In this era of rapidly advancing technology, in which every second person has an ipad2 and more and more of us are doing our reading on an electronic device, books seem like something of an anachronism. However, regardless of how tech savvy you are, the world's great literature still has the capacity to challenge you, and this, it seems, might be a good reason to engage with some of it.
If you are keen to get to grips with some of the great fictions of the last few hundred years but you're not ordinarily much of a reader, you'll find that you may need some direction when it comes to making a book choice. In order to guide you to the right book, it's a good idea to make the effort and visit a library or, failing that, a book shop.
Don't be afraid to ask for assistance, but try to arrive at your chosen literature outlet with a vague idea of what you'd like to read. Consider beforehand whether you're keen on something historical, written sometime in the last couple of centuries, or whether you'd prefer to engage with something a little more contemporary.
Remember to stress to the librarian or assistant that you're not ordinarily a reader of the classics. You don't want to be saddled with an impenetrable text at this early stage in your reading career. Be sure to ask for something accessible, and save opaque prose and difficult style for a later date.
Great fiction has the capacity to challenge even the most expert of readers, and, since it's always a good idea to broaden your horizons and experience new modes of thinking, it's a good idea to read the classics – even if your goal is, chiefly, to see what all the fuss is about.
