The Library of the Worlds Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, is an extraordinary collection designed to bring good reading into American households. With 45 meticulously curated volumes (plus an index-guide), the editors selected what they deemed the finest works across all eras and genres of literature. This extensive anthology features a rich tapestry of poems, letters, short stories, and excerpts, each preceded by insightful essays about the authors or themes at play. Many chapters explore groups of works arranged by nationality, subject, or period, including fascinating sections on Accadian-Babylonian literature, the Holy Grail, and Chansons. The collection serves as an engaging introduction to renowned authors like Abelard, Dante, and Lord Byron, whom many may recognize but not have read. As editor Charles Dudley Warner noted, this is not a library of reference only, but a library to be read. Volume 13 includes captivating chapters from Dutt to Emerson. (Summary by Leni)