[Big Mack]

I remember, some 40 years ago, being in trouble in lit class in high school by asking "If the great authors are so great, why do we have to search for the meanings in their works." I had just read Moby Dick and still couldn't find all eight levels in the book.
I agree that there are newer titles that can convey the same lessons, but many of the old works are just a great read.

[TheBigB]

"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."--Freud. Similarly, sometimes a story is just a story.

[discostu]

Oh absolutely. No way am I implying people shouldn't read "the classics" (TM) (except Jane Austin, I utterly dispise Jane Austin and hold her primarily responsible for creating the romance genre and for that she should burn in hell), I've read most of them and enjoyed most of the ones I've read. But I'm not fretting that so many others haven't.

Truth is my forays into classical literature and music were primarily inspired by Bugs Bunny (the old Looney Tunes cartoons are densely packed with classical references), so maybe instead of bemoaning how few people got the reference he should rejoice that some will investigate the reference and have a new world opened up to them. Either way, it's just Moby Dick, I'm pretty sure someone can live a full and rich life and never read it.