A classic that, on rereading, was disappointing: “Ulysses” by James Joyce. I adore early Joyce, but this book still feels ponderously overwritten—the literary equivalent of a fashion show in super slo-mo.
The book you care most about having your children read: “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky. My wife’s and my favorite book. If my boys can manage this, they can read anything.
