BOOKREVIEW#65 Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

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I think it's quite universal to find difficulty in reading classics. So with that, let me give you some of my secrets in making that classical reading experience more naturally enjoyable. :)

Want to know more about Great Expectations? Read after the jump! For more book reviews, visit this page. Great Expectations is available at Fully Booked. For inquiries, tweet them here.

1. It would be an overkill if while listening to classics, you also listen to Mozart or Bach. For a change, listen to Vitamin String Quartet as they give a rich and multi-level musical dimension to today's popular music.


2. Read by a candlelight. There's something magical about how fire flickers and dances with the slightest movement of the wind. It would be most enigmatic to read via a soft yellow glimmer to make those classic worlds of fiction a part of your world. To make it more magical, use scented candles.

3. Sit on a chair. I know that sounds a bit eerie, to have to emphasize how you should be on a chair but trust me, reading upright on a proper chair can make the experience more like a great library moment! Don't read a classic while lying down on the bed. It's a small change but it can boost your psyche's imagination. (What I do is that, I try to imagine I'm reading inside a high-ceiling great library!)

4. Disconnect from the world. Classics are universally challenging to read and sometimes comprehend because they follow an old language and writing style. Our multi-tasking fast-paced minds sometimes get easily distracted from the change of tone and one easy way to help yourself avoid succumbing to those distractions is to pull the plug from the very beginning of you reading adventure. iOS6? Turn on your "Do Not Disturb" settings. Turn off that wi-fi and stay away from the TV. Your entertainment has been written for you so many years before your time. Give it your time now.

5. Have a pen and paper ready. Most likely, you will encounter a scene or a line that would crush or inspire you. Write it down. If something spoke to you on a personal enigmatic level, respond to it someday. Chances are, you will experience numerous scenes or quotes that would want to be written on your pad, the next best thing to do is put those pieces together. Redefine the meaning of a particular classic according to your terms--to how it affected you. Part of the reasons why a classic is a classic is in its ability to transcend time. Classics can be read in limitless ways and the most important thing to do when you read one is to add one new unique way of understanding a story as inspired by your own unique "big picture". Reinterpret and be inspired to respond to what you read. That's the reformation classics, among other titles, can give you.

I read Great Expectations because Carlos Ruiz Zafon kept on referring to it in his book Angel's Game. Now, I feel like I know my books a little more--like a love.

Or a wife.

How about you? Any classics you would like to recommend?

It's my birthweek this week so I'm dedicating the entire week to Book Features! Starting Oct. 15 until my birthday, I will be posting book features after book features. If you love reading as much as I do, I worked very hard to find titles worthy of your precious time so I hope you do come back to check out my daily book recommendations. :) Cheers!

Don't forget to join my birthday giveaway (who can resist high-end lipsticks?!) Click on the image below to join. You may also simply visit this link.

Good luck!