's Song
Melissa @ Quill Pen Writer
Lila @ The Red-Hooded Writer
Sarah @ Sarah, Plain & Average

As usual, if I tagged you, don't feel any pressure to do the tag! I totally get if it's just not your thing. (Or if you, ahem, haven't read a lot of classics. Just look at how I struggled through up there. XD) But if you choose to do the tag, I can't wait to read your answers! Oh, and here are the questions for your convenience:

1. What is one classic that hasn't been made into a movie yet, but really needs to?
2. What draws you to classics?
3. What is an underrated classic?
4. What is one classic that you didn't expect to love, but ended up loving anyway?
5. What are your most favorite and least favorite classics?
6. What is your favorite character from a classic? Or if that is too hard, what is your favorite classic character trope (e.g. strong and silent, quiet sidekick, etc.)
7. What's a popular classic that you felt wasn't actually that great?
8. Who is your favorite classic author?
9. In your opinion, what makes a classic a classic?
10. Relating to newer books, what attributes does a book need to have in order to be worthy of the title "classic"?

Side note: I'm still trying to get into a better posting routine. I'm trying to make Saturday my regular posting day, but with my usual weekend schedule that means preparing the post almost in its entirety so I can just get it up Saturday morning with the click of a button. Because if you haven't noticed, I can be a major procrastinator. xD Bear with me (and I know you guys will because you're awesome) as I try to lock this thing down! (And yeah, I know it's not a huge deal if I post on Sundays instead of Saturdays sometimes. But irregularity drives me crazy. xD)

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely week!

Are you a fan of classics? What are some of your favorites? And am I the only one who reads them because it makes me feel cultured? XD