Community Chat

[Oznell]

There's a growing presence online, of teenage boys and young men who've found their way to the classics, and want to talk about it.

It's noteworthy because boys ( in general) have seemed less into books than girls, especially works of literature.

The one that's getting a lot of notice is Chris Fizer, of "ChrisKindaReads".   He's on youtube, twitter, instagram.

He has lots of thoughts on what he's reading, and wants to share the excitement.  He's been raving about "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, focusing on certain chapters that he finds extremely compelling.

He also recommends and discusses "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, and "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley (he recommends the 1818 text), among others.

For light reading, he held up "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier, singling out some of the great sentences ( "fire", as he put it) and generally good writing.

Paul Anleitner is another,  appeared on Chris's feed, another huge Dostoevsky fan.  --

Murph of murphreads is another one.  He has been extolling "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck.

LOVE this phenomenon, and hope it spreads.  It's been called a new "counter culture".  I don't care if its tiny-- it has potential, as these enthusiastic young men share what they've gained.

These guys are serious-- they have ambitious reading plans.  Go, guys!  

[walkingal]

I saw this article on X this morning.  This is good to hear.  Reading improves grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.  All good things.

[Cakers3]

Interesting about the return to classics.👍

I always gave DS and GS a book for holidays and birthdays but also here and there in between.

Thank you for posting a good thing about boys and great pictures.

[Franklinbell]

@Oznell  Thank you for sharing!, this is great news!

[just bee]

@Oznell 

This is encouraging. 

I always include books in baby shower gifts.  A child's library should start pre-birth. 

[Janey2]

This makes me happy. Young people that can read a book and want to discuss it. There is hope....l

[Jo1313]

My grands(boys) could read before they went to pre-school..I watched them..I thought maybe they were making things up from the pictures..They were reading the words!..One was bored in pre-school..My DIL told the teacher to give him a book!..The teacher was SHOCKED that he could read the words! I mean he was reading from second grade books.

My DIL and DS always read with them..They are doing a great job!

[Franell]

I taught reading and one of my professors in graduate school told us a funny story. Early in her career she worked with a child who could read fluently but only when he turned the book upside down.  She thought that the child had an unusual case of dyslexia. It turned out that his grandmother read to him holding the book facing him and that's how he learned to read. There are some children who pick up reading easily and others whose learning styles are not typical and need special help.  It is not necessarily connected to intelligence.

[skatting44]

  Noticed movie remakes of  Wuthering Heights, 

A Tale of 2 Cities,  The Count of Monte -Cristo

[Q-Checker]

Fantastic to learn about these boys! I hope that they continue their interest in great literature for the rest of their lives. If they do, I think that their lives will be so enriched, and I am happy for them.