Imagine you were going to write a book entitled Humorists. There will be 14 chapters, each profiling a Humorist. Nobody from before the 17th century; nobody from the last 50 years. What are the first three names which come to mind? Paul Johnson wrote that book. Here is my prediction: None of the three names you just imagined are on the list of people he profiles in this book. Indeed, it might take you some time to come up with one of the names on his list. To … [Read more...] about Humorists
Great Books
The Way or The Great Game?
At one level, Kim, by Rudyard Kipling, is a rollicking adventure story of an Irish orphan growing up on the streets of India during the British Raj. At another level, it is a deep refection on choosing the purpose of your life. It is this second level that makes this book worth reading (and rereading). One of those Big Questions which I have spent innumerable pleasurable hours talking about with students is: "What should I do with my life?" College is the first time most students have ever … [Read more...] about The Way or The Great Game?
Skipper Worse
Raise your hand if you have ever heard of Skipper Worse by Alexander Lange Kielland. Anyone? Anyone? This novel was included in Charles Eliot’s series, Harvard Classics. That series was intended to show that you could get a basic liberal education in a library which fits on a five foot shelf. So, imagine the challenge—you have a mere five feet of bookshelf space and you want to put in all the classics. So, Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Plato, Aristotle. And so … [Read more...] about Skipper Worse
Our Socialist Moment
Is what divides us greater than what unites us? If you pay attention to the popular narrative of the day, then the answer sure seems to be an unqualified “Yes.” If that is your answer, then Elizabeth Gaskell wrote a book just for you. North and South. Originally published in the 1850s. Some things really don't ever change The 1850s were, to put it mildly, a tempestuous time in Europe. The Communist Manifesto was published in 1848. The complaints were loud: the rich … [Read more...] about Our Socialist Moment
Finding Joy in Great Books
Let’s start by getting this out of the way: The Brothers Karamazov, by Dostoevsky is a Great Book (you also knew that). Not only is it Great, it is perhaps the Greatest Novel Ever Written. I think its only competitors for that status are Pride and Prejudice and Middlemarch. Maybe War and Peace. After reading it 4 or 5 times, I still find it brilliant from beginning to end, gripping, thoughtful, and amazingly fun to read. Everything … [Read more...] about Finding Joy in Great Books
Jane Eyre is an Awful Book
Jane Eyre is absolutely the worst book which ever, for reasons I cannot fathom, ended up on anyone’s list of Great Books. It is awful. Just awful. Now that we have established that fact, perhaps you can help me solve a mystery. I have talked about this book many times with students. I always have exactly the same experience. To take an example: I once read the book with five amazing students (all women) in a tutorial. I told the students they should each pick a Great Book … [Read more...] about Jane Eyre is an Awful Book