Read Italo Calvinos Essay About Why Read the Classics

Italo Calvino’s Essay
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Italo Calvino’s Essay
Question 1
Many people prefer reading a classical book instead of a daily newspaper or a current novel for reasons best known to an individual. According to the essay by Italo Calvino, people read classics since they are important in the following ways; replacing thoughts with reality, generating memories and discovering the origin of things.
Reading classics help people get rid of falsehood thoughts. It replaces thoughts with reality. For instance, Michel Butor, after reading the Rougon-Macquart cycle, realized that it was not the way he thought which made him appreciate the story and even describe it in a better way. This was the case because he was reading it at maturity. Reading a classic at maturity enables one to appreciate finer details which could not be emphasized during a youthful age.
Classical books describe the inner mechanisms. It gives memories of things that happened long ago during the youthful life. They bring a good feeling to revisiting where one has come from by offering an opportunity to remember the books that one had read long ago. Since the classics rarely change, it, therefore, gives one a new encounter when reading in future.
Reading classics helps one to discover things that we already know but did not know who the author was or where it originated. When one reads a book, he or she will learn something and remains in mind for long to the extent that the individual forgets the origin. However, reading a classical book helps one to discover the origin ...