The
great books are those
books that are thought to constitute an essential foundation in the
literature of
Western culture. Specified sets of great books typically range from 100–150, though they differ according to purpose and context. For instance, some lists are built to be read by undergraduates in a college semester system (130 books, Torrey Honors Institute), some are compiled to be sold as a single set of volumes (500 books,
Mortimer Adler), while some lists aim at a thorough literary criticism (2,400 books,
Harold Bloom).