Many words today mean several different things. We use the word love to describe everything from our favorite foods to our most intimate relationships without really any thought. Another word that, to my frustration, is used a little too loosely is the term "classic." We all have heard the word to describe, books, films, songs, and tv shows, but what does it mean? According to The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition, it has many definitions, including but not limited to:
With all these different meanings, it is no wonder the term is used to describe everything from the earliest books of antiquity to twenty-first-century box office hits.
As for me, the word "classic" means all, or at least most of, the common definitions listed above. It does not simply mean good, or even excellent, but rather it must also survive the test of time. Many people are quick to name recent works like The Divergent Series, Eragon, or The Hunger Games, as classics. Whether you like the book or the movie, it is safe to say that these stories have not yet survived the test of time. Are they classics? Not according to my definition. Will they become classics? Depends on who you ask. One thing for sure is that they have not been passed down from generation to generation without losing their charm or greatness.
What about stories like Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars? We are getting a little closer, and I would be more willing to say that these works are probably classics.
But if you go back even further in time to books like Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, or Moby Dick, there is no doubt in my mind. Not necessarily because I like these books more than others, but because they have endured through many generations without fading into obscurity. Classical works such as Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, as well as the Dark Ages adventure epic Beowulf are still alive after literally thousands of years! Countless films and books have drawn inspiration from them over the years, and most people who read them greatly enjoy them. That is why when I see a recently released film described as a classic, I cringe a little. Being conservative, I like to wait at least forty years before I would call even my favorite stories classics. That does not mean a book or film cannot be inspired or influenced by classic literature. Far from it. Authors and frankly all artists should look back in time to see what people in history have admired and enjoyed through the centuries. One of my favorite quotes is this one from Goerge Lucas that I heard in one of his past interviews.
“I think the core issues that I am dealing with are, if they were valid two thousand years ago, they still have to be valid today even if they’re not in fashion and I think we’ve gone for a few generations where these more basic stories have fallen by the wayside.” George Lucas.
So, there we go, simply being good does not mean classic, at least that is my opinion. Books need to earn their place of being immortalized in time, at least figuratively speaking before they are a true classic. But any story, even ones that have just been created, can be influenced by the classic themes of humanity, originality, and timeless lessons. It is these kinds of books that have the potential to surpass the mere, here today gone tomorrow fate that has doomed so many works of once-popular literature.