One Hundred Best Books : With Commentary and an Essay on Books and Reading

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Powys, John Cowper, 1872-1963

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"One Hundred Best Books" by John Cowper Powys is a subjective guide to literature compiled in the early 20th century. The work stands as a personal selection of books that aims to encourage readers to indulge in the pleasure of reading, rather than solely focusing on canonical "standard learning." It emphasizes the importance of individual taste and reading for enjoyment, serving as a guide for those eager to embark on their literary journey. The opening portion of the text sets the tone for this exploration, presenting the compiler's philosophy on reading and literature. Powys argues against conventional educational methods that encourage rigid adherence to a set curriculum, suggesting instead that reading should inspire personal growth and conversation. He encourages readers to cultivate their preferences for literature based on personal enjoyment rather than societal expectations or pretensions. This segment also introduces his criteria for selecting books, outlining that the upcoming list reflects his own taste and invites readers to grapple with their biases about literature. Overall, it is a passionate defense of reading as an art form and an adventure in self-discovery. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

E-text prepared by Ted Garvin, Keith M. Eckrich, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreaders Team

Notes:

Reading ease score: 59.7 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.

Release date is 2004-07-15