“A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.”Mark Twain · Scrieri și caiete · 1897 · Scrieri și caiete, Caietul 34
Classics are books we want to have read, but don't want to read.
Twain reveals a cultural hypocrisy. We consider certain books essential for education and prestige, so we want to be able to say we've read them. In reality, reading them can be tedious or boring, so we avoid them. For example, many people own 'War and Peace' on their shelf, but few have read it cover to cover.
Why it matters It helps us recognize the social pressure to appear cultured and can free us to actually read, not just tick off titles.