To me a classic is a book that stays with you. One remembers it based on thoughts depicted, not on the enjoyment supplied. Something in the writing (whether thoughts, actions etc.) affects your view of a segment of the world, makes you challenge your own preconceptions.
Not my favorite reading by any means, but I have pretty plebian tastes. Still I manage to stumble upon at least three or four books a year that stay with me and challenge my perceptions of reality. Classics are still being written, American or not, and I think that most will endure.
Helen
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