A Thousand Good Books

Inspired by John Senior's "The Death of Christian Culture" and his list of 1000 Good (not Great) books, Greg and Jennifer explore how shifting their reading habits makes it easier to consume even greater books that are more mentally, emotionally, and spiritually edifying.
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The appendix from John Senior's "The Death of Christian Culture" presents a compelling argument for the revival of Christian values in the modern world with a view of increasing our ability to dive into Great Books (like those from Augustine, Socrates, and others), by first developing the fertile soil of our mind via fables, tales, poetry, and other literary works. Thus, the "1000 Good Books" list.
While this collection is aimed at young readers before they tackle the "Great Books" of Western civilization, we suggest that given the watered down nature of content distribution in the 21st century, that we could all benefit from reading more of these books, which includes a diverse range of literature spanning myths, fairy tales, novels, and poetry. Senior emphasizes that these stories, rich in virtues like courage, love, and justice, are crucial for developing a moral imagination and wisdom from a young age.
The essence of the "1000 Good Books" is to lay a foundational understanding of truth, beauty, and goodness, countering the utilitarian and relativistic tendencies of contemporary education. Senior advocates for a classical approach to learning, where character formation and the pursuit of virtue are prioritized. Each selected work not only holds literary merit but also possesses the power to profoundly engage the reader's heart and mind, fostering discussions on life's significant questions within family and community contexts.
Ultimately, Senior's vision through the "1000 Good Books" list is not merely educational but deeply cultural and spiritual. It serves as a roadmap for a lifelong engagement with literature that enriches the soul and intellect, urging readers to explore the depths of Christian and Western thought. This initiative is a call to rediscover the role of literature in cultivating wisdom, virtue, and a richer Christian life, aiming for a broader cultural renewal.
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[@ms.b_channel]

Thanks for sharing. I am also working my way through a list of classics a month that a high school student shared with me, The goal is one book per month. Books/authors from John Senior's list that made the cut were Frankenstein, H.G. Wells, Les Miserables, and Edgar Allen Poe and Charles Dickens (I read Great Expectations for that one.)

[@AngieT-j1f]

Another good resource is getting an introduction or explanation of a good/great literary work by good instructors. Joseph Pearce (has been a guest on the show) and TAN books has a nice podcast called The Authority, where Dr. Pearce is going through many of the great works of antiquity. Some of these works are so far outside of our current cultural touchstones that we do need a primer or some basic understanding to get the deeper knowledge.

[@burkeiowa]

Watch To Kill a Mockingbird, and if you like that, you can read it, having more confidence that you will appreciate the book. Since you have already read the book, you could have a negative momentum getting into it. With a movie, it's a short watch, and takes less effort. Books are usually considered better than movies, so if you like the movie, you can know you should get more out of the book in a good way. If you don't like the movie, then there may not be much reason to retry the book.