This is the cover of "Literature: What Every Catholic Should Know" by Joseph Pearce. The book is reviewed by Patrick Brown. (CNS)
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"Literature: What Every Catholic Should Know" by Joseph Pearce. Ignatius Press (San Francisco, 2019). 210 pp., $16.95.
Every day, television headlines are more tiring, the social media scrolling more soulless and popular culture continues its pursuit of "relevance" over actual meaning. It might be time to sink your teeth into written works that actually sought to plumb the depths of humanity and have withstood the test of time.
But like walking into a supermarket on an empty stomach, resolving to read more classic literature can end up in the paralysis of a paradox of choice -- with so many classic works to choose from, what to prioritize? What kinds of works might be right for a given state in life? Where to even begin? Flipping on the latest streaming sitcom starts to sound like the path of least resistance.