Question

What do you mean by the terms 'contemporary' and 'always contemporary'? What does the author mean when he says that the great books are always contemporary?

Answer 1

The term contemporary means modern, that is, belonging to the present time. In contrast, if a thing remains equally popular in all ages, it is called "always contemporary".

The great books are never outmoded by the movement of thought or the shifting winds of doctrine and opinion. The fundamental human problems remain the same in all ages. That is why the author says that the great books are always contemporary.