In Praise of Older Literature

After reading the book "In Praise of Older Literature" by William Christian, I believe the author's purpose is to promote "older literature" to readers. This was evident to me just from reading the title: " In Praise of Older Literature." ."..literary columns are filled with useful suggestions from recently published books. But this year, why not try something different? Take along one of the classics about which you have heard so much..." Right from the beginning of the book Christian encourages readers to change things a little by reading older, more complex and ancient books rather than the more recent books, such as current best sellers. Christian suggests to readers that they should and probably will, after reading them, appreciate these classics more. The author's purpose also might have been to bring awareness to readers that these classics are not as boring as they might believe they are. He really emphasises this at the end of the article by writing: "I think I am required by government legislation to warn you that these books are addictive."

Throughout the article the author, William Christian, uses a friendly, warm and inviting tone. He doesn't use aggressive words nor does he try to push his opinion on the reader. The explanations of each book are brief and to-the-point. There is no hint of bias from the author against any characters, plots, or authors. For each book Christian uses a simple form of imagery to describe important events and parts of the plot in the books. He uses vivid language to express feelings, describe situations and set the tone for each book whether it be violent, romantic, adventurous or humorous.

The article is written in an informal writing style. The author has strongly been able to connect with the reader, making it more personal by using words such as "I" and "you." Christian writes as though he were having a discussion with the readers, promoting these books to them. This helps the readers feel more comfortable with and interested in the article. It also becomes more personal from the author's point of view since he has listed the books according to which books he finds interesting to the book he finds MOST interesting.