Ariel at BittersweetLife is making a Master Book List, and he’s asking that age old question: “What makes a book great? What constitutes a classic?”

I started this post in Ariel’s comments by admitting that I’m growing older and older and my rememberer is getting old, too. So, I take my favorite literature professor‘s definition of a classic, ” a piece of literature that stands the test of time,” and add to that my own criterion: a real classic must stand the test of remembrance. In other words, if I still remember the book even though I haven’t read it in years, if I still want to re-read it when I catch a glimpse of it on the shelf, if I still recommend it to others and can tell them something to whet the appetite, then it’s made the cut. It’s a classic.

I’ve been cleaning off my shelves as I catalog my books into Library Thing, and I’ve discovered so many old friends already. I’m going to note a few of them as I go along since this cataloging thing promises to be a long, slow process. In the three shelves I’ve already done, I’ve found the following books that I wish I had time to sit down and revisit::

A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Van Auken Wow! If you’ve never read this one, you must. If you care at all about the meaning of marriage and the meaning of Christian commitment and a true story that gets to the heart of both of those ideals, A Severe Mercy is the book. Although I didn’t read them at the same time, I can see that reading this book alongside A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis would be a valuable study in theodicy. (my new word for the day: A vindication of God’s goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil)

The Peanut Butter Family Homeschool by Bill Butterworth. I think this one is out of print, but it’s worth picking up at a used book sale if you see it lying around. It was published in 1987, not quite the early days of the modern homeschool resurgence, but at least the medium-early days. Anyway, I can’t remember specific stories from the book, but I do know it was funny and encouraging.

Storytelling: Art and Technique by Augusta Baker and Ellin Greene This is an old book from my library school days. I would love to go back and read it again just to remind myself of the storytelling techniques I used to know and of the tremendous art involved in telling stories. I could use a refresher course.

Teach Your Own by John Holt I was actually introduced to the concept of homeschooling by Raymond Moore and John Holt, and I still believe that Mr. Holt had some fine ideas about children although ultimately his Rousseau-type (Rousseauean? No, too many vowels) attitude about the innocence of children just doesn’t work out in real life and isn’t very scriptural either. I especially love the stories in this book where John Holt shares his observations of children and adults and how they learn. Holt was a great observer and a good storyteller. He also had the ability to ask questions and then just sit back and listen to the answers, a trait I could afford to imitate.

Best Friends for Life by Michael and Judy Phillips I remember being intrigued by the ideas in this book. It falls somewhere between courtship and arranged marriage and yet neither of those models is exactly what the book is advocating. The most interesting idea I remember in the book was that of having your child’s prospective spouse live with your family for a period of time before the marriage. If I remember correctly, the idea was for the husband or wife-to-be to each live with or near their in-laws-to-be for a long period of engagement, six months or a year, maybe work on a project together, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law or father-in-law and son-in-law. The families could get to know one another, help prepare the young couple for marriage, counsel with them, let them experience the family dynamics in the family that each spouse is coming from. I don’t know how to work it out, but it is an interesting idea. The stories of courtship, dating, and marriage in the book are good, too. Excellent food for thought.

Vanity Fair by WIlliam Thackeray. I’ve been wanting to re-read this one ever since I saw the movie last year. Maybe someday.

Not all classics, but all worthwhile and well-remembered.