The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded

The idea of a western cannon of literature is becoming less and less viable with the major shifts in sensibilities that are constantly 'tornadoing' back and forth over it.

Books like this will hardly be published in the future. For those of us that still think there is value in reading parts of the old and moldy cannon this is as good a choice as any I suppose.

The title is appropriate btw, it truly will take a lifetime to read this long list of some of the greatest writings ever. I've barely scratched the surface myself.

Were it not for this book I would have never thought for a second that it would be worth reading the Epic of Gilgamesh for example.

Which it is.

Not quite what I was expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Think of all those terrible 101 books you have to read in your life that you've seen. The boring mundane lists of classics no one wants to read or have heard you should read but don't want to tackle. But now take it to the next level with two intellectuals whose writing is just plain captivating to give not only a synopsis of specific author's literature but recommendations of how to read them, think about them, ingest them, or even view them. Each of the authors writes not purely academically but light heartedly with a sense of bookish humor that will have you mesmerized. Each little section talks about an authors life, a little about the era and about which books not to read show more or are must reads. It starts off chronologically with the story of Gilgamesh and Enkdu all the way to modern literature. I found in greatly enjoyable and informative and have made it a permanent addition to my collection. I got a kick out of learning more about authors I'd already known I'd loved and fell in love with a few more I thought I knew but had all wrong. I love both Clifton Fadiman's writings as well as his daughters Anne Fadiman and would recommend any of their books too - book on book enthusiasts or just plain book enthusiasts show less

I have a "reading challenge" I've been working on for 22 years or so. It's the "Lifetime Reading Plan" compiled by scholar and author Clifton Fadiman. He wrote a book of that title around thirty years ago that's been revised a couple of times. It's kind of the original "Beowulf on the Beach", in that it takes over 100 authors who have contributed great writings over the past 3000 years or so, gives a profile, defines the flavor, and gives a rationale is to why it would behoove you to read it. This journey has benefited me over and above any formal education that I have received, and I'd advocate anyone else to take this journey.

This is an engaging list of time-tested works, the "classics" of East and West. Authors from the southern hemisphere (Latin American and African) are sparse but not completely absent. For 133 authors, short blurbs are provided which describe a bit about the author and the primary recommended work. There is also a list of 100 20th century authors with a short paragraph for each, and this list is of course less canonical than the first, although most of the names will be familiar to many. I'll be the first to admit that many British authors are over-hyped by academia (and I find most tedious), but this global list seems more well-rounded than many I've seen. Books that last are in most cases books that actually have something to say, show more books that are timeless because they touch on those universal aspects of the human condition that do not change so much over the years. Having been sorely disappointed by many praised modern works, I have found myself far more frequently pleased with those works considered classics. I appreciate having a valuable guide, short descriptions I can use to select which works might just be worth my time. show less

This is for the fourth edition, of which I skimmed through the entries for works I've already read. I found Fadimam to be a bore. Major's reviews were added for some non-western balance and are interesting in that regard. I don't see this as more than a curiosity.

This is one of those books you can look over and browse as you see fit. Fadiman, now with help from Major, lay out a plan for the educated reader. As they state, this is not meant per se for those who already have a fairly extensive education. It is more for those who need to read more, or feel they have gaps in their reading, or wish to challenge themselves a bit. The book is basically a collection of short essays on the books they list. I was happy to see I have read a good number of them, but still have a few to go with some I just have no intention of reading. Anyhow, this was on my TBR shelf for a while, and I finally got it out of the way.

The updated version of Fadiman's original plan for a lifetime of reading. Bringing the work up to date with a broader reach makes it a valuable reference tool in addition to being a delight to dip into. I'm always challenged by the many books I have yet to read, not too mention those I want to reread.