A book is sent out into the world, and there is no way of fully anticipating the responses it will elicit. Consider the responses called forth by the Bible, Homer, Shakespeare - let alone contemporary poetry or a modern novel. ↗
What makes a book great, a so-called classic, it its quality of always being modern, of its author, though he be long dead, continuing to speak to each new generation. ↗
No university in the world has ever risen to greatness without a correspondingly great library... When this is no longer true, then will our civilization have come to an end. ↗