December 23rd Saved from a Bonfire of Books Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804-1869), What is a Classic?. Vol. 32, pp. 121-133 of The Harvard Classics If all the books in the world were on fire, some men would risk their lives to save certain priceless writings: the world's classics. Sainte-Beuve here tells why. (Sainte-Beuve born Dec. 23, 1804.)
