Wayne Josephson has the intriguing idea of rewriting some classic works of fiction for a younger and more modern audience. So far he has adapted
The Scarlet Letter, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and
The Odyssey, with more to come in the near future. Today he is here to explain the beginnings of his
Readable Classics project. Welcome, Wayne, to Steph Su Reads!
Readable Classics – Helping Teens Appreciate Great Literature
When I was in high school, I was assigned
Moby Dick and
The Scarlet Letter in English. I glazed over them, slammed the books in frustration, read CliffNotes instead, and got C’s on the exams.
Last year, history repeated itself when my 10th grade son was assigned
The Scarlet Letter. He moaned and groaned and went online to SparkNotes. It was time to break the cycle.
Since I was now a published author, I decided to gently edit
The Scarlet Letter to flow more smoothly and make it less frustrating. It still felt like the original because, essentially, it still was the original, retaining Nathaniel Hawthorne’s voice—I just made it more readable.
My son read my version alongside the original, chapter by chapter, and was able to understand and appreciate it. He got an A on the exam.
But something happened to me. I realized that I absolutely loved
The Scarlet Letter. It was stunning, powerful, and beautiful. I finally realized why it has been continuously published for 150 years—the book is important. Hester Prynne was the very first female hero in American literature. Prior to that, they had all been men. That is unimaginable today.
I noticed that Nathaniel Hawthorne had dedicated his book to Herman Melville. I did some research and learned that they were best friends. Likewise, Melville dedicated
Moby Dick to Hawthorne.
I decided to take the plunge and tackle my nemesis, the White Whale. As I gently edited
Moby Dick, plowing through the murky, arcane language, I discovered that it was much more than a whale tale—it was an amazing, often humorous, satire about life, death, and religion.
I knew I had to share my excitement with others, so I published these two books.
Readable Classics was born.
The reviews on Amazon are glowing—even the literary purists like them. And students are ecstatic.
I gently edited
Pride and Prejudice, the first novel to challenge the ridiculous notion that women were second-class citizens. As a result, I fell in love with Jane Austen. I recently published a mashup,
Emma and the Vampires, with the intent of introducing Jane Austen to young adult readers in a friendly way, laced with
Twilight-type vampires.
Then I edited
Jane Eyre. It is the best book I have ever read, hands down. It was the first English novel in which a woman was the hero. Women couldn’t publish books in 1847, so Charlotte Bronte mailed one chapter a week to the London Sunday paper under a man’s pseudonym, Currer Bell. It was an instant sensation.
Jane Eyre is the spellbinding journey of a poor orphan girl who overcomes cruelty, loneliness, starvation, and heartbreak on her quest to find independence as a woman. It is the story of every woman who struggles for equality and dignity in a society that wants to deny her those rights—as true in Victorian England as it is today. It is one of the most important books ever written, and compulsively readable. You simply cannot put it down.
I have just published
The Odyssey—the first novel ever written, 2800 years ago, a timeless story of intrigue and adventure. And I am currently working on
The Red Badge of Courage—the first novel to portray war as ugly and violent and real, not dreamy and idealistic.
So many firsts—the classics have become classics because they are, in many ways, the first of their kind. They have opened up a whole new world to me, and I am grateful that I am finally able to understand and appreciate these great works of literature.
My work is challenging, enjoyable and satisfying. But the best part about writing Readable Classics? Students and adults have told me that my books have helped them overcome their fear of the classics. And that is the most rewarding part of all.
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Well, I certainly admire this daunting task you have taken on, Wayne! I'm glad to hear that more people have been appreciating the classics thanks to Readable Classics. Thank you for this guest post! Check out
Wayne's author website for more information on his books.
Giveaway Opportunity
Wayne has kindly allowed me to host a giveaway! One lucky winner will get to choose from one of the five currently published Readable Classics. To enter, please fill out the form below. This giveaway is limited to
US mailing addresses only and
ends Friday, November 19, 2010. Good luck!
