Because they can make you a better person. Many of the classic books that are still available are those that explore profound truths about who we are or tell s

Because they can make you a better person. Many of the classic books that are still available are those that explore profound truths about who we are or tell stories that affect us deeply. They have been examined and discussed for centuries (or even millennia) and they form the foundation that modern thought, society and storytelling is based on. Reading the classics give you an appreciation of how little is new in the world. You'll see that most modern works are shallow reworking of the classics. And that's OK. It's always been this way. You'll also develop a healthy skepticism for those claiming that "nothing like this has happened before," "no one could have foreseen this" or that "we live in unprecedented times". The classics are a distillation of the best thinking of mankind, and they are free. Why on Earth would you not want to read them?