Modernizing Classics

Reading classic works such as those of Verne's and Alcott's is a tedious process, especially that I find their style and use of language far from what my tongue is used ti. Yes, I have enjoyed the stories but it takes me a long time to finish reading the book. Searching polysyllabic and mostly archaic words in the dictionary, many of which I have not even heard spoken by any of my friends or acquaintances fluent in English, or rather, has English as her first language, adds to the time I spend on a book. Complicated words makes it more difficult to understand the meaning of paragraphs, let alone a sentence. I keep losing my concentration when I read classics because I keep losing my interest, too.

To prove a point, I was able to finish a young adult novel by James Patterson in one afternoon. Simple language for the single minded me. And a book being about people my age is added interest. On the other hand, I haven't finished Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which I started last November. And before that, it took me more than a week to finish his Journey to the Center of the Earth. I blame the Icelandic names of places and things and scientific descriptions every or so paragraph.



Now, enter YouTube to the scene. My friend Sacha recommended a video blog or vlog that was supposed to be entertaining and about a classic by Jane Austen. I was reluctant, since classics are not really my thing. Plus the fact that my Internet connection is not always as stable as most. And it might affect my acads, but as if this reason has ever stopped me before. It wouldn't hurt to try, right?

It turned out that the vlog's title is The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (LBD) and it is a modern take on Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Now this is my cup of tea. It is a vlog starring Elizabeth Bennet whose best friend Charlotte Lu helps out in the recording and editing part, mostly. Lizzie narrates her life through her video diary entries. One thing I like about this is their costume theater gimmick; they put on hats or shawls and accents and sort of mock people as they act out overheard conversations relevant to the diary entry.

As of this posting, I'm on episode 76.

In reality though, LBD is actually a project created by Hank Green and Bernie Su and a small production team. And Lizzie and the other characters are all "played" by actors. It would have been awesome if the Bennet sisters were actually played by real siblings, right?

I fancy Green and Su's idea to have developed a classic into a new medium: video blogging. I find this helpful to gain interest to Pride and Prejudice as I have not yet read it. It restores my hope for humanity that technology does not take classic works of art and literature for granted. Instead, it creates a new venue for the appreciation of the classics. I hope that similar modernized adaptations would come out and be developed in the near future so that more people can enjoy the works as they should be.


A/N: No, I was not paid to advertise the series. I honestly just enjoyed the series, much to Sacha's delight.