Juvenile or adult, War and Peace or Treasure Island, Pride and Prejudice or Beauty and the Beast, a great work of the imagination is one of the highest forms of communication of truth that mankind has reached. But a great piece of literature does not try to coerce you to believe it or agree with it. A great piece of literature simply is.–Madeleine L’Engle
This is from my current read Madeleine L’Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life, which is basically a bunch of awesome quotes from L’Engle about writing, reading, and art.
I read somewhere (maybe Henry Miller) that the highest echelon of the classics contains those books that appeal to children and adults alike. Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, Gulliver’s Travels were mentioned. Lord of the Rings. The Iliad and the Odyssey stories, the folktales, the legends…….Les Miserables…..