Why is it important to read great literature?

Currently my AP students are wrestling with the question: why is it important to read great literature? I asked them to come up with ideas on their own and then do an internet search to find what others are saying.

There can be no doubt that reading, of any kind, is an important thing to do. But does it matter what kind of books we read? I think it does. I am curious to see what they come up with.

For more on my views, you can read the introduction to my master’s thesis.