One in ten Britons admit
that they don’t read the classics in school. Instead, they just watch the film adaptation of the books.
Viewing modern adaptations was found to be as popular as teachers might have suspected, according to the YouGov poll.
With both texts regularly figuring in secondary school English classes, it is no astonishment that Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo And Juliet and the BBC’s Pride And Prejudice were frequently watched.
Londoners were the worst culprits, with 16% admitting to using the films to sidestep the texts, the poll commissioned by academic bookseller Blackwell found.
Two-thirds of Britons were unaware that films such as Ten Things I Hate About You and Clueless were actually adaptations.
But despite one-third of adults admitting they never read the classics, there are those who think modern life is imitating the traditional. Dickensian Britain has been reborn in the modern binge-drinking culture, according to 54% of those surveyed.
And 47% believe that many youngpeople are suffering from Peter Pan syndrome, unwilling to grow up just as in JM Barrie’s classic novel.
There is also evidence that the “wag” culture may not be such a new phenomenon - 30% believe that trying to find a wealthy husband mirrors the themes of Jane Austen’s novels.
Phil Jamieson, head of marketing at Blackwell, said: “Classic books are timeless. You will find contemporary themes such as love, sex, murder, mystery and high-octane drama in all the awesome novels, which is why they still appeal to the masses to this day thcoarse films and have parallels with our daily lives.”
Oh, please. The British press thinks this is bad? We shudder even to think about what a similar poll in America would reveal.
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Original post by ReadersRead.com Book Blog
