[cmplxconjugate]

I’ve had a similar experience. I think it simply comes down to emotional maturity and more diverse life experiences. It makes it much easier to empathise with characters, as well as critically analyse the subtext.

One thing I found quite difficult however is dealing with the different writing styles. Sometimes it could be a real slog to get through books that have a dated or less contemporary style.

[jrumbut]

I really recommend audiobooks here, it makes it so much easier to get through the 50 page sections of geneology or all-wrong speculation about the natural world that's included in a lot of classic works. So easy in fact you come to understand what role they play or why they're important.

One thing I love about the classics is that they have an entirely different set of euphemisms and implicit assumptions. They don't know what you're supposed to pretend isn't true in the modern world. You end up with, for instance, the ancient Greeks being very explicit that their early rulers were the most effective pirates and cattle rustlers. You learn a lot more about how we got where we are and why some obviously bad structures are so hard to change. Many decision makers from the dawn of writing to the present day relied on these texts as playbooks.

[projektir]

I think it's mostly a problem of context and relevance coming from lack of independence in young people today.

When I read a book, it's because I have chosen to read it, I know something about it, I know where it belongs in history, and I believe it either has some relevance to me or I think it will just be entertaining to read.

When a teenager reads a book, it is often assigned, meaning that they do not know about the context of the book, it's often not at all relevant to their life, and is assigned by instructors they might already be inclined to distrust and disrespect. Sometimes the situation is made worse by certain forced critical readings of the book, or a ban on criticizing the book.

I'm not sure calling people who are constantly assigned arbitrary tasks they have little say in and whose bathroom breaks are controlled "emotionally immature" is useful or accurate, and is close to the root of the problem itself.

[ianai]

The best books can be reread all through life. They have different meanings and lessons for a person during different life stages.

[StillBored]

Maybe, but I can tell you I got nothing from reading "Waiting for Godot" as a sophomore in high school. Age is something that is hard to relate to when your 14-15. Worse philosophy tends to be a luxury when your really poor and have more immediate concerns. I might have been offended by being called "emotionally immature" at that age but i also found Jane Eyre and similar to be pointless rubbish at that age.

Although, maybe the point of a "classic" is that it should have broad appeal, but there is a difference between intellectually understanding something and being able to relate to it. I found Grapes of Wrath to be relatable, but tedious in high school, and noticed a correlation a between the amount of hate better off kids in class espoused for it vs the fact that I while I found it immensely depressing, I didn't mind it nearly as much as many of the other assignments.