>>The most striking omission from The Atlantic’s list is indeed the Bible - it is more widely read than almost any other book and as you say, it is most frequently alluded to in other works - books, poems, and plays. A lack of knowledge of the Bible is a serious impediment to understanding much of the canon of great works in literature.
Very true. Almost every novel references the Bible and Greek/Roman Mythology, and occasionally Shakespeare. Every family meal, the Last Supper; every bath/swim, baptism; every 33 year old, Jesus. I tell my students that you must study the Bible to understand literature.
That being said, I was happy no one gave a nod to “Catcher in the Rye” or “Naked Lunch.” I was totally expecting that from the Atlantic. The Atlantic, founded by OWH, who penned:
Thy sacred leaves, fair Freedom’s flower,
Shall ever float on dome and tower,
To all their heavenly colors true,
In blackening frost or crimson dew,—
And GOD love us as we love thee,
Thrice holy Flower of Liberty!
Then hail the banner of the free,
The starry FLOWER OF LIBERTY!
What’s wrong with Catcher? It’s just not in the top ten of the 20th century. Salinger was actually something of a conservative. It’s apparent from his other fiction.