Awhile ago I downloaded several books including things like War & Peace, Sense & Sensibilities, Ulysses etc.
Some of them are quite thick, and I am wondering if I mostly did so to seem intelligent or smart on some subconscious level.
Have any of you gotten enjoyment or insight from any of these kinds of books? or is it just society and schooling that are telling me these are "good."?
Problem with "the classics" is that there's so much of em that you'll never read the entire canon (if there's really any value in "the canon"). That said many classics are classics for a reason, and are usually genuinely fun reads. But also don't feel like you have to finish an 800 page tome if you're finding it boring or dense or dry as hell. You can start shorter if you like - Portrait of the Artist rather than Ulysses, Northanger Abbey instead of Sense and Sensibility - until you get a sense of the authors and what you like.
Books are cool and good, and the more you read the more you'll vibe it.
Which classics are classics for a reason in your view?