22 Comments
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Ominous Cowherd's avatar

Winnie the Pooh is public domain now, and would be a strong contender.

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Mitchell Deshazer's avatar

In the above poll I voted Genji. However, I agree with the Seneca work listed below. Or any of the stoic works of similar quality

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Michael Kingswood's avatar

Heck yeah! Bring on The Hardy Boys!

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No Thank You's avatar

Vox - we also NEED the full and complete Moby Dick. That is EXTREMELY important imho and VERY high on my list. Last of the Mohicans is also essential and VERY important and valuable.

Please also keep these polls going as they are a great way to communicate and discuss future publications together. Thank you and God bless!

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Ominous Cowherd's avatar

Generally I'd like to see more American authors.

Cooper's stuff is worth preserving, perhaps more so than Clemens's. Moby Dick was a good read, not so impressed with the rest of Melville's stuff.

Why is Moby Dick EXTREMELY important, though?

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No Thank You's avatar

Moby Dick is arguably the most complex novel ever written that maintains actual cohesion. It catapults both modernism and even post-modernism decades before it's time and executes it brilliantly with transcendent and astounding prose writing and often overlooked humor. It is quite literally a modern masterpiece of epic proportions and nearly was lost to the world.

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Nick's avatar

These all look good, except Gatsby. Please don’t do Gatsby!

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Ominous Cowherd's avatar

Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, the original Oz books, the many G.A. Henty books...there are more than enough to do a long running subscription for youth lit.

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Ominous Cowherd's avatar

The early Tom Swifts would be good, too.

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Connor Morris's avatar

What about some Germans?

Faust

Siddhartha

Agree with interest in

Seneca

Huck Finn

Sherlock Holmes

Don Quixote

Moby Dick

I voted Genji for the above choices, and would be happy with that

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No Thank You's avatar

Also Vox - for the Christian Castalia I’d like to recommend one or two volumes of the best of the old early church fathers. Their writings were extensive and profound but often difficult to find and buy (no surprise there hence Castalia!). Thank you again and God bless!

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John Inglis's avatar

At this point the Tale of Genji leads the poll, this is the only one that I have negative interest in, I voted for Tolstoy, but could be satisfied with any outcome that is not Genji.

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Matt's avatar

Some other classics to consider in future:

Great Expectations

King Arthur

Treasure Island

Robinson Crusoe

Gulliver's Travels

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Sherlock Holmes

Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn

Little Women / Little Men

Oliver Twist

Secret Garden

Sherlock Holmes

Anne of Green Gables (only the first 2 books)

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Coldrolledsteel's avatar

The Worm Ouroboros

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Ryan's avatar

I don’t like the options listed in the poll - the Seneca Letters, Last of the Mohicans, and Moby Dick as suggested by other commenters all sound more interesting to me

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Rick The Real Twinjun's avatar

Seneca, Letters from a Stoic — translated by Richard M. Gummere. I believe it was published about 1916.

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The Causal Observer's avatar

I voted Genji, but only because I consider it the most attractive of a not-so attractive list.

My preference would go to Moby Dick or The Worm Ouroboros. Any of the lists by Connor Morris or Matt would be fine also.

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Ominous Cowherd's avatar

In the USA, anything published before 1930 should be public domain, as of 2025.

If it's on Project Gutenberg, that's a good sign it's P.D.

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Codex redux's avatar

IF I could still afford it, I would buy the HardyBoys omnibus.

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