Classics for Pleasure
by Michael Dirda
Published by Harcourt Books
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Reviewed by Sharon Broom
Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Dirda (Washington Post Book World) introduces readers to almost ninety of the world’s books in Classics for Pleasure. And he does the introductions in a delightful manner. The book includes his favorites, in many of the genres we all read today. The book is broken up into eleven sections that cover a particular theme.
Dirda’s aim is to encourage readers to delve into some of the wonderful, but lesser known books of the recent past and from what we might term, ‘the olden days.’ And don’t think that this book is a tired and worn volume of books that don’t matter. There are marvelous works; some with which you may be familiar and others that will be new to you. I guarantee that you will find titles you wish to reread and new to you that you’ll want to check out. Dirda’s summaries and bits of biographical data add to the enjoyment of the book and may even be the encouragement needed to pick up a title.
Some of the offerings come from Jules Verne, Agatha Christie (a personal favorite), Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Lao-Tzu, Soren Kierkegaard, Frances Hodgson Burnett (oh, the Secret Garden!), M.R. James, C.P. Cavafy and more.
It’s a reference book to keep on your shelf. Warning: If you loan it out, it will not be returned.
Armchair Interviews says: Classics for Pleasure is more than book or short story recommendations.