I agree. The single most important thing about any of us is that we are members of a civillisation that has run for thousands of years. Yet we constantly forget

I agree. The single most important thing about any of us is that we are members of a civillisation that has run for thousands of years. Yet we constantly forget this, and the classics are a rich and vivid reminder. Another reason is that lately, reality is both more fantastical and absurd than fiction. Contemporary books come off a bit pedestrian.