Lafcadio Hearn turns the simple act of reading into a serious art, arguing that true understanding of literature depends on experience, taste, discrimination, and patient study. In this thoughtful lecture, he invites readers to approach the great books of Western civilization—Dante, Molière, Malory, Milton, Shakespeare, Goethe, Homer, and the Bible—with reverence and repeated attention, showing how some works deepen with every reading while others lose force in translation. Shakespeare, in particular, emerges as a living force capable of shaping both mind and character. Hearn's memorable counsel is both practical and provocative: when a new book appears, read an old one. The volume also reflects a broader commitment to literary education through affordable classroom texts and readers for schools, colleges, and teachers, covering composition, journalism, democracy, international relations, Americanization, and more. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.