Penguin Classics released a 10 essential classics list last year. As any top 10 or 100 or 1000 list would, they got a lot of opinions about what was missing from their list. So they put out a call and let people vote. I couldn't help but put my two cents in, and believe me, it was hard to decide on my top ten. One of the problems is not having read all the books you could choose from.
Well they just came out with their 10 essential classics redux based on the votes of the common people (er, I mean those nerdy enough to take the time on it).
From their first list, I had read 6.5 (I've read parts of Walden, but never in its entirety). From their new list, I've read 9. So I like the second list better based on the fact that it makes me feel smarter if nothing else. The one I haven't read on the new list was also on the old: Pride and Prejudice. It's been on my to do list to read Jane Austen, and I think Pride and Prejudice just jumped up to the top of the list.
I like that they let people vote on them. Probably some that I wouldn't have included, but I've read them all on both lists. That's a first! I usually have at least a couple on the small lists that I need to get to.
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