The two greatest American novels are Moby Dick and The Great Gatsby.
Moby Dick should be read slowly in a good edition, like the Easton Press leather-bound one that EP has given away in so many offers.
Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings will be remembered as the greatest literature in the English language in the 20th century.
C. S. Lewis' best work is the Chronicles of Narnia, but he had strange universalistic ideas.
Pilgrim's Progess is a perfect allegory - an extended parable about the message of the Bible. Bunyan loved the read Luther's Galatians Lectures, which were second only to the Bible for him. How many Lutherans can say that? Like Moby Dick, Pilgrim's Progress should be read slowly.
As someone said, literature should not be categorized as children's literature, because great books are enjoyed by all ages, as the following shows.
Brooks - Freddy the Pig series. They are great fun, much more creative than boilerplate books.
Mark Twain books are fun and adventurous. I should have included him near the top, but this is a great introduction to literature for children - Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Connecticut Yankee, The Prince and the Pauper.
The Wind in the Willows is a classic for all ages, for all time.
Anything by E. Nesbit is good to read. Many authors read her books annually. She had a miserable life, married to a world-class jerk, but her books are a haven of laughter, peace, and hilarious family conflicts.
Those in computer technology are often devoted to great literature, especially in the fantasy category - Tolkien, Lewis, Greek mythology, the Dune series, and the mind-changing Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
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| Horrible movie - great book - Hitchhiker's Guide - satire at its best, defies a summary. The cover of the Guide had this message written in "large, friendly letters." |
