Until three months ago I was unable to finish a book. Now I can't read them fast enough. I slept through my high school English classes and now I realized I missed out on reading a lot of great books. I have decided, about six years to late, to correct the error of my ways and read the great books. I am now faced with a dilemma that has hounded literary scholars for generations: What makes a book great?

Being a novice in the vast world of literature I have decided to let the penguins tell me what is great. Actually just one penguin, Penguin Group Publishing. Penguin has released a series of books entitled "Great Books of the 20th Century". This seems like a pretty good place to start. I have decided that I will read the entire series in an attempt to catch up to my more well read brethren.

When some one quotes a passage from Don DeLillo's White Noise I want to know what they are talking about. The first book I have picked from the series is Jack Kerouac's famous On The Road. I decided it was time to learn about Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise. Right now I am about half way through and am enjoying it immensely.

Next on the list is White Noise and then Toni Morrison's Beloved. Then I plan on seriously diving in with Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter and Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. This may seem like a lot to take on from the start but I am more than ready.

I have always been a literary poser. It is time to shed that skin and actually know what I am talking about. Look for the reviews of these books and more to come soon. In the mean time please visit me In the Congo. B