COLLEEN’S CORNER: Customized collection of classic works

By Colleen Murphy, Guest Columnist
   I started a little collection of my favorite books this past summer. Novels stimulate one’s thought process.
   Michael Phelps’ autobiography “No Limits: The Will to Succeed” started the collection. After I finish a book, I usually donate it, but I just could not give this one up. I wanted to be able to look at it every now and then to remind myself of how powerful a book could be.
   After all, it was not until I saw the movie several years after reading the book that I was able to fully appreciate Harper Lee’s “ To Kill a Mockingbird”
   The character of Atticus Finch is such a great role model and the lessons learned from the book continue to stand the test of time.
   The most masterfully crafted work I have ever read was the third piece added to my collection — “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”
   By pointing out the many themes and motifs and showing how Shakespeare developed each character into one that the world had never seen before, my English teacher helped me to appreciate the works of Shakespeare.
   The most recent book added to the humble collection was S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders.” It was the first book that ever made me cry, and for that reason alone I had to add it to my shelf. It was not the story that tugged at my emotions, but rather the fact that such a tough “greaser” could care so much for his kid brother.
   The characters of the novel were painted so vividly that I could feel that pain in Darry’s voice when he called out for Ponyboy. The novel demonstrates that love knows no gender or economic status.
   The novel I am currently reading — “All Quiet on the Western Front” — will soon be added to my personal list of great books due to its powerful portrayal of WWI and its confirmation that everybody around the world feels the same emotions.
   So, I’ve shared my short list of books that have had the greatest impact on my life, but only two of them — “Macbeth” and “All Quiet on the Western Front” are in “The Book of Great Books,” which lists the world’s top 100 classics. What makes a classic a classic?
   A classic impacts a large number of people and stays around a long time.
   The message of the book should be relevant, not only at the time the book is written, but also for years later.
   Students everywhere read Shakespeare. It is fascinating that just one man wrote plays that have been popular for centuries. Hamlet’s problem of procrastination, Lady Macbeth’s guilt, and King Lear’s blindness of the truth are all lessons that can still be taught and learned from today and forever after.
   It takes time for a classic to be dubbed a classic. The impact of a book can be seen only after it has been read for years by millions of people.
   But, until new classics are named, I look forward to reading the books already considered classics. And, although there are those official classic lists out there, the one that should matter most is the one that you create.
   Senior Colleen Murphy is the news editor of the Hightstown High School newspaper the Ram Page.