Jacob Have I Loved, Esau have I hated...

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (same author as Bridge to Terabithia!) is classified as a 'classic' YA novel.

The question here is WHY is it a classic novel?

Well, you can most certainly say that it is classic because it has been around for almost for 30 years (it was published in 1980). But that's not really why I think it's a classic. It's a classic because of the its theme: self-discovery.

Romans 9:13 says, "As it is written, 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."

Paterson got her title for the novel from this verse, because her characters mirror the twin brothers in a way. Sarah Louise, the eldest twin daughter, feels like she is constantly living in the shadow of her younger twin sister, Caroline. Caroline is the one who always steals the show and grabs all the attention, and Sarah Louise (or "Wheeze") is left alone, struggling to prove herself to the world. She has to find out what makes her unique, what makes her special. She has to separate her identity from not only her sister, but also from her friends, the rest of her family, even her home island.

She has to discover herself.

This may very well be the perfect situation to discuss this theme. Twins are always compared to one another from the day they are born, and these two girls are no exception.

But even though this is the perfect situation, isn't this the case with everybody? And don't all teenagers especially struggle with this problem?

We live in a world where its cool to be just like our peers. We follow the rules and do what we're told, so that when the time comes to live our own lives and see who we really are, it's a downright struggle! It's just so much easier to keep doing what people tell us-- what to wear, how to act, when to laugh.

We all have to find out who we are at one time or another, whether that be when we are teenagers or long after we've grown.

For me, Jacob Have I Loved was good, not great. Good classic novel, but definitely not my favorite YA novel. Not even close. (Come to think of it, I have no idea what my favorite is! I should go check my bookshelves once I'm done and see.) Granted, I haven't read that many classics, and I seem to focus on newer books. Maybe it's just that I'm not used to the style or the feel of the older books.

I did, however, plow through it. It was a very fast read (with giant font!). So yes, it was enjoyable, but I don't think I'll read it again. I don't regret reading it though. It'll be fun to see what other YA novels follow this pattern, and I'll know where exactly they got it from.

Yay for classics.