In my Anglo-Saxon England class today we started reading Asser's Life of King Alfred. Alfred was a pretty cool guy, fending off Vikings and making his country more literate. He realized no one was really learning Latin anymore in England, and he said (In Old English, so probably not these exact words), "Therefore it seems better to me- if it seems so to you- that we too should turn into the language that we can all understand certain books which are the most necessary for all men to know..."
Then our professor asked us to get into groups and decide what five books
we would deem "most necessary for men to know." What a hard choice! Here are some of mine, in chronological order, and I am by NO means an expert on this, these are just some books I think are important.
The Bible- I think this is self explanatory as the basis for the religions of millions of people.
Beowulf- Not only a classic English piece, but shows a typical epic poem, the transition from oral to documentary culture, from pagan to Christian, from warrior to pacifistic.
The Prince- A good idea of some lasting ideas about politics and government.
Heart of Darkness- a journey in itself!
Brave New World- My personal favorite book ever. Oh, and an interesting look at what was seen as a possible future in the 30s.
So, more importantly, what do YOU think? What do you think are the "books most necessary for men to know?"
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