Copyright © 2008 by Charles Van Doren
Cover and internal design © 2008 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cover photo © Getty Images
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-4022-3437-8
All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. Sourcebooks, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor in this book.
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
(630) 961-3900
Fax: (630) 961-2168
www.sourcebooks.com
First published in the United States of America by Crown Publishing, Inc., 1985
Van Doren, Charles Lincoln.
The joy of reading : a passionate guide to 189
of the world's best authors and their works / Charles Van Doren.
p. cm.
1. Best books. 2. Books and reading. I. Title.
Z1035.V26 2008
011'.73—dc22
2007043270
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
BG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1