The Great Books of Greater Cleveland is presently on Winter Break. “Break” is somewhat of a misnomer since there is no break from a reading assignment, only a break from meetings. During the break we are reading Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Is this novel a “great book”? It is the first time it has been on the GB schedule, but being put on the GB schedule does not automatically confer the status of a classic. Many readings have come and gone over the nearly eight decades of the group’s existence. (Maybe I’ll write a future article which includes the readings that didn’t have staying power.) What makes a book or reading a Great Books classic, one that gets on the list every few years? That question will be addressed (if not fully resolved) on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, when we discuss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
The Great Books list isn’t static; it changes over the years, adding new works and dropping others. There never has been anything close to a purge over the group’s history — more like dropping a reading or two over several years. Conversely we carefully add to the GB list, only adding a few works over a few years and testing them through our discussions of them.
Let’s see what happens with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I finished it a few weeks ago and loved it. But I know that loving a book doesn’t automatically make it a timeless classic. There are other factors we must consider. Let’s take up this issue in March!