11 Plus Exams Forum

Help! What makes a classic a classic? Having a bit of a debate with dd and when it comes down to it neither of us actually know! LOL

Honest answer - I don't know! For adults I would have come up with Dickens, Bronte sisters, RL Stevenson and the like. For children Michael Morpurgo, CS Lewis, Lewis Carroll?

Found this article
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksbl ... n-classics

No obvious answers to this one, but here are a few criteria:

* It needs to stand the test of time
* It needs to say something about the human condition
* It can be read (and re-read, usually) on different levels
* It features themes and characters which are timeless
* It has an influence on other/later writers

HTH a little.