That was really funny Mom2Bee. I had to read it twice because I couldn't belive it at first
Actually, I felt similar when I read the title of the post, why read Shakespeare. But then I credit this question/lack of taste to the lack of creative bone in my body. I also wonder the same about Tom Sawyer and all those other classical books. I am much more of promotre of business type reading, the type of writing you actually have to use when writing essays in college. Or even reading a science books or invention books for my daughter. We do read storybooks, offcourse, as they build imagination.
Ah! A Kindred spirit!!!
, I have no problem reading all sorts of books to children, but I've never been interested in the 'classics' myself. The closest I've come to the classics is Tolkien! I'm constantly fighting with myself to share unbiased any literature or product that I can, especially with children or students of mine.
I know that when the time comes, I can't let my personal biases stand in the way of my future kids receiving a spectacular and well rounded education. Though I've tried and failed on one or two occasions to read through Twain and Shakespeare. I found his work to be so...over rated. It was a mega let down and the fact that I was forced to continue, I HATED it, I hated the story (Romeo and Juliet), the genre, the characters and the 'drama'. To me it was the story of how to silly youth ruined their lives and how their stupid parents learned a valuable lesson in 'what matters.' I found the language less relevant than Queens English, and I didn't give a darn about iambic pentameter and I don't really like poetry anyway.
Huckleberry Finn or was it Tom Sawyer?--either way, it was just about the most boring, and one of the most overwhelming, books I ever attempted. I may listen to some good Audio versions of the classics, or I may just wait and share the abridged, childrens versions with my children and let them decide to persue it at a higher level on their own. I don't really believe in censorship unless something is simple smutt (or if its Twilight! Then I burn it on a stake!
) I read an abridged version of Dickens Great Expectations when I was younger, don't really remember it much though, it was assigned reading and I was 6 yos. I do remember taking the book to my father because it had the word 'ass' in it. He blotted it out and wrote idiot.
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Anyways, I did do a search for why read shakespeare and found a short article -
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090819/OPINION/908190332/-1/NEWSMAP I guess the more variety of types of books you read with your child the more their creativity in writing develops and their understanding develops. That is what I got out of it! If other moms want to add, to pursue us non-Shakespeare lovers, it would be very nice. I have always liked Shakespeare stories but I just don't like reading the play styles as they are soo confusing to keep track of who said what.
I didn't get a chance to read the article, but I have to say that I didn't do many classics at all and I'm a VERY creative writer. I do read a lot of books but I'm a 'ditch' reader. I have dug myself into the ditch of reading what I like and
ONLY what I like. I'm going to work on that, theres a lot that I want to share with my kiddos that I haven't got personal experience or such with. I love hanging around on these boards because they force me into a level of consideration thats easy for me to overlook when I'm just dealing with my own thoughts all the time.
I want my kids to be better read than I am, so I'll have to read to them and with them from a variety of sources.
But were still studying Dr. Suess!!!
, hah!
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