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| Photo: Val McFarlane |
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| Photo: Pat Kight/Flickr |
Most of us follow the same path in the library or bookshop, choosing the latest novel by our favourite author, or something else from the same genre.
But the University of Melbourne’s 10 Great Books is here to help you step out of your literary comfort zone.
Ten distinguished scholars from the University have recommended books they believe deserve a reader’s attention, from ancient texts to modern classics.
Associate Professor Tim Lynch, director of the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, says the books chosen give an insight into the enduring power of the written word.
“Great books remain basic to humanity and history – they were revolutionary 1000 years ago and remain so,” he says.
“Books remain central to political debate, from the Communist Manifesto, which in some ways defined the terms of political debate for over a century, to the US Constitution, which President Trump is currently testing.
“Scientific revolutions usually take place in books, from Newton to Darwin, and religions are their texts: Christ and Mohammad are important for what was written down about them.
“That people still want to ban and burn books suggests they retain a remarkable power. Without books we become unmoored from history and what it means to be human. Books invented us. And they continue to reinvent us.”
The 10 Great Books will be discussed at a series of University of Melbourne masterclasses to be held throughout 2017.
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Source: Pursuit
