Summer reading isn't what it used to be

On occasion I do tell English instructors that the classics from the 1800's were written for people who didn't have a TV. They are wordy, descriptive and ever so slow in building the story.

I'm not alone in thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, the classics might not be publishable today. J. E. Luebering writing for Britannicas Blog notes that Jane Austen was rejected, not surprisingly.

Which brings up the question- should we "teach" the fictional classics if no one would publish them now? Aren't there current fiction works that have depth, clarity, mythological undertones and a good story?

Yes, I'll be buying Harry Potter in the wee hours of tomorrow! Don't bother me, I'll be reading.