APPENDIX The Thousand Good Books
HE " GREAT BOOKS" MOV1!M];NT OF THE LAST GEN'RAUON mhas not failed as much as fizzled, not because of any defect in the books - "the best that has been thought and said," in M atthew Arnold's phrase-but like good champagne in plastic bottles , they went Bat. To change the figure, the seeds are good but the cultural soil has been depleted ; the seminal ideas ofPlato, Aristotle, St. Augustine and St. T homas thrive only in an imaginative ground saturated with fa bles, fairy tales, stories, rhymes and adventures: the thousand books of Grimm, Andersen, Stevenson, Dickens, Scott, D umas and the rest. Taking all that was best in the Greco-Roman world into itself, 1 Western tradition has given us the thousand good books as a prepa ration for the great ones - and for all studies in the arts and sciences. W-ithQut them all studies are inhumane. T he brutal athlete and fo ppish aesthete --suffer vices opposed to the virtue of Newman's "gentleman." Anyone working at college, w hether in the pure arts and sciences or the practical ones, will discover he has made a quan tum leap when he gets even a small amount ofcultural ground under him : he will grow up like an undernourished plant su d,denly fertil ized and vvatered. Of course, the distinction between "great" and "good" is not ab solute. "Great" implies a certain magnitude; one might say War ari d Peace and Les Miserables are great because of their length, or The Cri tiqu e of Pure R eason because ofits difficulty. Great books call for ehil~- ( ~ ~ ical reB ~ ctio~ ; good. books are popular, appealing especially to '\ . t obVIOusly some authors are both great and good, and their works may be read more than once from the different points ofview- this is true ofShake'S peare and Cervantes, for example. r82 .. The Death of Christitm Culture The Thousand Good Books » 183
It is commonly agreed also that both "great" and "good" can be nineteenth-century edition or one ofthe facsimiles which (though not judged only from a certain distance. Contemporary works can be ap as sharp in printing) are currently available at moderate prices. The preciated and enj oyed but not very properly judged; and JUSt a~ d prlll ltlcomplere worksheet that follows may serve as a rough guide. ciple must stand outside what follows from it (as a point to the line), so a cultural standard must be established from some time at least as dis tant as our grandparents'. For us today the cutoffpoint is World Wax I, The Nursery (ages 2- 7) before which cars and the electric light had not yet come to dominate Literary experience beginS for very young children with someone our lives and the experience of nature had not been distorted by speed reading aloud while they look at the pictures. But they can begin to and the destruction of shadows. T here is a serious question - with ar read the Simplest stories which they already love at an early age. guments on both sides surely-as to whether there can be any culture at all in a mechanized society. Whichever side one takes in that dis Aesop Ewing. Juliana pute, it is certainly true that we cannot unders tand the point at issue Fables (The translation by Robert Jackanap~s L'Estr>nge is the classic) without an llnaginative grasp ofthe world we have lost. Gesta RamaHormll (r[~nslat "d by Swann What follows is not a complete list, but it is a sufficient worksheet. Andersen, Hans Christian [scholarly faCSimile,)) Christll/e's Pietllre Book Everyone will find more than enough that he has not read; and every A Cltris(1H1lJ G,eeti"g: A Series of Storl,s Grahame, Kenneth thing on this list is by a common consent part ofthe ordinary cultural Fairy Tales Wind i" th~ Wi/{,,,~. matter essential fo r an English-speaking person to grow lll. Remember Arabia" Nights (Tbere are tWQ class ic Greenaway, Kate (prefe rably pubLshed that the point ofview throughout a course ofstudies such as this is that translations. one expurgated for ch ildren by Frederick Warne) by Edwatd wne, tb e oth er complete by A Appl,Pie of the ~ -the ordinary person who loves and enjoys what he Ricbard Burton) Birthday Book loves - not ofthe expert in critical, historical. or textual technology. Marigold Gardell The books have been. divided (sometimes dubiously because some Belioe. Hilaire M Olh" Goos~ The Bad Ch ild's Book ofBeasts The Language q(Flolvm bridge two categories) into stages oflife corresponding to the classical Und~r Ihe Window Caldeeott, R andolph ages of manl and in general agreement with the divisions of !!10dern Piau" &oks- 16 little voh. (published by Grimm p~~y. And because sight is the first of the senses and especially Fredrick Warne) Household Stories (illustrated by Walter powerful in early years , it is very important to secure books illustrated C rane [Dover Facsimiles]) Collodi, Carlo (Carlo LorenZini) by artists working in the cultural tradition we are studying, both as Pillocchio Harris, Joel Chandler an introduction to art and as part ofthe imaginative experience of the Un ci, R emus Carroll, Lewis (prefe rably illustrated by book. This is not to disparage contemporary artists, any more than the Tcnnid) Kingsley, Charles tradition itself disparages contemporary experiment- quite the con Alice in WQndtrlalld Water Ba bi•• trary, one of the fruits of such a course should be the encouragement Through the Looking Glass Kipli ng, Rudyard ofgood writing and draWing. The good work ofthe pas t is a standard, De La Mare. Wal ter j ungl" Book (illostrated by Kipling) not a strait-jacket. ~o ok illustratio!] reached its perfection in the llin.e COlli" Hither (the be.'t ,mthology of po Just So Stori e.' etry fo r "children of all agd ') t<[enth centl.lI¥ in the work of R andolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, Songs of Childh.ood Lamb, Charles Walter Crane, Gustav Dare, George Cruikshank, "Phiz," Gordon Beauty and the B"a$l Edgeworth, Maria Tales fro", Shokesptart Browne, Beatrix Potter, Sir John Tenniel, Arthur Rackham, Howard Mora l roles Pyle, N . C. Wyeth and many others. T he rule of thumb is to fi nd a Tit. Parent '5 Assistmll 184 ~ The Death ofChristian Culture The Thousand Good Books ~ [85
Lang, Andrew Stevenson, Robert Louis A. Midnr'gllt Fantasy The Piorreers Blue Book ofFdiria, alld orhlreolo rs - 6ve A Child's Cardell ofVrrses (Scribner's) Miss Mehelable's SOli Tile Pilot \'01,. (best i ll um~t~d by H J Ford [Do Our Ntw Nti~hhon at Ponkapoi? The Prairie ver has facsimile edj ti ons/) Potlns ofT. B. Aldriclr P,ecauttou School Days (ages 7- 12) The Stillwaler Tragedy The Red Rollt" Lear, Edward Story ofa &d Boy The Redskins ABC (illustrated by Lear) Adams, Andy T..,o Biles at a Cherry, Iv ilh other tales Salon 's Toe NonseftSe O'Mibus (i llustrated by Lear 'attle Brands The Sea LioftS [WarDel/) Log ofa Cowboy (illustrated by N. C. Wyeth) Belloc, Hilaire The I'woAdmirals T'lrePob ble Who Has No Toes Th, O"tlet Cautionary Talesfor Children (designed for Tire Waur-Witch 'he Q uangle Wangles Hat Wl,y the Chislrolm Trail Forks, and oth.r the admonition ofchildren between the The Ways oflhe Hour tales ofthe callie country ages of8 and 14) The Wing and Wing Lofting, Hugh The WeplofWish-ton - wish Dr. Dolillle: A Trea sury Alcott, Louisa May BrOwning, Robert Wya/fdoue Dr. Doliule and The Cmn Canory Little IVom"" The Pi.d Piper ofHamelin (i llustrated by Dr. Dolietle', Circ us Little M en Kate Greenaway [Wa rne)) Cowper, William Dr. Dolittle's Caravan Jo's Boys, and Irou' they turned out (a sequel JolIII Gilpin's Rid. (illustrated by Calde Dr. Dolittle's Carden to Little MtII) Burnett, Frances Hodgson cott [Warne)) Dr. Dolirlle's Zoo AuntJo 's Scrap -Bag-6 vols. Liltle Lord Fauntleroy Dana, R ichard Henry Story ofDoctor Do/ittle An Old Fa shioned Cirl Tire Sterel Carderr Voyages ofDoctor Doliule Eiglrt Cousins; or, Th e A"nt-Hill wo Yo", BeJore Ihe Mast A Free Bed Burroughs, Edgar Rice D efoe, Daniel Milne,A.A. Rose irr Bloom (a sequel to Eight Co",i,,,) Apache Devil RobinsoTt Crusoe Wi,,,,ie the Pooh Flower Fables Back 10 tire Stan. Age Tl,e HallS( at Pooh Corner Hospital Sketches, and Camp Qlld Fireside CireSS IllQlIofMa rs D ickens, Charles Now We Art Six Sto ries Jol", Ca rUr ojMa rs A Christmas Ca rol Jungle Tales of Tarz an Once On a Time Jack andJill: a Villa.~e Story Cricket 0 11 the H••rth Prince Rabbit Lul,,'s Ubrary - J voL collec tion of stories Ta les of Three Planets David Copperfield Moods Ta rza" Olivtr Twist (The lattcr two may be Mother Goose (Dover Facsimiles; another Morning-glories, and Other Stories The RelUnr of Ta rzan reserved for adolescence or [crud.) ed. illustrated by Rackham, Viking Press) 0" Picket Duty The Son of Ta, zan Silver Pilchers and Independen ce, a Cellten Dodge, Mary Mapes Perrault, Charles nial Love Story Cooper, James Fenimore Han5 Brinlu Fairy 'l; ,/es (illustrated by Dore [D over]) Spinning- Wheel Stories Afloal arrd Ashore Three Proverb Stories- Kitty 's Class Day, The Bra vo Gar land, Hamlin Potter, Beatrix AIIIlI KIPP, Psyche's Art TIl( Ch ainbearer Tire Light oftile Star -23 little vok. some available in French, Under th e Lilacs The Crater 'h. Long Trail Spanisb. and btin, all illu strated by Pot Work: A Story ofExperience T he Du rslayer Ma ill-Traveltd Roads ter, especially: T ire Headsman Prairie Folks The Fairy Cara van Aldrich, Thomas Bailey T ir e Heid.nmall" SOli oftire Middle Border The Story ofa Fierce Bad Rabbit A n o ld To,,,n by tir e Sea HOllie as Fo,m d The Spir it ofSwetlwattr The Tailor ofCloluester Tire Ballad ofBaby &11, and other poems Homeward Bound The Ta le ofJemima Puddle-Duck Cloth ofCold, and other poems Jack Tie r Hawthorne, Nathaniel The Ta le ofPeu, Rabbit Tire Course of Tru. Love Never Did R"n The La51 ofthe ]\I[Q I,icall s TangltlVood Tales The Tal. of Pigling Bland SIIIootlr Lionel U ncobl Henty, G. A. (George Alfred) The Tale of Sam uel Whiskers Daisy's Necklace: alld Wlrat Came Of[t Mercedes ofCastile d hlmdnd "Boys' Books" 'he I itle ofSquirrel Nlltkill Flower and Thorn , later poems Miles Wallingford Tire Tal.. ofthe Flopsy Bunn ies Friar Jerom. 's Beautiful Book 'fht MO Rikill' IrVing, Washington Tire Talt of Tom Kim n Th e Little Violinist The Oa k OpeniTtgs Siulcl, Book Ti,e Tale of 1ivo Bad Mice Marjorie Dow The Pat lr Finder
-- r86 ~ The Death ofChristian Culture Th e Thousmld Good Books » 187
James, Will (illustrated by Jame. Stratton-Porter, Gene Adolescence (ages I2 - I6) Ti,e Ntw Magdalell rScribner's]) At the Foot ofthe Rainbow No Name Book ofCowboys A Dought., ofthe Land Andersen, Hans Christian Poor Miss Fillch aile Cowboy Freeltlts Picwres ,?/Iravd ill Sweden, Amollg [he Tlo. Qu Gray, Zane Parkman, Francis Tilt People ~rllre River Bernanos, Georges T ire Call oflhr CUIlYOII Oregoll Trail The SiniSI" Mall Diary oja COl/tII,y Prim IksmCold A Diary ofmy Timts P"c, Edgar Allen welh H G. 'J h. Deserl oj WI"ul n•• F""r/ffl Hearl Tales and Doems 'he First Mefl in II.. Moon Fighlillg CaravallS Joy Tht Food ofIhe Cads Tlte Lasl of lloe Plai/lSllleli Last Essays Polo, Marco In lIlt Days ofthe Camel 'he Lasl ?rail Tra.,.ls Nevada The In visible MtJII Blackmore, Richard Dodridge Ridm ofl},e Purple Sage R eade, Charles The Island of Dr. Moreau Cripp<, The Carrier The Cloisler and Ihe Hearlh The Timr Machine Lorna Dtwne Haggard, H. R ider (Henry R id er) 'rhe Wa , oflhe Worlds A Tale ofthe South Downs A llall alld I'.. Holy Flower R hodes, Eugene Wister, Owen Alia" alld Ih. Iu - Cods Best N(JVe/s , alld Slorirs (edited by Dobie) Borrows, George The Dragoll of Wanrley Allall sWife, alld Olloe r Ta les Th. Bible III Spain Thr jitnmyjohn Boss and Olher SIO,;es Allan Quaterma iH Scan, Sir Walter Lavengro Ivanhoe Lady Bailimore Ayesloa Romany Ryr (A sequel 10 Laven~ro) Cloild oftloe Slorm K. rlilworlh Lin McLean CololLei Quarticlt, Vc. Rob Roy Me mbers ofllle Family Bronre, Charlotte Dr. Tlreme The Talisman The Virginiatl Jan. Eyre Joall Hasle Killg SO IOlll OIl'S 1\1ill(5 Shakespeare, William Buchanan, j ohn MO lll ezuma sDaughler Aurchalll of Velli" 16 - 20) A Book ofEscapes and HurriedJourneys The People oflloe Mist Midsummer Night's Drealll Youth (ages (A Collection of Storics) She ROlli," ari dJ llliet Castle Cay Treasu re of the Lak. Andersen, Hans Christian The Co",IS ofthe Momillg Shelley, Mary The Fai,y Tale ofMy Life: A" A utobiogThr Pre. Fisher.< Hughes, T homas Frallkenslein raphy Th. Gap in tht Curtaill Tom BrowlI's School Days ree'lmtlrtJ.le Tom Bro wlI at OxJord Sienkiewicz, Hcnryk Austen, j ane The Houseoflhe Fo"r Winds wilh Fire"lid Su'ord Emma Hugo, Victor Quo Vadis HUlllinglower Lady Susa/1 r. es Miserables Jail MacNa lJ Mansfield Park Hu/rch[, ack ofNotre Dam, Stevenson , R obert Louis A Lodge in lht Wi /dertJe1S Northang" Abbey Qualre- villgt-lreize The Master ojBallantrM Midwinter P,ince Olto Pt'5uas ion Mr. SltllldJast Ibanez, Blasco P,ide a/1d Prejudice The Strallge Cast of Dr. JekYll and The Thr« Hostages Blood all d SO lid Senseand Sensibility Mr. Hyde The Th irty-Nine Steps FOllr Ho rstmall ofthe Apocalypse The WalSOIlS Swift, jonathan Butler, Samuel IrVing, Washington Balzac, Honore de Culliver's Trave ls Ere whon The Alhalllbra TI" Cabinet oj A ntiquilies Thc Way ofA ll Flesh Talts Wallace, Ed gar N " Go riot, Ursule Mirollel, and Other Kingsley, Charles Sa nders oJI/.. River Stories Cabell, James Bra nch if.reward, Ill< Wa ke Again SOlld"s Bellamy, Edward Chivalry • in Balles (Fllrlher Adventures M,. CommisThe Blilldma» '5 World and Other Slaries Ga llalliry Le Sage, Alain sioll" Sanders' Co.mtry) Gil Bias The Duke of Stockbridge J'''ge" Bosom bo oflh e RitJCT LookilLg Backward Th e Sil"" Slallion MacDonald, George Diana ofKara-Ka ra Equalily (A Sequel to Looking BackwarJ) Lilith The Double Cable, George Washington FourJust Mell Belloc, H ilajre' The Ca va litr Park, Mungo The GirlJrom Scotland Yard The Cruise of the "NoIIa"-aod many Old Creole Days Travels in Aj ric'1 Tht }.[all Who Kllew others Kin caid's Bal/ery 190 4;; The Death ofChristian Culture The Tho Hsand Good Books ~ 191 Cather, Willa Hawkins, Anthony Hope Sigurd til, Volsulfg alld Iii, Fall ofIlr. T/" ConacJrs Dearh ComaJor the Arlhbis/,op Caplain Diepp~ Niblu,',gs Tire De"tl, 411'." Ilyluh and Olh,·, St""" My Anronia A Chanx, ofAir Fablesfor ChilJren Sl,aJowi 011 tlk R.xk Scott. Rohen Double Harness Tit," Kru ct~a S(ltliJt~ Scott's Lasl Expedition M