Classic novels like 'Moby Dick' and 'The Great Gatsby' are often praised as timeless, but I wonder if they truly still matter or if we're just forcing them on students out of tradition. I've read both recently after decades away, and while I found moments of brilliance, much of the language felt dated and the themes seemed less urgent than contemporary works like 'The Hate U Give' or 'Normal People'. Isn't it possible that our reverence for old books is more about nostalgia than actual relevance, and that we'd better serve readers by focusing on modern stories that reflect today's issues?