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."?
Of course there is value. There is a reason people have been reading these books for decades or even centuries. I think it's important to understand history and seeing the evolution of culture and ideas is important. And a lot of the classics are just fun to read.
I would say try a variety of eras and countries. I fell in love with 19th century Russian literature but I hate 19th century English literature. Also probably start with stuff that is popular around places like Reddit. Ulysses shows up on lots of classic lists but isn't popular on Reddit because it's not an easy read. Someone like Steinbeck is a good place to start.