What Makes a Book Timeless?

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What makes a book timeless? Is it simply being old? Or difficult to read? Heavy, perhaps? In need of translation?

Classical Christian education has gotten a bad rap for being elitist. Certainly deserved at times, elitism is not at the heart of the tradition. We shouldn’t read these books or talk about them to elevate ourselves to exclusion of others. In fact, that’s actually the opposite of what a timeless book is meant to do.

A timeless book is one that possesses qualities and characteristics that allow it to resonate across different generations and cultures. In essence, it’s a book that brings us together.

There are a variety of ways that this happens, but I want to highlight some of the key elements of a timeless book for you.

Universal Themes

The first is this, a timeless books addresses universal themes. These books seek to uncover and explore universal themes that are significant to the human experience. Things that impact us no matter when or where we live. Take Gilgamesh, for example, the oldest written story on record, dating back to 2000 BC. It originates in Mesopotamia, or modern day Syria or Iraq. The setting and culture of this story is as far removed from us today as can possibly be imagined. And yet, the story deals with themes that still influence us today. Gilgamesh fears facing death, and is on a quest to find immortality. The epic poem recounts the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, enemies turned bffs. Their camaraderie helps them to face insurmountable challenges and find meaning in life.  This is just the tip of the iceberg, but you get the idea. Universal themes include ideas like love and relationships, good vs. evil, coming of age, death and mortality, identity and self-discovery, betrayal, forgiveness, courage, heroism, oppression, freedom, and more!

Relatable Characters

Next, Relatable Characters. Every good story presents a conflict, and invites us to follow along as the protagonist, or main character, seeks to overcome challenges. The characters with depth and complexity, the ones who adapt and grow, they’re the ones we remember. They’re the ones we relate to and aspire to emulate. Or perhaps, we learn what not to do from them. I imagine most of you are familiar with the Lion King, which is an adaptation of Hamlet by Shakespeare. While Simba isn’t quite the hero that Hamlet is, we do still learn from his journey. He transforms from a naïve cub into a careless teen, and finally, into a mature and bold young adult, fighting against his evil Uncle Scar to redeem his kingdom. The trajectory of a heroic character is relatable, even though he’s a lion. Or apply it to Hamlet, and even though I’m not a prince of Denmark, I can relate to questioning my own mind and actions.  This is what makes a character relatable, and thus a book timeless. One of my favorite books is Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry. In it, he writes this- I began to trust the world again, not to give me what I wanted, for I saw that it could not be trusted to do that, but to give unforeseen goods and pleasures that I had not thought to want.

Relevant Across Cultures

Another characteristic of a timeless book is that it is Relevant Across Cultures. A great example of this can be found in folktales. Anansi is a legendary character in African folklore, particularly among the Ashanti people. He is depicted as a spider, known for his cleverness and ability to outsmart others. One of the stories goes like this-

Anansi comes into possession of a bag of wisdom and decides to keep it for himself. When he encounters Turtle, Anansi, in a mischievous attempt to mock Turtle's slow nature, agrees to share the wisdom only if Turtle carries the bag for a while.

As Turtle struggles under the weight, Anansi laughs at the thought of Turtle carrying the load. However, Turtle surprises Anansi by calmly walking into a river, causing the bag to get wet. Turtle's wisdom shines as he effortlessly unties the knot underwater, leaving Anansi humbled.

Turtle emerges with the dry bag and imparts a lesson: wisdom is not about speed or cleverness but about knowing when and how to use what one has. Anansi learns humility and acknowledges Turtle's wisdom, realizing that knowledge is meant to be shared. The story highlights the balance between cleverness and wisdom, emphasizing the value of humility and the importance of sharing knowledge with others.

Like I told you, this is an old African folktale. But does it not sound a bit like one of Aesop’s fables? Or perhaps a folktale from another land across the globe? Throughout time, people have created and shared stories to teach their culture and morals to their people. Timeless books do this, regardless of the time and place where they started from.

Masterfully Crafted

Next, timeless books are masterfully crafted. From word choice, to figurative language, to style, these authors are the best of the best. They master plot construction, character development, and narrative structure. A great example of this comes from Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities. He penned these words almost 150 years ago, and yet every time I read it, I find myself in awe for a few moments.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

Thought-Provoking Ideas

Finally, books that introduce deep ideas, challenge societal norms, or explore philosophical concepts can remain relevant across generations. They inspire readers to think deeply and engage with the material on a meaningful level. This will come up in one of our first book talks, but a great example of this is in the Allegory of the Cave from Plato’s Republic. In this story, individuals are chained inside a dark cave and can only see shadows on the wall, believing them to be the true reality. One prisoner eventually escapes the cave, discovers the outside world, and learns what is true. This philosophical metaphor has been highly influential in Western thought.  

One of my favorite children’s novels is called The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. In the story, a small mouse named Despereaux, sees the world differently than all the other mice. He is curious and brave, and dreams of a life beyond the mouse community. As you can imagine, he is seen as a threat, and banished to the dungeon of the castle. It is here in the darkness that he guides others from ignorance into truth. Though it was only published in 2003, it echoes Plato’s ideas of enlightenment and the freedom that comes with knowledge.

Ultimately, the timelessness of a book captures its ability to tap into universal aspects of the human experience, its enduring relevance, and the skillful execution of its ideas and storytelling. There are many more elements that might be used to describe a book as timeless, but I think we’re off to a good start.

Thanks for joining me, til next time, I’d like to leave you with a quote for your commonplace. This is from F. Scott Fitzgerald, who you might remember as the author The Great Gatsby, among others-

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong."