Sunday Reading: Critics on the Classics | Books & Culture - The New Yorker

From The New Yorker’s archive: original reviews of literary masterworks as they made their first impressions on the world, recommends Erin Overbey, the archive editor of newyorker.com.

Photo: Glenn Harper / Alamy

“ ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ is a profound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating book.” That was how the critic Lionel Trilling characterized George Orwell’s classic dystopian tale when it was originally published, in 1949. With the passage of time, even the most groundbreaking works of literature can grow familiar. One way to recapture our sense of wonder is to look back at the first impressions these books made on the world. 
This week, we’re bringing you a selection of original reviews of classic literature. 
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Source: The New Yorker