The James Bond Book Club; reviews 'classics'

"You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! The best weapons in the world!"- The Doctor (S2,"Tooth and Claw).
Whilst I agree with David Tennant's incarnation of The Doctor, I must confess that there is more to books than using them as weapons (but they are very effective); there is much more to be gained.
Through books, you can learn new things, whether they're philosophical or factual or general knowledge.... You can open your mind, and most importantly; you can be easily entertained if you have the patience to read books.
Lately I've been burying myself in 'classics' when I've had a spare moment. I have:

• started 'The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
• finished 'Lord of The Flies' by William Golding
• finished 'From Russia With Love' by Ian Fleming
• started 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen
• started 'Cat Among The Pigeons' by Agatha Christie.

And of all the above, I have to say, I'm most impressed with Sherlock Holmes. Last night was a night devoted to reading "A Scandal In Bohemia".... it was not wasted. 

Yet what struck me as being curiously disappointing was 'From Russia With Love'. I had expected one of the 'best James Bond novels' (according to my librarian) to be more enthralling. James Bond himself is an interesting character, but his neo-sexist tendencies towards women had my inner feminist shaking her head. Plus I don't get how he can just ignore the awesomeness of Miss Moneypenny like that. He knows she exists, and they do have a flirtationship of sorts, but c'mon? How do you ignore a woman like that?

(I've only read one Bond novel, but I've seen Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and all the Daniel Craig ones.... James Bond really needs to stop his extreme flirting and stay with Moneypenny)

Lord of the Flies was a compulsory read; it was for an English assignment. Unlike most of the books you get assigned to read, Lord of the Flies is actually not bad.  (Unless you compare it to "A Scandal In Bohemia"....)

In any case, LOTF is quite a thought provoking book and well written. Except for those parts where William Golding just goes ON and ON and ON about the scenery. 

And there has been some experimentation with Edgar Allan Poe; 'The Raven' has always been my favourite poem, but after reading 'The Tell Tale Heart' and various other short stories (which can be conveniently found online!), further thought is required. 

So yourself a favour today. Read a book that isn't from the 21st century. Delve into books made before the 1980's and experience literature at its finest.
Seriously, anything like:

• To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee
• Lord of the Flies- William Golding
• Animal Farm- George Orwell
• The diary of Anne Frank- (Anne Frank, obviously)
• Various Austen/Brontë novels- by Jane Austen/the Brontë sisters.
• Those really big books
• War and Peace- Leo Tolstoy

Read any of those and be amazed at how deep people used to be. Cause these days, that kind of intelligence and outlook is hard to find.

Delve into classics of anything. Who needs modern art when the work of Da Vinci is there to admire? Who needs rap music when there is more beautiful instrumentation in 'Danse Macabre'? 

Immerse yourself in pre-21st century things, and your world might just get a little more... sophisticated.