Inspiring Lessons from the Pages of Classic Novels

Sure, the classics were written to entertain, but more often than not they were also written to teach, and within the pages of each classic novel lies lessons to be taken to heart. Here are three inspiring lessons from classic novels, and the quotes which brought them to light.

From The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas:

"It's never too late to turn your life in a completely new direction, and there is huge importance in just one day."

What beauty there is to be found in the idea of impermanence! You can change, your circumstances can change, life itself can change, and it’s never too late to turn things around.

From The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:

"Let go of your past, but don't pretend that it never happened."

Keeping with the theme of change, becoming someone new doesn’t mean forgetting who you were. Your past is in the past, but it’s important to know your history.

From the A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket:

"Being lonely is OK, and not everyone has to like you. You can't always rely on people."

It’s a tough lesson to learn, but at one point or another everyone needs to learn self reliance, as there’s no guarantee to always find someone else who can help. This doesn’t mean we can’t rely on other people on occasion, it just means we all need to be able to take care of ourselves as well.

Looking to catch up on the classics? Visit our online library at www.viewtale.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Inspiring Lessons from the Pages of Classic Novels

Sure, the classics were written to entertain, but more often than not they were also written to teach, and within the pages of each classic novel lies lessons to be taken to heart. Here are three inspiring lessons from classic novels, and the quotes which brought them to light.

From The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas:

"It's never too late to turn your life in a completely new direction, and there is huge importance in just one day."

What beauty there is to be found in the idea of impermanence! You can change, your circumstances can change, life itself can change, and it’s never too late to turn things around.

From The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:

"Let go of your past, but don't pretend that it never happened."

Keeping with the theme of change, becoming someone new doesn’t mean forgetting who you were. Your past is in the past, but it’s important to know your history.

From the A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket:

"Being lonely is OK, and not everyone has to like you. You can't always rely on people."

It’s a tough lesson to learn, but at one point or another everyone needs to learn self reliance, as there’s no guarantee to always find someone else who can help. This doesn’t mean we can’t rely on other people on occasion, it just means we all need to be able to take care of ourselves as well.

Looking to catch up on the classics? Visit our online library at www.viewtale.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Where to begin with the Southern Gothic

There are few styles of genres more evocative, more well defined, and more influential than the Southern Gothic. This list is a small primer on where we think you should begin with this classic canon. Even the mere mention of the phrase conjures up a strong image, a small town in the south besieged by the heat of summer and occasional downpours, a lingering aura of death, and a group of people struggling with faith, identity, morality, and more existential concerns. These works all embody the best traits of the southern gothic, as well as some of the best writing to grace any form.

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

This classic novel, centered around a returning World War Two veteran, was actually built from a series of disparate stories that O’Connor had published in various magazines. What she produced through, was undoubtedly a 20th century classic. With its rich and complex characters, shrewd deployment of black humor, and incredibly complex rendering of the dichotomy and absurdity of sin and redemption.

As I Lay, Dying by William Faulkner

In truth, this entire list could have been comprised of nothing but Faulkner works, such was the definitive nature of his take on the genre. But, this is for the stand out amongst standouts. Told from 15 separate viewpoints in Faulkner’s trademark modernist stream of consciousness prose, this examination of grief, family, and the rural south is one of the most beautifully written, evocatively rendered portraits of life anywhere, in any book.

If you want to acquaint yourself with these classic works, or simply browse from a wide selection of classic books. Head over to www.viewtale.com where you can find a tremendous selection of eBooks and audiobooks.

Who tops the list of all-time authors?

Who is the most popular author of all time? How do you measure popularity in literature? Is it the number of people who have read a particular book or the number of books a certain author has sold?

Book earnings could be a good measure, but that wouldn’t give an accurate comparison be writers from today and centuries ago.

Then you must consider that many popular authors have maybe only written a handful of books as opposed to those you have churned out hundreds over the years.

But when it comes down to the bare facts of copies of their work sold, the names at the top of the best-selling list are not surprising.

While it’s hard to get a definitive number of units by each author which had been purchased, the list of best-selling authors gives a good overview of their popularity.

William Shakespeare tops the list, with between 2 and 4 billion copies of his works believed to have been bought. Between plays and collections of poetry, the Bard is believed to have had 42 published works.

In second place is another British writer, but one more instantly identified with a particular genre – Agatha Christie. She is also estimated to have sold between 2 and 4 billion copies of the 80 works she has had published.

The next two names on the list are surprising in one way, and not I another. Barbara Cartland and Danielle Steele are undisputed queens of the romance and are thought to have sold the best part of two billion copies of their books. Cartland is one of the most prolific authors having written over 700 books in her lifetime.

To read classic books from some of history’s most popular authors go to www.viewtale.com.