College is full of memorable experiences. I remember one
particular day when I was sitting in senior seminar, a prep class for graduating students in the Humanities Department, when two of my friends got into a debate about
literature. While it may not sound atypical, this particular topic got heated
quite quickly. One of my friends argued for the importance of teaching
classical literature, like Shakespeare, and the other argued that contemporary
novels, like young adult fiction, would become the new classics.
Although the debate quickly
became passionate, the two made it up to each other before the end of the
semester. Another of my friends even wrote a play for creative writing based
off the encounter. The main problem I had while listening to it all was that I
agreed with both of them. I’m a classicist in that I like sitting down with a
book that challenges me intellectually. But I’m also a fangirl who enjoys books
that make me laugh, cry, and want to throw the book against the wall.
Once upon a time, I didn’t like Shakespeare. He’s seen as
the patriarch of English literature and the standard for most writers to
ascribe too. I wondered, how can anybody live up to such a title? And how could
one person have so much influence over literature while other writers are
considered lesser?
Eventually, over the course of my undergraduate, I came to
appreciate and enjoy Shakespeare’s plays and poetry, though I still don’t
consider him the greatest writer known to mankind. I even came to have favorite
plays, having written a paper on As You
Like It. Throughout my college career, I came to learn a lot about my
reading preferences.
The intellectual in me thoroughly enjoys studying
literature, especially if it’s more difficult to read. I like discussions about
literary tropes and trends in styles. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I
started this blog—to express my thoughts on books and encourage discussions. I
like to learn, to expand my mind, to grow. Reading challenging literature does
just that.
When I was studying for my M.A. in English Literature, I
spent a lot of time studying Middle English (think Shakespeare). A. LOT. So
much so that when I decided to watch The
Hollow Crown: War of the Roses for FUN. Part of the way through Henry VI, Part 1, I found that I could
understand nearly everything they were saying. When I first started reading
Shakespeare’s plays, I had to look up everything on SparkNotes and really
analyze the text. Now I have little problem with it.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have difficulties. I still have to
study the plot and characters to fully grasp them. Sure, sometimes I even have
to look up some of the lesser-known phrases. But I find hearing language or
reading the text presents few challenges. And understanding, whether historical
or linguistic, makes literature far more enjoyable.
Perhaps that’s what it means to be a master at
something: overcoming learning challenges to discover how to enjoy a text.
I mean, can a scholar really enjoy studying a Hamlet with the same relish as a
teenager fangirls over The Hunger Games?
Yes.
Why not?
While the response towards the text may be different,
there’s no rule saying that scholars can’t enjoy their work. I never would have
pursued a degree in English literature if I didn’t enjoy reading it. Of course,
literature often makes me think, but there are some instances when it makes me feel too, and more than just boredom. Richard III, A Modest Proposal, and The
Telltale Heart made me shudder.
On the other hand, there are times when I’m tired from a
long day, or a long semester, and I want to be swept away by a story instead of
being encouraged to think. It’s these moments when the fangirl in me will pick
up a young adult novel and connect with the characters and the story.
But that isn’t to say that I don’t learn. Sometimes a story
will have a particularly interesting writing style or character development
that I’ll note for my own writing. Or a story’s theme may inspire or challenge
me. Or maybe a novel just moved me with every single aspect—the plot, the
characters, the voice, the research, the theme—that I want to rush out and by
myself a copy if I don’t already have one.
These types of books tend to be commercial instead of
literary. But that isn’t to say that they don’t have literary value. A book
that brings me to tears—or close to it—while it may not have the heavy
descriptions typical of “literary” books, can still impress value through theme
or other details.
The Book Thief (historical fiction) is classified as young adult, but it’s also poetically profound with the way it values life and friendships.
Illuminae (sci-fi)
is another YA novel but with a unique writing style, told through chats, video
feeds, and AI data. But the dedication of the characters towards the pursuit
and exposure of the truth is astounding.
Inkheart (fantasy),
the start of a YA trilogy, explores the importance of place and the value of
words.
Now that I’ve finished my schooling in English and
literature, I’ve started picking up books like Moby-Dick because I can’t resist a good intellectual challenge. But
that’s not to say that I don’t enjoy YA books. I’ve read perhaps ten while I’m
in the process of getting through this whale-obsessed narrative/study. Next
time, I may pick up a less dense classic.
Until then, I will push through.
And just because I’m not technically a young adult (ages
13-18), doesn’t mean I will stop reading and writing YA.
As an intellectual, I will learn about cultures and
histories, languages and sciences.
As a fangirl, I will laugh and stress with characters,
turning pages late into the night.
Of course, the best books—whether classic or contemporary—encourage
both.
***
Literary references: William Shakespeare’s As You Like It; Henry VI, Part 1; Hamlet;
and Richard III; Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games; Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal; Edgar Allen Poe’s The Telltale Heart; Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief; Amie Kaufman and Jay
Kristoff’s Illuminae; Cornelia
Funke’s Inkheart; and Herman
Melville’s Moby-Dick.
Do you consider yourself more of a scholar or a fangirl?
What’s your favorite genre? Why?
