Gordon S. Wood
Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature by Erich Auerbach (Princeton University, $20). A classic. After one reads this book, no text—whether the Bible or a novel by Stendhal—will ever seem the same.
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bernard Bailyn (Belknap, $20). The indispensable book for understanding the significance of the American Revolution. It also makes clear why we Americans developed the notion that we were an exceptional people.
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford (Oxford University Press, $9). A gem of a novel and one of the most beautifully put-together in the English language. If irony is to your taste, this book has it as no other does, even in its title.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Absalom! Absalom! by William Faulkner (Vintage, $13). Perhaps Faulkner’s greatest novel. Not only does it deal with the central American issues of slavery and miscegenation, but it also helps explain how history is reconstructed. It is a mystery tale, a compilation of stories, all told from different perspectives and distances, all trying to get at an elusive truth about something that happened in the past.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Scribner, $13). The great American novel about the American dream, “the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us.” If Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography embodies the American dream, The Great Gatsby is its antidote.
Early Stories
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
See the bright lights from these 7 big-city hotels
The Week Recommends Immerse yourself in culture, history and nightlife
-
Scientists want to regrow human limbs. Salamanders could lead the way.
Under the radar Humans may already have the genetic mechanism necessary
-
Seven wild discoveries about animals in 2025
In depth Mice have Good Samaritan tendencies and gulls work in gangs
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softly
Feature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
-
Andrea Long Chu's 6 favorite books for people who crave new ideas
Feature The book critic recommends works by Rachel Cusk, Sigmund Freud, and more
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more
-
Richard Bausch's 6 favorite books that are worth rereading
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more