Timeless Tales

There are certain things you need to have read and be familiar with to classify as an educated person.

Sometimes I just wonder why.

In my children's literature book they read the classic Lewis Carroll poem yesterday, Jabberwocky.

Jabberwocky
 by Lewis Carroll

“Twas brilling, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought ──

So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came Wiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” He chortled in his joy.

‘Twas brilling, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

Wha???

Maybe I'm not sophisticated enough to see its value.

Maybe though, in an Emperor's New Clothes kind of way, everyone wants to call it a classic and make their children read it because they don't want to be the ones to admit that it's drivel.

The other day I finished reading Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence.

Again, it's a classic.  It won the Pulitzer Prize.  

I didn't like it.

I forged ahead from the cumbersome introductions of all the families and how they were connected.  I kept reading.  Pulitzer Prize Peer Pressure I guess.

I recognized that the book was largely a commentary about the society of the time...like Jane Austen.  But Edith, you're no Jane.  Sorry.

The characters were not likable, especially Archer.  He fell in love with Ellen but married May anyway (dumb).  He kept trying to see Ellen when he was married to May (dumb).  After 26 years and after May had died and Ellen's husband, the wicked Count, had died, he had an opportunity to reunite with Ellen, his true love.

Instead he sat in her yard while his son went in the house.

Then Archer walked back to the hotel alone.

And that was the end of the book.

I wasted a lot of time trying to keep names straight for that kind of an ending.

I felt like Mark did a few days ago.  He read Belling the Cat.  The fable about the mice who had a problem with the cat.  One little mouse had the plan to bell the cat.  They discussed it.  They decided it wouldn't work.  End of story.

Mark looked up after reading it and said, "Huh?"

I know the point of the fable is that it's easy to propose impossible solutions.  But still.  What a lame story.

What am I missing that merits the staying power of these stories?  You're smarter than me (I'm guessing).  What am I missing?