Critic: ‘Of Mice’ Not A Classic

Mary Jo Finney thinks one of the novellas Coeur d’Alene high school students read is unworthy of its standing as an American classic. “The story is neither a quality story nor a page turner,” Finney said of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.” Finney and three other members of a district curriculum-review committee have recommended “Of Mice and Men” be pulled from classroom instruction and made available only on a voluntary, small-group basis in ninth grade English classes. The school board will vote on the recommendation next month. Its use of profanity – “bastard,” for instance, and “God damn” – makes the 1937 book unsuitable for freshmen, said Finney, a parent who has objected to other books from the Coeur d’Alene School District curriculum over the years/ Scott Maben , SR. More here . (Photo: Wikipedia)

Question: What criteria would you use the label “classic” to describe a book?