To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Penguin Classics has compiled a list of 100 best classics in twenty categories. I like the categories, at least some of them, and thought they’d make for interesting discussion here at Semicolon. I followed only a few rules, not exactly the same rules that Penguin followed in making its list:

1. First of all, I didn’t choose any books for my list that I hadn’t read. I may not even like all the books I chose, but I have at least read them. Penguin’s choices may be a bit more eclectic and broad since I assume they had a panel of editors to choose their classics list. Nevertheless, my list will be suitably eccentric and personally pleasing.

2. As the Penguin listers didn’t use any book twice even though some could fit into more than one category, neither did I. I did, however, feel free to list more than one book by a given author.

3. Most of my classics are fiction because that’s what I’ve read the most. Most of the Penguin list consists of fiction, too.

4. “There is no Shakespeare because Penguin has a separate imprint for the Bard and in any case how could the rest of the literary canon compete?” OK, I’ll go along with that restriction. However, I didn’t check to see if my other choices are Penguin classics or not, and I’m sure many of them are not. That’s OK because I don’t work for Penguin or any other publisher, and I’ve already given them enough free publicity.

So, my next twenty posts will be my take on the the best in Penguin’s various categories. Please add your thoughts as you read along. Let us discuss the best in literature.