Inspiring Lessons from the Pages of Classic Novels

Sure, the classics were written to entertain, but more often than not they were also written to teach, and within the pages of each classic novel lies lessons to be taken to heart. Here are three inspiring lessons from classic novels, and the quotes which brought them to light.

From The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas:

“It’s never too late to turn your life in a completely new direction, and there is huge importance in just one day.”

What beauty there is to be found in the idea of impermanence! You can change, your circumstances can change, life itself can change, and it’s never too late to turn things around.

From The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:

“Let go of your past, but don’t pretend that it never happened.”

Keeping with the theme of change, becoming someone new doesn’t mean forgetting who you were. Your past is in the past, but it’s important to know your history.

From the A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket:

“Being lonely is OK, and not everyone has to like you. You can’t always rely on people.”

It’s a tough lesson to learn, but at one point or another everyone needs to learn self reliance, as there’s no guarantee to always find someone else who can help. This doesn’t mean we can’t rely on other people on occasion, it just means we all need to be able to take care of ourselves as well.

Looking to catch up on the classics? Visit our online library at www.viewtale.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Inspiring Lessons from the Pages of Classic Novels

From The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas:

“It’s never too late to turn your life in a completely new direction, and there is huge importance in just one day.”

What beauty there is to be found in the idea of impermanence! You can change, your circumstances can change, life itself can change, and it’s never too late to turn things around.

From The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:

“Let go of your past, but don’t pretend that it never happened.”

Keeping with the theme of change, becoming someone new doesn’t mean forgetting who you were. Your past is in the past, but it’s important to know your history.

From the A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket:

“Being lonely is OK, and not everyone has to like you. You can’t always rely on people.”

It’s a tough lesson to learn, but at one point or another everyone needs to learn self reliance, as there’s no guarantee to always find someone else who can help. This doesn’t mean we can’t rely on other people on occasion, it just means we all need to be able to take care of ourselves as well.

How to Start Reading the Classics

The world of classic literature can seem like an intimidating one at times. Countless titles, each as timeless as the last, and each every bit as worth the effort to read as the next. It may be difficult to decide where to begin, but fear not! Here are four easy steps to help you start reading the classics today.

Figure out what you already like. Odds are you’ve already got some topics of interest, or perhaps even a writing style you enjoy, which means you can begin with the classics that you may be more inclined to like.

Make a list. Once you’ve defined what you’d like to read, go ahead and make a list of the novels that fit the bill. You may find that the quantity of classics on your list will be less intimidating than you think.

Make time to read. Now that you’ve got the first book on your list, it’s important to actually make time to read it. Make it a ritual, one you enjoy, and you’ll find yourself trying to get more sessions scheduled in before you know it.

Don’t be afraid to move on. Not every book will be for you, and that’s ok. If one of the classics just isn’t doing it for you, there’s no shame in putting it down and moving on to the next. You can always come back to it later.

Looking to get acquainted with the classics? Visit our online library at www.viewtale.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, accessible anytime from your favorite devices.

Where to begin with the Southern Gothic

There are few styles of genres more evocative, more well defined, and more influential than the Southern Gothic. This list is a small primer on where we think you should begin with this classic canon. Even the mere mention of the phrase conjures up a strong image, a small town in the south besieged by the heat of summer and occasional downpours, a lingering aura of death, and a group of people struggling with faith, identity, morality, and more existential concerns. These works all embody the best traits of the southern gothic, as well as some of the best writing to grace any form.

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

This classic novel, centered around a returning World War Two veteran, was actually built from a series of disparate stories that O’Connor had published in various magazines. What she produced through, was undoubtedly a 20th century classic. With its rich and complex characters, shrewd deployment of black humor, and incredibly complex rendering of the dichotomy and absurdity of sin and redemption.

As I Lay, Dying by William Faulkner

In truth, this entire list could have been comprised of nothing but Faulkner works, such was the definitive nature of his take on the genre. But, this is for the stand out amongst standouts. Told from 15 separate viewpoints in Faulkner’s trademark modernist stream of consciousness prose, this examination of grief, family, and the rural south is one of the most beautifully written, evocatively rendered portraits of life anywhere, in any book.

If you want to acquaint yourself with these classic works, or simply browse from a wide selection of classic books. Head over to www.viewtale.com where you can find a tremendous selection of eBooks and audiobooks.

Interesting Facts About Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker’s Dracula set the standard when it comes to the interpretation of the modern vampire, which in at least some way served as inspiration for such meg hits as Twilight and Interview with the Vampire. Here are three interesting facts about Bram Stoker that you may not have know.

He’s never been to Transylvania. Although the story of Dracula is loosely based in Romanian history as well as folklore, and although Stoker’s Dracula is partially set in Transylvania, a mountainous region in central Romania, Stoker, an Irish author, had never in fact visited Romania or any other part of Eastern Europe.

He once fought with Oscar Wilde over a woman. Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker were college friends, both having attended Trinity College in Dublin. That is, until Stoker decided to marry Florence Balcombe, Oscar Wilde’s childhood sweetheart. The two managed to settle the feud and remained friends, however, and Stoker would later travel to visit Wilde while he was living in France.

You need an escort to see his ashes. Bram Stoker died on April 20, 1912, although accounts of the cause of death remained varied, perhaps due to attempts to conceal the fact that he suffered from syphilis. Stoker was cremated, and his ashes were held for viewing at the Golders Green Crematorium, the first crematorium in London, where they remain today. His ashes can be viewed by the public, but only with an escort.

Looking to brush up on the classics? Visit our online library at www.viewtale.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, accessible anytime from your favorite devices.

Who tops the list of all-time authors?

Who is the most popular author of all time? How do you measure popularity in literature? Is it the number of people who have read a particular book or the number of books a certain author has sold?

Book earnings could be a good measure, but that wouldn’t give an accurate comparison be writers from today and centuries ago.

Then you must consider that many popular authors have maybe only written a handful of books as opposed to those you have churned out hundreds over the years.

But when it comes down to the bare facts of copies of their work sold, the names at the top of the best-selling list are not surprising.

While it’s hard to get a definitive number of units by each author which had been purchased, the list of best-selling authors gives a good overview of their popularity.

William Shakespeare tops the list, with between 2 and 4 billion copies of his works believed to have been bought. Between plays and collections of poetry, the Bard is believed to have had 42 published works.

In second place is another British writer, but one more instantly identified with a particular genre – Agatha Christie. She is also estimated to have sold between 2 and 4 billion copies of the 80 works she has had published.

The next two names on the list are surprising in one way, and not I another. Barbara Cartland and Danielle Steele are undisputed queens of the romance and are thought to have sold the best part of two billion copies of their books. Cartland is one of the most prolific authors having written over 700 books in her lifetime.

To read classic books from some of history’s most popular authors go to www.viewtale.com.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

post