Classics That Made a Difference

A work of genius. But more important—and from a purely selfish point of view—a woman wrote it. That might seem ridiculous to male writers, but a man never has to think twice about the gender of genius. He's got too many examples on his side of the fence. Eliot was the first woman I read who could go toe-to-toe with, say, Tolstoy. I was 15. Since then, I've learned how many grand achievements in the novel have been female, but when I was a teenager, that was news to me.

— Zadie Smith

See all the books that made a difference to Zadie Smith and read Middlemarch with Oprah's Book Club producer Jill! 

Print the complete  list of classics that made a difference

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