Howdy folks! We’re back with yet another installation of our Bookstagrammer of the Week series! What’s that? You’re just as excited as I am? I don’t know if that’s the truth, but I’ll let you think that! I’m just kidding, you’re right to be excited! Our latest Bookstagrammer is Madison of @classic.literature.love and boy howdy is she a riot! Madison enjoys classic books, dark academia, and that vintage aesthetic that we all dream of, but are hardly ever able to achieve! Over just a year of being on Bookstagram, Madison has amassed a whopping 41K followers on her account! But you’re here to learn about her and her experience with her classic themed Bookstagram, so let’s get into talking with Madison!
Madison Johnson
Bookstagram | Classic Literature Love Merch | The Literary Book Club
Perhaps you’ve stumbled upon this article out of pure curiosity and you have a few questions about the purpose of this endeavor of ours. Well, allow me to fill in the gaps! Every week at Bookstr, our outreach team talks with up-and-coming and flourishing Bookstagram accounts to bring you closer to your favorite creators! We talk with them about everything bookish and Bookstagram–from their bookish beginnings to their Bookstagrammer inspirations! This week, we’re talking with Madison of @classic.literature.love and as you can imagine, there’s going to be some classic literature love! Stick around to meet our latest Bookstagrammer of the Week!
Let’s just start with the elephant in the room, Madison has over 41K followers on her Bookstagram account–@classic.literature.love. This is an impressive feat, but we’ve found that Bookstagram offers a community that many people cling to and embrace with open arms.
What is one thing that your Bookstagram has taught you?
I have learned a lot from Bookstagram over the past year. I think what it’s taught me the most is to challenge myself not only in what I am reading but understanding it as well. I never would have read Les Misérables, War and Peace, and The Brothers Karamazov without the support of this amazing community.
Perhaps I’ve gotten ahead of myself, but I just had to ask! Many of our readers are aspiring Bookstagrammers themselves, so it’s always beneficial to hear the experiences of other successful accounts like yourself! Challenging yourself can be done in many forms, though! One way is by committing to one genre of books–personally, I’ve found home in the romance world–but you have a knack for all things classical.
If a person is wanting to read more classical literature, which novel would you recommend?
I would definitely suggest The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy or anything by author Agatha Christie. Both are easy to understand and read but do not sacrifice plot or creativity. The plot twists for these two are amazing and will keep you guessing till the end.
Agathe Christie is steadily becoming more and more mainstream with the numerous adaptations of her classic mystery novels! A development that we’ve been adoring–for the most part! Those mystery movies–much like Knives Out–have the same vibe as your Bookstagram account.
What do you love about the dark academia aesthetic that your Bookstagrammer account has followed?
Dark academia makes me feel cozy. I love the darker tones and more somber feeling[s]. Books piled in every corner. Parchment and quill patiently waiting to be used. Dark oak bookcases, a cozy velvet armchair, and reading by candlelight is my dream. With a hint of something haunting lurking around.
If you’ve taken the time to browse through Madison’s Bookstagram–@classic.literature.love–you can definitely see the dark academia influences! Currently, Madison has around 430 posts on her profile, so it’s clear to us that she has a passion for reading.
When did you first get into reading?
It wasn’t until I read Harry Potter when I was ten. I read it in three days. Before this, I despised reading. I was held back in kindergarten because I couldn’t read. I remember my mom spending hours working on phonics sounds with me. I never thought I’d be a reader but J. K. Rowling changed that. Harry Potter captured my imagination and I have had a book in my hands ever since.
With a Bookstagrammer name like @classic.literature.love, we’re expecting a plethora of classical literature to bleed into your feed. We have a–maybe strange–questions that you may or may not have considered before.
If you could choose any time period to live in, which would you choose, and why?
The Medieval Period. I know it’s been grossly romanticized but there is something romantic about knights in shining armor, troubadours, and fair maidens. But also how strong and resilient they had to be in order to survive. Against pageantry and chivalry you have the grittiness of life and fighting to survive. It’s such a fascinating time. Multiple families are fighting for the same crown. Countries are fighting for territory and power. Fortunes wheel was always turning and you never knew who it would land on next. Plus the Gothic architecture is beautiful. It’s mind-blowing how man was able to build those magnificent castles and cathedrals.
I will admit, the romanticized version of the Medieval Period does sound tempting! Something about that Narnia vibe that just hits right. Speaking of Narnia, out of the characters there I’d have to say that I relate the most to Lucy. She’s always looking for the good and letting her imagination lead her to what’s right.
Which fictional character do you feel most connected to, and why?
Meg March from Little Women. All she wanted in life was to be a wife and mom. She was happy serving her family. All I’ve ever wanted was to be a wife and mom and it’s been the biggest blessing. Meg is probably not the most popular choice but I appreciated her humble dreams. I think we can learn a lot from Meg.
Now our time with Madison is unfortunately about to end, but this doesn’t have to be the end of your flirt with @classic.literature.love! You can follow her on Bookstagram, sport her merch, and even get $5 off your subscription to The Literary Book Club with code CLASSICLITERATURELOVE! Not to mention that you get all access to Madison’s glorious dark academic, vintage-vibed content that makes reading classical literature seem like a walk in the park of dreams!
Our final question for Madison is more of a recommendation request, but it’s not just for us at Bookstr! This is more of if you were an English teacher with the unbridled ability to dictate your teaching schedule and content. We’ve all imagined what books we would include on those reading lists, but this is even broader than that!
What is one book you would recommend everyone reads?
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. It has everything you would want in a classic. It has a strong female protagonist, a love triangle, and an amazing plot twist. It also has a steady and respectful man who patently waits and doesn’t pressure our protagonist, who he’s in love with. It’s tragic and beautiful and will leave you wanting to read more from Thomas Hardy.
That’s all folks! This is a wrap on our latest Bookstagrammer of the Week, Madison of @classic.literature.love! Be sure and drop a follow her page to get more Madison! Plus, you’ll have to keep an eye out on our Instagram page–@bookstrofficial–for our graphic feature of Madison! Our Bookstagrammer specialist–Karly Kolehouse–has outdone herself this go-round!
And if you’re craving more Bookstagrammer of the Week content from me, you can check out our feature from last week here!