Overrated Classics

"1984" by George Orwell

In a general view, "1984" is a good book, especially during today’s time of fear and paranoia about the government. Big Brother, the totalitarian leader, is a term that is still thrown around today. The book, although maybe not intentionally, teaches the reader to be mindful of what is going on in your surroundings. But the real problem in the book is the slow and boring buildup. There's a feeling of fear throughout the novel, but it never felt like enough to me. In this story where the government has an unlimited amount of power, I would be much more hesitant to disobey for whatever could happen to me. Winston and Julia, two of the main characters, are tortured for their crimes, but left alive. When I first read this book and knew about the all-powerful government, I expected a society that acted like robots. They did as they were told, or they would be killed. That wasn’t the situation in 1984, and I feel that it ruined the true sense of fear that should have been shown.


"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

"Frankenstein" is another example of a novel that had a great idea and will always have a long-lasting legacy, but could have been executed better. It is possibly one of the earliest examples of science fiction and created an archetype for hideous and terrifying monsters that are still created today. But the issues I have with this novel are Victor Frankenstein's behavior every situation, and Mary Shelley’s writing style. First off, a common misconception is that Frankenstein is  the monster, while he is actually the doctor who created him. This isn’t Shelley’s fault, but giving the monster an actual name rather than just referring to him as "creature" or "monster" would have been better. The argument could be made that not naming the monster created a further lack of identity for the monster, but I believe other elements could have been used to strengthen that issue while still giving him a name. The monster is such a legendary character created by Frankenstein, who is essentially his father, that it’s silly to think that he went unnamed. Imagine if Dracula wasn’t named and was known as "vampire" or "monster" instead. It would tarnish the fear that character instills. Also, Frankenstein makes endless mistakes along his way and indirectly causes the death of many friends and family. First, the monster murders Frankenstein’s brother, and this leads to the death of the nanny who is believed to be the killer. Had Frankenstein come forward and revealed his creation, she (as well as many other lives) could have been saved. He also decided against creating a female counterpart for the monster, which led to the death of Henry Clerval, Frankenstein’s friend. Then, as Frankenstein is set to marry his wife, he leaves his soon-to-be-wife behind to look for the monster, only for it to kill her amidst the search. As for Shelley’s writing style, it is weak to say the least. She wrote it at the age of 18 and you can sense the youthfulness of her writing.


"Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka’s "Metamorphosis" is a terribly sad story about a man who undergoes a transformation into an insect-like creature and the effects it has on his family. Gregor Samsa, the man who undergoes the transformation, is described as a very giving man, providing the main source of income for his parents and his sister. But when he misses work (uncharacteristic of him), his parents come to check on him. His parents see that he is turning into a hideous creature and no longer care for him. His sister, Greta, initially cares for him, but then quickly becomes tired of it. As Gregor continues to change into this creature, more people are disgusted and afraid of him. Eventually, Gregor dies and his family is grateful that they don’t have to deal with him anymore. "Metamorphosis" is a beloved book by many book-readers, but after reading, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “What made people enjoy this book so much?” From the beginning, we can notice how little love Gregor gets from his family, even though he does so much for them. There is never a sense of appreciation, evidenced by the fact that they are happy when he finally dies. It's uplifting for the moments when Gregor accepts his transformation and enjoys climbing the walls and hanging from the ceilings, but then he goes back into a depressive state and leaves himself to die and rid himself from his family. As a whole, I see this book as the depressive downward spiral of an unappreciated man and how he struggles to cope with the change. Maybe I was expecting it to be more exciting and not purely depressing, but I fail to see how this is considered a top-tier work of fiction.


"Medea" by Euripides

Euripides brings together the common themes of Greek tragedies of death, murder, betrayal and family issues in Medea. When Medea finds out that her husband, Jason, is set to marry a royal princess, she creates an ultimate plan of vengeance to overcome her grief. First, she poisons her husband’s future bride and the bride's father during the wedding. Then, she takes it to the highest level and decides to murder her own children because she feels it is the best way to harm Jason. She is willing to destroy the family that they created because Jason has no problem with leaving them behind. Eventually, Medea flees to Athens with the bodies of her children, proud of what she has done to Jason. This play to me is nothing more than a story of a psychotic woman who is unable to cope with someone leaving her. Obviously no one ever wants to have their heart broken, but the actions by Medea are so extreme, it becomes impossible to enjoy or believe. The only thing I can say I enjoyed from the play is the willpower of Medea. To actually go through with something like this shows how much she wanted to harm Jason, no matter what the sacrifices were. Maybe these tragedies aren’t for me, but I would much rather read about Romeo and Juliet killing themselves out of love for each other instead of an insane woman who will do anything to find revenge.


"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

"The Scarlet Letter's" placement on this list is surely going to be disagreed upon by many, but it was a very boring novel to me. Hester Prynne is required to wear a scarlet “A” on her chest for committing adultery. The entire community that she lives in shuns and shames her for act, although she doesn’t let it bother her too much. She lives in a cottage and earns a steady pay doing needlework. As the story goes on, it is eventually revealed that a priest also bears the scarlet letter. The man ends up being Hester’s lover, and he reveals the truth to the town in a sermon, but dies in her arms as she kisses him. My main issue with this book is the slow buildup. There were only a few key moments in the book where it really caught my attention, like when it's revealed the priest has a scarlet letter as well. Hester takes her shame very well, and that is admirable, but it made for a boring story. I feel as if there wasn't enough conflict and discipline for her crimes, as wearing the letter didn't seem to do enough.