As it stands, however, this is certainly not the case. Many readers enjoy books for what they provide most immediately: entertainment, a distraction from the real world, or some sort of romantic connection with themselves. When it comes to classic novels in particular, the case is very bleak. These novels don't really get the appreciation they deserve, according to many. It seems that in general, people accept that a novel is a classic because it has always been categorized that way. For example, a high school student may be reading a novel that his teacher tells him is a classic. His father read the same novel in high school and was also told it was a classic. Neither father nor son questions whether the novel is a classic because of this enduring reputation and examines the real reasons why the novel is regarded in this way. Very often, as in this example, the label represents what they are comfortable with, what they have always known and accepted. In the very real sense of what a classic is, it entertains, it's old and everyone, for as long as anyone can remember, has called it a