These are titles every high school student will probably recognize. Ones that you probably have seen as you skimmed through your class syllabus or the Lexington High School Program of Studies. Ones that you feel, perhaps, have been repeated one too many times in English class.

I know that this probably isn’t your favorite genre. I’ve heard the complaints: these books are “outdated”; “difficult”; “boring”. Why are we forced to read books that have old-fashioned ideas, language, and perspectives? Wouldn’t it be a better use of time to read about more modern issues, issues that we students could relate more to?

Maybe you’re right to question it. After all, if these books feel old-fashioned or difficult, why do teachers continue to assign them every year? Why does virtually every school across the country still return to the same titles generation after generation?

On the other hand, though, if these books really are just outdated relics, then why are they still here? Why are they continually revisited by schools, made into modern movie adaptations, and still talked about? Maybe the real question isn’t why we still read them, but what has made them last.

Welcome to your guide to classics.

Now, not every classic is for everyone. But understanding that classics come in different genres may help you to open up to them. Let’s take a look.

Firstly, we have romance. This genre is for the La La Land and The Notebook fans. Pride and Prejudice, a classic 19th-century novel by Jane Austen about the rocky relationship between young, high-spirited Elizabeth Bennet and wealthy, arrogant Mr. Darcy is a famous example. Additionally, Wuthering Heights by ​​Emily Brontë is an example of a classic romance that is still catching public attention today with its movie adaptation.

Secondly, we have Bildungsromans. These are coming of age stories such as Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, which explores themes of personal growth, guilt, and social class through following the life of Pip, an orphan who grows from a humble, rural childhood into a wealthy London gentleman. There is also Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, which delves into themes of resilience and moral integrity as it follows an orphaned girl’s journey toward independence and love.

Next, we have horror. For example, an older horror classic is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This is also a genre of classics that has lots of movie adaptations, such as It and The Shining by Stephen King, or The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. These three classics are also more modern (late 1900s), so if you enjoy thrills and prefer more modern references, this may be the genre for you.

Then we have the dystopian classics straight from English class. Here are some of our favorites: 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. These have been highly influential novels on society from their portrayals of dark societies. They provide social commentaries and warn us against the dangers of dehumanization, unchecked power and totalitarianism, loss of individual freedom, and more.

Next, we have our epics. Arguably, the most famous epics would be The Odyssey and The Iliad by Homer, which are ancient Greek poems entailing the Trojan War and its aftermath, first following Achilles’ rage during the siege of Troy, and then focusing on Odysseus’s ten-year journey back home after the war. A very different kind of epic, however, is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is much more modern and it is a cornerstone of 20th-century literature. It is an epic fantasy story about a quest to destroy the One Ring, a powerful artifact created by the dark lord Sauron to dominate Middle-Earth.

Finally, we have the classics that are geared toward younger age groups and are slightly easier to read. For example, we have To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee that gives readers insight into racial injustice and prejudice, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, which talks about feminism and encourages all young girls to follow their dreams, and The Giver by Lois Lowry, which shows readers the importance of freedom of choice.

So, to conclude, I believe that classics are definitely still relevant today. All the complaints that students may feel when they read classics in school are valid. School is supposed to be a place where students are educated about current issues and the world they are living in. However, for centuries, books have been some of the most powerful tools in human history in shaping the minds of society. These novels are the ones that caught the attention of the world, and for good reason. They provide valuable insight on social constructs and provide commentaries and critiques on them. They show all different kinds of perspectives from all different time periods. Some stories stand the test of time because they still have something important to bring to society. I believe that there’s a lot that can be learned from their commentaries and from their perspectives, even if they may be older—for how can we truly understand society or humankind from simply one period of time?

Even if you might not enjoy every classic, there are different kinds for different interests and different age groups. I myself was surprised to find that I am interested in these kinds of books, but I found that I could see aspects of myself in several characters. For example, when I read my favorite classic growing up, Little Women, I am able to see myself in each of the four sisters; I can see family connection in Meg, ambitions and independence in Jo, morality and compassion in Beth, and social awareness and personal growth in Amy. From this novel, I also learned that girls can pursue their own ambitions and careers even if society expects something different from them, which is a valuable lesson for readers, especially younger ones. These classics are able to bring people together by exploring universal human experiences and teaching us lessons, which is why I think they’re valuable.

So, what sayest thou? To read or not to read: that is the question.