classic literature made simple: fifty great books in a nutshell

It has been said, quite correctly, that we write as well as we read. It can also be said that we think as well as we read. Since reading well is so important, it is good to get into the habit of reading good books. The better the book, the better will be our ability to think well and write well.

In Classic Literature Made Simple, literary expert Joseph Pearce takes the reader on a guided tour of fifty great works of literature. The author of over thirty books, Pearce uses his experience of teaching literature at college level for over twenty years to show the reader the moral dimension of each work. He shows how each work presents a mystical mirror to the reader, offering insights into the meaning of life itself.

＂Christian civilization has given birth to numerous great books as it has given birth to numerous great saints, ＂Joseph Pearce writes. ＂The former should be canonized as are the latter. Great books, like great saints, enrich our faith as they enrich our culture. As such, reading good books should be an integrated part of leading a good life.＂

Those who read this book will learn how to read the great books well, which will help them to live the good life well.

Joseph Pearce is the author of numerous literary studies, including Literary Converts, The Quest for Shakespeare, and Catholic Literary Giants, as well as biographies of Oscar Wilde, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. He is the general editor of the Ignatius Critical Editions series.