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What's So Great About the Great Books?: Why You Should Read Classic Literature
A popular novelist and literary blogger answers those who claim the classics are too difficult, too problematic, and too white—and explains what we gain by reading them
When she was in her early twenties, then-aspiring writer Naomi Kanakia set out to read the Great Books—humankind’s most highly regarded literary classics, representing “the best that human beings have thought or said,” as determined by the two elderly intellectuals who’d written the guidebook she consulted. After twenty years, she has made her way through about two-thirds of these books, and she’s found reading them to be an immensely pleasurable and insightful activity. Plato, Milton, Tolstoy, Proust, all those dead guys—their books have stood the test of time.
But since beginning her journey, Kanakia has found that although reading the Great Books is part of a longstanding tradition of engaging with the thought of previous generations, it is also a highly contingent activity that arose out of a specific time and place, the brainchild of a small group of early twentieth-century popularizers associated with Columbia University and the University of Chicago. And people have always been skeptical about the idea of reading the Great Books, asking if this is truly a realistic or even desirable goal for the ordinary person. A more recent and growing group of Great Books skeptics asks if these works are too problematic, reactionary, and irrelevant to bother reading. Kanakia, a self-described “left-of-center person,” grapples with these objections, attempting to restore context for the Great Books even as she sticks up for them. Because books that expose us to fundamental truths about the nature of beauty and reality are worth fighting for.
When she was in her early twenties, then-aspiring writer Naomi Kanakia set out to read the Great Books—humankind’s most highly regarded literary classics, representing “the best that human beings have thought or said,” as determined by the two elderly intellectuals who’d written the guidebook she consulted. After twenty years, she has made her way through about two-thirds of these books, and she’s found reading them to be an immensely pleasurable and insightful activity. Plato, Milton, Tolstoy, Proust, all those dead guys—their books have stood the test of time.
But since beginning her journey, Kanakia has found that although reading the Great Books is part of a longstanding tradition of engaging with the thought of previous generations, it is also a highly contingent activity that arose out of a specific time and place, the brainchild of a small group of early twentieth-century popularizers associated with Columbia University and the University of Chicago. And people have always been skeptical about the idea of reading the Great Books, asking if this is truly a realistic or even desirable goal for the ordinary person. A more recent and growing group of Great Books skeptics asks if these works are too problematic, reactionary, and irrelevant to bother reading. Kanakia, a self-described “left-of-center person,” grapples with these objections, attempting to restore context for the Great Books even as she sticks up for them. Because books that expose us to fundamental truths about the nature of beauty and reality are worth fighting for.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 20, 2026
Naomi Kanakia is a trans woman, a POC (Indian-American), a San Franciscan and a graduate of Stanford, holds progressive values, and is married to an even more progressive woman working in the field of HIV research. I start off this so-called review listing attributes that would usually only be of nominal interest to me, because it is those identities that actually give this book both its resonance and its relevance (and a lot of its charm). More specifically, it is Kanakia's interrogation and pushback of the idea that those specific traits 'should' make her predisposed against reading and enjoying the "Great Books" - the vast majority of which were were written by long-dead white guys. The very existence of this book shows how thinking, acting, and engaging with the world solely from the perspective of one's group identity is narrow-minded and absurd. All people should be able to enjoy beautiful and/or interesting things, no matter the various identities that make up the complex individual. In the great salad bowl that is the U.S. - and everywhere else, of course.
This is not an austere or particularly intellectual survey; there is no methodology to Kanakia's reading of these books. It's conversational. She defines the Great Books, she discusses her sources and the history of this designation, she spends quite a bit of time defending the very idea of reading dead white guys, and throughout she gives various reasons why the Great Books are invaluable. If I could put her rationale in a nutshell, it would be something along the lines of "because they are beautiful, they are interesting, they are challenging, they expand the reader's mind, they assess morality, and they teach the reader different things - especially critical thinking." In addition to a vaguely apologetic tone (which, frankly, became rather annoying), Kanakia's thoughts on the specific values of these books can be ambiguous, rather fuzzy. But if I were asked to describe why I liked reading or watching horror, my response would be a similar series of generalizations. By the end of the book, I came to realize that only generalizations can describe the appeal and importance of the Great Books - and why they should be read (even though they may destroy you, lol).
One of the things that I really enjoyed about the book is its structure: every chapter is a question and there is a paragraph at the end of each chapter literally titled "response" that answers that question. It's so basic, but I don't recall seeing this structure before, so it felt fresh and innovative to me. Despite the vagueness I've mentioned, Kanakia wants to make it clear that she's not avoiding the actual questions that may come up when she recommends reading the Great Books.
The book is has copious citations and spends some time discussing two or three specific books (in particular, Anna Karenina). But don't come to this expecting rigorous discourse or in-depth reviews of the Great Books. Expect a casual, chatty, personal style and many thoughtful passages where Kanakia discusses her own life and even what her wife thinks of these books. The whole thing is clearly a labor of love that took years to consider, and perhaps to write. The result is what feels like an enjoyable extended conversation with a smart, down to earth person over the course of a relaxing weekend. I subscribe to Kanakia's wonderful substack, so I was already a fan of the author's voice. She's just so pleasant, relatable, and unpretentious.
This is a 3-star* book for me, but I'm adding a star because I really admire and support the author's project. More people should read the Great Books! (Including me.)
*
This is not an austere or particularly intellectual survey; there is no methodology to Kanakia's reading of these books. It's conversational. She defines the Great Books, she discusses her sources and the history of this designation, she spends quite a bit of time defending the very idea of reading dead white guys, and throughout she gives various reasons why the Great Books are invaluable. If I could put her rationale in a nutshell, it would be something along the lines of "because they are beautiful, they are interesting, they are challenging, they expand the reader's mind, they assess morality, and they teach the reader different things - especially critical thinking." In addition to a vaguely apologetic tone (which, frankly, became rather annoying), Kanakia's thoughts on the specific values of these books can be ambiguous, rather fuzzy. But if I were asked to describe why I liked reading or watching horror, my response would be a similar series of generalizations. By the end of the book, I came to realize that only generalizations can describe the appeal and importance of the Great Books - and why they should be read (even though they may destroy you, lol).
One of the things that I really enjoyed about the book is its structure: every chapter is a question and there is a paragraph at the end of each chapter literally titled "response" that answers that question. It's so basic, but I don't recall seeing this structure before, so it felt fresh and innovative to me. Despite the vagueness I've mentioned, Kanakia wants to make it clear that she's not avoiding the actual questions that may come up when she recommends reading the Great Books.
The book is has copious citations and spends some time discussing two or three specific books (in particular, Anna Karenina). But don't come to this expecting rigorous discourse or in-depth reviews of the Great Books. Expect a casual, chatty, personal style and many thoughtful passages where Kanakia discusses her own life and even what her wife thinks of these books. The whole thing is clearly a labor of love that took years to consider, and perhaps to write. The result is what feels like an enjoyable extended conversation with a smart, down to earth person over the course of a relaxing weekend. I subscribe to Kanakia's wonderful substack, so I was already a fan of the author's voice. She's just so pleasant, relatable, and unpretentious.
This is a 3-star* book for me, but I'm adding a star because I really admire and support the author's project. More people should read the Great Books! (Including me.)
*
July 25, 2026
The author lays out a great case for why more people should read classic books. Each chapter is centred around addressing one objection people might have to the idea. What I like the most about the author’s approach is that she encourages readers to read the classics the way they would any other book. Like, sure, they may require more focus than a contemporary novel but let yourself get lost in the plot! No need to engage in graduate-level analysis of the themes unless that is your particular jam.
What I also liked is that, despite being a cheerleader for the classics, the author recognizes that there are people who have no interest in reading them, and that that’s OK. She cites her own wife, who works an intensive and important job and has no desire to unwind with a little Proust at the end of a long day. This book is not for those people, it’s for those of us who have an interest in the “great books” but find them a little intimidating. If that’s you, this book will be an encouragement!
What I also liked is that, despite being a cheerleader for the classics, the author recognizes that there are people who have no interest in reading them, and that that’s OK. She cites her own wife, who works an intensive and important job and has no desire to unwind with a little Proust at the end of a long day. This book is not for those people, it’s for those of us who have an interest in the “great books” but find them a little intimidating. If that’s you, this book will be an encouragement!
June 9, 2026
I expected to feel either too stupid for this book, or just kind of out of the loop. I’m a huge contemporary reader but thanks to TikTok or the maybe the drudgery of adult life, I haven’t read a classic in a while.
I read Naomi’s blog so I already knew I liked her writing voice, which is clear, accessible, and funny. I was not prepared for how philosophical this book would be (in a good way). It helped me think through so many huge questions about our society and history. I flew through this book because I wanted to know where Naomi would land on all these big questions.
It made me feel better to know that someone is thinking like this but is capable of bringing people along instead of shutting them out, and they even live in my city! And also like I can definitely handle returning to some classics on my own. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I read Naomi’s blog so I already knew I liked her writing voice, which is clear, accessible, and funny. I was not prepared for how philosophical this book would be (in a good way). It helped me think through so many huge questions about our society and history. I flew through this book because I wanted to know where Naomi would land on all these big questions.
It made me feel better to know that someone is thinking like this but is capable of bringing people along instead of shutting them out, and they even live in my city! And also like I can definitely handle returning to some classics on my own. I would recommend this book to anyone.
May 17, 2026
I follow Kanakia on Substack & really enjoy her writing, which I’d describe as non-pretentious light-academia. I was curious about this book, and lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher.
Whether you’re a casual reader of the “Great Books” (like me), have never read one, or are well acquainted with the whole list, there’s something here for everyone. The great power of this book is Kanakia’s assertion that you don’t need to be “educated” to read these books. Just read them! Experience them for yourself! This take was so refreshing. I also enjoyed the chapters discussing what it means to read & hold up these books that are primarily written by old, straight, white men, many of them with outdated ideas.
I found myself glazing over while reading the chapters about philosophy, but that’s not due to any fault of the book—I just, personally, am not interested in reading much philosophy so it didn’t capture my interest.
I’d definitely recommend this, especially to someone who wants to dip their toes into the Great Books but either has reservations or doesn’t know where to start.
Whether you’re a casual reader of the “Great Books” (like me), have never read one, or are well acquainted with the whole list, there’s something here for everyone. The great power of this book is Kanakia’s assertion that you don’t need to be “educated” to read these books. Just read them! Experience them for yourself! This take was so refreshing. I also enjoyed the chapters discussing what it means to read & hold up these books that are primarily written by old, straight, white men, many of them with outdated ideas.
I found myself glazing over while reading the chapters about philosophy, but that’s not due to any fault of the book—I just, personally, am not interested in reading much philosophy so it didn’t capture my interest.
I’d definitely recommend this, especially to someone who wants to dip their toes into the Great Books but either has reservations or doesn’t know where to start.
June 20, 2026
I've read versions of these arguments in Naomi's essays, tales, and criticism at Woman of Letters over the last two and a half years, so I didn't think there was any way that I could be surprised by this. But I was!
You know how book-length essay versions of arguments on the internet often feel like cash grabs? I basically understand why this is; if arguments on the internet don't make a writer any money and don't really get them anything besides a few thousand or ten thousand fans, then they are going to want to see if hard-bounding those arguments can get them the recognition and cash they want.
But a book is different than blogging or think-piecing, and despite the informal structure of this one, I found it obvious that Kanakia had gone through all of those essays, tales, and criticism at her blog line by line and selected only the best material, and then had backed up everything she'd ever written with extensive research that wasn't in the original materials.
Kanakia's perspective on literature is simply more interesting than any other single critic I've read in the last twenty years of dipping into the big magazines and blogs and newspapers and studying English in college. She's never an expert on anything, but she works hard to be interested in everything, and that's a way of approaching literature that I think used to be common and has become extremely uncommon.
You know how book-length essay versions of arguments on the internet often feel like cash grabs? I basically understand why this is; if arguments on the internet don't make a writer any money and don't really get them anything besides a few thousand or ten thousand fans, then they are going to want to see if hard-bounding those arguments can get them the recognition and cash they want.
But a book is different than blogging or think-piecing, and despite the informal structure of this one, I found it obvious that Kanakia had gone through all of those essays, tales, and criticism at her blog line by line and selected only the best material, and then had backed up everything she'd ever written with extensive research that wasn't in the original materials.
Kanakia's perspective on literature is simply more interesting than any other single critic I've read in the last twenty years of dipping into the big magazines and blogs and newspapers and studying English in college. She's never an expert on anything, but she works hard to be interested in everything, and that's a way of approaching literature that I think used to be common and has become extremely uncommon.
August 14, 2026
Por favor lean todos este libro. Es un libro de no ficción, así que empezamos por ahí. Me encanta que en pleno 2026 haya escritos que cuestionen, pero sobre todo traigan a la mesa todo lo relacionado con la literatura clásica ¿Por que la llamaos clásica? ¿Todos deberíamos leerla? ¿Por qué no nos llama la atención hacerlo? ¿Nos aburre? La autora explica en palabras simples pero con pensamiento profundo que son “Los grandes libros” el por qué son válidos y por qué deberíamos leerlos.
Me encanta que pone en palabras el pensamiento tal vez de muchos lectores (incluyéndome) que mucha literatura clásica lo asociamos con un pensamiento conservador o de extrema derecha.
Me encanta que al final de este libro viene un listado de 133 libros clásicos que todos deberíamos leer. Y más que un “deber” es despertar la curiosidad de acercarse a ellos con una mente sin juicio.
Me encanta que pone en palabras el pensamiento tal vez de muchos lectores (incluyéndome) que mucha literatura clásica lo asociamos con un pensamiento conservador o de extrema derecha.
Me encanta que al final de este libro viene un listado de 133 libros clásicos que todos deberíamos leer. Y más que un “deber” es despertar la curiosidad de acercarse a ellos con una mente sin juicio.
June 16, 2026
I had no idea that this book was going to be a lot of memoir. I thought it was going to discuss individual books. The apologetics on the books as a whole was good, it's just that so much of it was about the author and not the books.
June 23, 2026
I became a reader, especially classic literature, late in my life. Dyslexia shaded books in an unappealing color. I had no desire to read outside of my required high school classes, especially not for pleasure. Others found pleasure in books. I did not.
It has taken me decades to fall in love with reading. Classic literature (as Kanakia calls, The Great Books) has been a large part of my enemy to friend journey. Reading Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Proust, Hemingway, Socrates has enriched my life. However, I have had to discover the Western Canon on my own. Critics such as Harold Bloom are off-putting in their condescension. Finally, there is a book that pushes my thinking and feels like I’m having a conversation with the author instead of being condescend to. I am grateful to Kanakia for this book. Her guidance is of an excited friend urging you to read something great, not a lecturer. If you are at all curious about what is so great about The Great Books, I highly recommend you read this book.
It has taken me decades to fall in love with reading. Classic literature (as Kanakia calls, The Great Books) has been a large part of my enemy to friend journey. Reading Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Proust, Hemingway, Socrates has enriched my life. However, I have had to discover the Western Canon on my own. Critics such as Harold Bloom are off-putting in their condescension. Finally, there is a book that pushes my thinking and feels like I’m having a conversation with the author instead of being condescend to. I am grateful to Kanakia for this book. Her guidance is of an excited friend urging you to read something great, not a lecturer. If you are at all curious about what is so great about The Great Books, I highly recommend you read this book.
May 26, 2026
I read this book in two days which would not have been possible if it weren’t really enjoyable. It found a balance between the experience of hanging out with a cool fun friend and thinking about aesthetics and moral improvement.
August 2, 2026
First, this is the way that controversial subjects should be discussed. Kanakia makes the case that there is value in reading great books. She acknowledges that there are strong arguments on the other side held by intelligent well-intentioned people. She explains those arguments in their best light and then calmy explains why she does not agree. She acknowledges that she has some doubt about some of her arguments, but she is satisfied they are correct.
It is exhilarating to read such honest, good faith argumentation.
Second, this is a personal book. Kanakia is not making pronouncements. She does not claim to be a trained literary scholar. She argues from her experience in reading the great books as it is informed by her life.
Kanakia went to a boys Catholic High School where she had some exposure to Latin and classical education. She had a disappointing college experience, in part because of a serious drinking problem. She transitioned to a woman and is now married to a gay woman. She became a published novelist and a popular bogger.
The book is organized by chapters which each discuss a common objection to the idea of a list of great books. For example; What do you mean by a great book? Aren't great books too difficult to read without assistance? Aren't great books politically and morally problematic? Why do we need a list? Aren't great books overwhelmingly written by white men? In each chapter she addresses the question with respect and clearly explains her answer.
Her central argument is that great books are worth reading because they are complicated. They don't tell simple stories. They don't preach simple sermons or solutions. One of the inevitable consequences of this complexity is that they will have parts that we find clearly wrong and offensive. Kanakia acknowledges the discomfort and anger that "Huckelberry Finn"s racism or Plato and Aristotle's acceptance of slavery or the sexism in "Anna Karenina" triggers. She argues that there is value in acknowledging that but in also acknowledging that there is more in these books.
She encourages reading the great books as we would read any other book. There is no need to take a course or read a long introduction or study. Just read the book. Great books can be read and appreciated by any serious reader. She calls this "lay reading", as opposed to academic reading. I think it is an excellent suggestion. Although I have to admit that, unlike her, I find Kant unreadable.
Kanakia has a list of great books as an appendix. It is based on the 1960 list by Clifton Fadiman. There about 140 books on the list. There is at least one which you haven't read which is worth taking a shot at.
It is exhilarating to read such honest, good faith argumentation.
Second, this is a personal book. Kanakia is not making pronouncements. She does not claim to be a trained literary scholar. She argues from her experience in reading the great books as it is informed by her life.
Kanakia went to a boys Catholic High School where she had some exposure to Latin and classical education. She had a disappointing college experience, in part because of a serious drinking problem. She transitioned to a woman and is now married to a gay woman. She became a published novelist and a popular bogger.
The book is organized by chapters which each discuss a common objection to the idea of a list of great books. For example; What do you mean by a great book? Aren't great books too difficult to read without assistance? Aren't great books politically and morally problematic? Why do we need a list? Aren't great books overwhelmingly written by white men? In each chapter she addresses the question with respect and clearly explains her answer.
Her central argument is that great books are worth reading because they are complicated. They don't tell simple stories. They don't preach simple sermons or solutions. One of the inevitable consequences of this complexity is that they will have parts that we find clearly wrong and offensive. Kanakia acknowledges the discomfort and anger that "Huckelberry Finn"s racism or Plato and Aristotle's acceptance of slavery or the sexism in "Anna Karenina" triggers. She argues that there is value in acknowledging that but in also acknowledging that there is more in these books.
She encourages reading the great books as we would read any other book. There is no need to take a course or read a long introduction or study. Just read the book. Great books can be read and appreciated by any serious reader. She calls this "lay reading", as opposed to academic reading. I think it is an excellent suggestion. Although I have to admit that, unlike her, I find Kant unreadable.
Kanakia has a list of great books as an appendix. It is based on the 1960 list by Clifton Fadiman. There about 140 books on the list. There is at least one which you haven't read which is worth taking a shot at.
July 24, 2026
After reading a positive review of this book in the Wall Street Journal [https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/book...] by Tara Isabella Burton, July 19, 2026, I bought the book and am glad I did. It is an easy but fascinating read up to a point. That point being one needs to be familiar with all the “Great” books to conduct a thorough analysis. While it is listed as having 272 pages, that is somewhat misleading because the text is 218 pages with the other pages are devoted to an appendix, acknowledgements, notes, etc. So, don’t let its size dissuade you from reading.
Most of the other comments cover my thoughts. So, not to be repetitious, I’ll just quote from the last paragraph:
“… I think that in this world there are probably a few thousand people who are wondering, ‘Is it possible for me to attempt to read the Great Books?’ And I simply want to add my reedy voice into the mix to say: ‘Yes, reading these books is worth your time. Yes, there is treasure to be found. Yes, these books are truly great.’”
Most of the other comments cover my thoughts. So, not to be repetitious, I’ll just quote from the last paragraph:
“… I think that in this world there are probably a few thousand people who are wondering, ‘Is it possible for me to attempt to read the Great Books?’ And I simply want to add my reedy voice into the mix to say: ‘Yes, reading these books is worth your time. Yes, there is treasure to be found. Yes, these books are truly great.’”
August 7, 2026
Pleasantly more philosophical than I expected. I picked this up between classics, more to be affirmed than to be convinced, so the arguments around mass education were refreshing and not what crossed my mind before. The deep dives on critique and the limitations of manipulating text as problem solving will stick with me too. Kanakia write with a straightforward voice that I wish all academics can switch on (though she doesn't identify as one).
At some point it crossed my mind that advocating for the preestablished list of great books is some form of conservatism, in that another approach of seeking greatness would be to bring attention to the looked over old texts of equal quality. Alas, I don't plan to do the latter and will just rebel by reading other books.
My own take is that no book can make you wise, but some books have enough depth to be recurring checkpoints at which you measure growth. Or maybe sometimes an epiphany is just about to simmer over, and all it needs is a well-phrased perspective. I appreciate collective wisdom for finding these books, because god knows i would not have finished many books without it.
At some point it crossed my mind that advocating for the preestablished list of great books is some form of conservatism, in that another approach of seeking greatness would be to bring attention to the looked over old texts of equal quality. Alas, I don't plan to do the latter and will just rebel by reading other books.
My own take is that no book can make you wise, but some books have enough depth to be recurring checkpoints at which you measure growth. Or maybe sometimes an epiphany is just about to simmer over, and all it needs is a well-phrased perspective. I appreciate collective wisdom for finding these books, because god knows i would not have finished many books without it.
July 21, 2026
You know how the audience for apologetics is people who already agree with the premise and want to be convinced that they are right? That's a little what this book was for me. I enjoyed reading it but didn't think I would get much out of it, since I already like reading classics. But Kanakia did a great job of her argument, so much so that I have now been convinced to expand my list of classics and follow the same Great Books list that she referenced in this book. It's gonna get rough when I reach all those greek philosophers... Anyway I appreciate that Kanakia also didn't get an English degree, because it gives validity to my own ad hoc self guided read through the classics. I have often felt a sense of not reading these books "right", since I don't have a teacher to tell me all the points I am supposed to pay attention to. But maybe that's okay, maybe there is something valuable about doing it out of your own choosing as well.
June 26, 2026
This book is great! As a longtime reader of Kanakia’s blog, I was afraid that I would find the book boring because I was already so familiar with her opinions. Amazingly, the contents of the book were almost entirely new to me despite that. I found it hugely enjoyable as well as insightful. I’m recommending it eagerly to my friends!
August 23, 2026
I’m quite biased towards books on reading, especially The Great Books so it’s no surprise I liked this latest iteration. The arguments she makes are quite different than those I make to myself, “read these to feel alive,” however I did enjoy her musings on the value of reading these important works.
July 3, 2026
A very personal book about tackling the canon, all perspectives from queer brown Canadians welcome here but it's more of a memoir bemoaning all the sins of the world which doesn't make you want to read those books.
May 27, 2026
Very good argument, clear and direct, on why the "Great Books" are worth your time. More thoughts here: https://compostedbooksreview.substack...
July 15, 2026
I am going to read it
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