Why Read Old Books?
An Update on My Big-Ass Classic Novel Challenge for 2026
Looking over my reading a few years ago, I noticed a large percentage of newer books, titles published within the past couple of years. Nothing wrong with this. In fact, Washington Post book critic Michael Dirda cites Jean-Paul Sartre’s What Is Literature? to argue that writers—and readers—ought to be concerned with what’s happening now.
But it’s ironic…
