789 The 25 Greatest Books of All Time (with Mike Palindrome) | My Last Book with Cass Sunstein

In this episode of The History of Literature, host Jack Wilson and guest Mike Palindrome dissect a widely circulated 'top 25 greatest books of all time' list, questioning its methodology, biases, and omissions. They critique the list's overreliance on reader surveys, which favors assigned high school and college reading like *The Catcher in the Rye* and *To Kill a Mockingbird*, while excluding major works of poetry, nonfiction, drama, and non-Western literature. The hosts highlight glaring absences such as Virginia Woolf, Henry James, Shakespeare, Dante, and the Bible’s lack of recognition beyond a single entry. They also debate the placement of *The Sound and the Fury* ahead of *War and Peace*, and express skepticism about *1984* and *The Trial* being ranked so highly. After a humorous exchange where Mike fails to guess the top two books—Ulysses and Proust—Jack reveals the true top two, sparking a spirited discussion on literary greatness. The episode culminates in Jack sharing a personal list of 25 books he believes better represents literary excellence, emphasizing diversity, depth, and global scope. The episode closes with a special segment featuring Cass Sunstein, who chooses A.S. Byatt’s *Possession* as his last book, praising its emotional depth and narrative richness, and calling for its revival in the literary canon.