It’s a Classic
When I went to University the idea of ‘reading for fun’ was not promoted the way it is today. Now it’s seen as good for your mental health, as time to switch off, escape into your imagination and recharge those mental batteries.
I was studying English Literature and had an unending list of ‘must read’ books to try to keep up with the lectures. It is probably from then that I developed the habit of ‘speed reading‘ that I still have! Unfortunately, many people still have bad memories of the books they studied for school after being made to analyse them with endless discussion and essays. I have a friend, who shall remain nameless who managed to get through both school and university solely with the help of Cole’s notes, never actually reading the entire text of any of the chosen novels!
Students nowadays have so many more options with different ways to read and they are also much more aware of their mental health and the need for relaxation, both mental and physical, and when we visited Queens McClay Library recently we were pleasantly surprised at the number of students who choose to read widely for enjoyment as well as the fact that most of them prefer the physical book rather than the ebook. As with most people though audiobooks are popular with students to listen to while they are exercising or out and about.
Some of the most notable classic novels I read while studying include:-
A Passage to India by EM Forster, which introduced me to colonial India with all its colour and cultural differences,
A Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, an eye-opening allegorical journey through life,
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, the most gothic of her novels, following the young Catherine Moreland into the sophisticated world of Bath in the 1790s,
The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot a study in family drama and conflict in the 19C which is as relevant now as it was then. Maggie Tulliver’s spirited and difficult childhood is followed by an equally troubled adulthood with far reaching moral dilemmas.
There are of course many more I could mention – and don’t get me started on Shakespeare or Chaucer!
Titles on the Libraries NI Catalogue:
Mill on the Floss
Pilgrim’s Progress
A Passage to India
Northanger Abbey
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