[meco]

Bloom's "The Western Canon" tries to answer this question.

https://www.openculture.com/2014/01/harold-bloom-creates-a-m...

[wolverine876]

Important context for those considering it: Bloom's book was seen as a rejection of those bringing new voices (i.e., non-white, non-male) into the 'canon'; it was popular among conservative culture warriors. That doesn't disqualify it, but understand Bloom might be injecting some politics into it.

[splitstud]

Blooms list is rejecting bringing politics into the classics canon

[jeegsy]

You probably didn't intend this but the context you have highlighted almost reads like a recommendation except I misunderstand what a 'canon' means.

[voldacar]

>was seen

by whom?

[harry8]

Someone bought that for me years ago and it s*at me to tears reading his deep thoughts. Paraphrasing: You should read literature to come to grips with your own death. But took about 100 pages to say so with the most meandering, tangential, irrelevant segway loaded prose that was utterly stultifying. Such as you might get from someone desperate to prove how incredibly clever they are rather than filling the role they claim to be filling.

I stopped reading it with the idea that just about anybody's else's list would likely be superior.

Obviously YMMV. Brought back the memory seeing it here. Would be really interested if someone had a different reaction to it.

[adolph]

> the most meandering, tangential, irrelevant segway loaded prose that was utterly stultifying

Reads like the work personally transported you.