As you have begun to read this article, I will assume you are a reader. By this, I mean you regard reading creative works of literature as a good, sometimes delightful, and often beneficial way to spend your time. You know that reading delivers aesthetic and intellectual sustenance. You understand that it is not simply about achieving a minimum level of comprehension as one navigates modern life. Being that person, you will relish Good Bones: Glorious Relics from the Age of Reading, a collection of essays written over a span of a quarter century by literary critic Brooke Allen. They are elegant, erudite, and witty. They are also about good or very good writers whose work would be more valued if our civilization were not rapidly abandoning the best aspects of its traditional artistic culture.