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When it comes to classic literature, people can generally be divided into the following three camps:
1. Those who have read it.
2. Those who pretend to have read it.
3. Those who keep saying they’re going to read it, but never do.
Hats off to the first camp, but we can’t really blame those from camps two and three. After all, classic books can often seem pretty formidable, not least because they’re often rather long. War and Peace is over 1,400 pages, Don Quixote is close to 1000, and James Joyce’s Ulysses, while not quite as long, is still, well, Ulysses.
But thanks to Cartoonist John Atkinson, such must-read books need no longer be intimidating because he’s kindly reduced them all to just a handful of words in these funny drawings below. Now you too can pretend to have read the best books! But beware, spoilers lie ahead!
John told Bored Panda that he’s planning on doing at least one more in the cartoon drawings series, but he hasn’t decided which books to include yet. So if you can think of any book to read that you’d like to see condensed then drop your suggestions into the comments section below!
More info: John Atkinson | Facebook | Twitter (h/t: laughing squid)
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AmyBellows 9 years ago
1984: Rebel develops Stockholm Syndrome. Eventually. Like everyone else.
MarkTaranto 9 years ago
A Separate Peace: Kid grows up. Catcher In The Rye: Troubled Kid Grows Up.
DariaB 9 years ago
Oopsie.... Looks like the one who abridged these haven't really read "Dante's Inferno". If they did, they'd know that 1. - It's really called The Divine Comedy; and 2. - Protagonist crosses all hell and purgatory until he reaches his love in paradise....
BellaKonstantinova 9 years ago
It's the first part of The Divine Comedy and it IS called Dante's Inferno, or just Inferno (by Dante). The whole Divine Comedy was made in three parts - Dante's Inferno, Dante's Purgatory and Dante's Paradise (or Heaven). But since the most popular part is Dante's Inferno they placed it here. And yes - it does not "break loose" it's more of an All Hell. Or "Where will I be after laughing at that kitten, check in this book" :)
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ИринаЧумак 9 years ago
Would be funny to see The Count of Monte Cristo and The Picture of Dorian Gray
PaulettePasco 9 years ago
The Count Of Monte Cristo: Poor nice guy turns bad. Becomes rich and goes extensive lengths to exact his revenge
Load More Replies...
SusannaVesna 9 years ago
The War & Peace cracked me up! These r so true though! My mum always irritated me by saying things like "Oh my God, you still didn't read this and that! At your age I have read all of these "divine" classics!". I understand the importance of classic literature, but there are loads of great modern books out there, and one shouldn't feel bad about themselves just cz they haven't read "the classics". Hats off to those who did and can summarize it to us lazy people! :D
DariaB 9 years ago
I agree with you on this one. Sure, if you can, it's great to read classics, you make your knowledge rich with information and your intelligence sparkling with creative fantasy, but unless it's connected to your major or professional field of interest, it's not really an obbligation, it's enough just to know about the contents. And btw I haven't read War and Peace either, I read Resurrection by Tolstoy, see, a non-classic masterpiece of a classic author.
Load More Replies... AmyBellows 9 years ago
1984: Rebel develops Stockholm Syndrome. Eventually. Like everyone else.
MarkTaranto 9 years ago
A Separate Peace: Kid grows up. Catcher In The Rye: Troubled Kid Grows Up.
DariaB 9 years ago
Oopsie.... Looks like the one who abridged these haven't really read "Dante's Inferno". If they did, they'd know that 1. - It's really called The Divine Comedy; and 2. - Protagonist crosses all hell and purgatory until he reaches his love in paradise....
BellaKonstantinova 9 years ago
It's the first part of The Divine Comedy and it IS called Dante's Inferno, or just Inferno (by Dante). The whole Divine Comedy was made in three parts - Dante's Inferno, Dante's Purgatory and Dante's Paradise (or Heaven). But since the most popular part is Dante's Inferno they placed it here. And yes - it does not "break loose" it's more of an All Hell. Or "Where will I be after laughing at that kitten, check in this book" :)
Load More Replies... ИринаЧумак 9 years ago
Would be funny to see The Count of Monte Cristo and The Picture of Dorian Gray
PaulettePasco 9 years ago
The Count Of Monte Cristo: Poor nice guy turns bad. Becomes rich and goes extensive lengths to exact his revenge
Load More Replies... SusannaVesna 9 years ago
The War & Peace cracked me up! These r so true though! My mum always irritated me by saying things like "Oh my God, you still didn't read this and that! At your age I have read all of these "divine" classics!". I understand the importance of classic literature, but there are loads of great modern books out there, and one shouldn't feel bad about themselves just cz they haven't read "the classics". Hats off to those who did and can summarize it to us lazy people! :D
DariaB 9 years ago
I agree with you on this one. Sure, if you can, it's great to read classics, you make your knowledge rich with information and your intelligence sparkling with creative fantasy, but unless it's connected to your major or professional field of interest, it's not really an obbligation, it's enough just to know about the contents. And btw I haven't read War and Peace either, I read Resurrection by Tolstoy, see, a non-classic masterpiece of a classic author.
Load More Replies...
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