Saturday mornings hit differently. The pace slows down, the coffee stays hot a little longer, and there is finally time to reflect instead of just keeping up with the week.
Welcome to Coffee with Kevin—my weekly space to step away from news headlines, charts, and rankings to share personal stories, practical lessons, and observations.
Some weeks, we’ll explore life in retirement, living in Brazil, photography, books, or family. Other weeks, I’ll draw on four decades in technology, leadership, and change management—offering perspectives that remain relevant long after leaving the office.
Think of this as two friends catching up over a fresh cup of coffee: honest conversation, stories worth sharing, and an idea or two to take with you into your weekend.
Grab your cup, settle in, and let’s dive into this week’s conversation: Books and reading
Why I Couldn’t Finish the Classics on Project Gutenberg
Back at the beginning of June, I wrote about the amazing collection of free books available through Project Gutenberg.
I still think it’s a fantastic resource, but I have to be honest. Some of these books are considered classics, and I’m completely lost as to why.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t great books. It probably says more about my reading preferences than it does about the books themselves. Plenty of people love them. I’m just not one of them.
I really tried.
The only one I managed to finish was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and I probably only got through it because I had already read Mark Twain’s biography and reviewed it back in April.
After that, I downloaded several more.
Since the new movie is coming out, I thought I’d read The Odyssey. Then I figured I should start with The Iliad first.
I hate to say it, but after about twenty pages I had absolutely no idea what I was reading.
I also gave Dracula about eighty pages before giving up. Then came The Count of Monte Cristo, followed by A Tale of Two Cities.
I know these books have survived for more than a century. I know they’re considered masterpieces by some of the greatest writers who ever lived.
They just couldn’t hold my attention.
I think it comes down to the writing style. The sentences are longer, the paragraphs are denser, and the language reflects a different time. I often found myself trying to understand the words instead of enjoying the story, and that made it difficult to stay engaged.
If this style of writing is your thing, Project Gutenberg is an incredible resource. Having free access to so many literary classics is something every reader should appreciate.
It’s just not for me.
I deleted them from my Kindle and bought a few books that fit my reading style instead.
One of them is Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee, the follow-up to To Kill a Mockingbird. That’s an older novel too, but one I can already tell I’m going to enjoy.
If you haven’t explored Project Gutenberg and you enjoy classic literature, it’s absolutely worth checking out.
As for me, I think I’ll stick with books written within the last seventy-five years.
If you’ve never explored Project Gutenberg and you enjoy classic literature, I genuinely recommend giving it a try. It’s an incredible resource, even if I discovered the classics just aren’t for me. As for my Kindle, it’s going back to books from the last seventy-five years. Unfortunately, those usually aren’t free.
Looking for more book reviews? Visit my Books & History category for all my latest reads and recommendations.
https://beingkevin.com/category/books-history
Thanks for reading BeingKevin.
In a world built on scrolling past everything in seconds, I genuinely appreciate you stopping here for a moment. If the post gave you something to think about, made you laugh, or even made you disagree, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. A quick rating helps, too, and goes a long way toward supporting the site. And if you’d like to help keep BeingKevin going, a small tip is always appreciated — never expected, but deeply valued. Thanks again for being here
Leave a Reply