Invitation to the Classics: A Guide to Books You've Always Wanted to Read

"These sparkling essays remind us of the deep pleasures of literature and its power to instruct and delight."

- Publishers Weekly

"Invitation to the Classics becomes itself a classic, and a very readable one at that, as well as a terrific door-opener...to a world heretofore largely inaccessible to many of us--great literature."

- Dallas/Fort Worth Heritage

One of the many purposes of Invitation to the Classics is to warm the heart to the masterworks of Western civilization. In doing so, editors Louise Cowan and Os Guinness hope to "reawaken ... people to the vibrant heritage of these classics that are rich in themselves and in their 2000-year relationship to the Christian faith." From Homer to Chaucer, Dickens to C.S. Lewis, each author receives a chapter that includes a biographical sketch followed by a thorough summary of the classic(s) he or she penned. The "Issues to Explore" sections at the end of each chapter pose penetrating questions for interrogation of the text as well as recommendations for further study depending on whether your scope is technical, theological, analytical, critical, or biographical.

Once you read Invitation to the Classics, you may agree with C.S. Lewis that we must "keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books."

Invitation to the Classics comes at just the right time. Those who are engaged in the work of recovering true education are returning to the much neglected literary heritage of the West. This is wise; the mine may have collapsed, but the ore is still there. Invitation provides a wonderful introduction for those involved in this critical work.
Douglas Wilson

A wonderful resource to help us escape our ?tiny world.' Belongs in every church library and should be found in each Christian's living room.
Critique

A helpful resource for those whose vocation (or avocation) is words. For those who need to be introduced (or want to be reintroduced) to [the classics], this volume does the job well thanks to an impressive array of commentator/essayists.
Calvin Theological Journal

This year a number of publications have produced lists of the best books of this century. This beautiful volume does more. The editors introduce the reader to classic writings, stretching back prior to Christ's birth, that have been important to Western civilization. Each article is well laid out and includes illustrations in color, brief quotes from the work under study, and a section titled ?Issues to Explore.' This section will be of particular interest to parents who are reading these classics with their children or teaching their children to read them, as it includes good questions for thought and discussion. The articles are insightful and informative regarding the worldview of the authors, as well as the content of the work being studied. The reader is not only introduced to important literary works but also to the reasons for their importance. The book's design and content make this work reader-friendly for high school students and adults. Being knowledgable of the works surveyed should allow the reader to better understand today's culture. This work is a valuable asset for homeschooling families; however, its value extends to any individual or family who desires to think through classic writings from a Christian perspective. It really makes us want to read the books that we have desired to read for a long time. Hopefully, this volume will be a welcomed addition to many, many public, church, and individual libraries.
The Presbyterian Witness

Take this book, follow its guidance, and discover your roots. This collection of brief, jewel-like introductions to the classics make accessible and compelling those great writings of the Western tradition on which Christians down through the ages have been nourished, and by which they have nourished others.
Nicholas Wolterstorff

The classics are the best that has been thought and written about the human experience; books about nobility and valor, ambition and treachery, political theory and human passions. Invitation to the Classics is just that--an invitation to read, or to read again, these wonderful books. It does so in a way that makes them accessible, provides useful insights, and demonstrates an unabashed love for the classics.
William J. Bennett