Hey, they were classics!
Fifty years ago we were already inundated by too much information, but I guess that it was still possible to sit quietly in a backyard and try to consume as many of those books that should be read by a more or less culturally informed person. Considering that these summers were in the mid 1960s the should-be-read reading list was larger and more diverse than the established western canon, but there were still a number of items there which it was important to at least be able to name-drop, or have a cocktail party familiarity with. A summer backyard reading list for a high school student today wanting to be culturally literate would be much too long for a couple of summers. My summer, of course, wasn't devoted solely to reading. There was also music, hanging out with friends, and more. But summer vacation was at least as important a part of my education as the time spent in class during the school year.
Go to: Ain't no need to hide, ain't no need to run.