Older novels occupy central positions in a university syllabus network even though student ratings for several newer novels are comparable. An aesthetic-durability interpretation says repeated assignment reflects works that support unusually rich rereading across generations; it cites the wide variety of themes instructors teach through the same novels. An institutional-path-dependence interpretation argues that early adoption generated annotations, lesson plans, and prerequisites that make continued assignment easier; it cites departments retaining novels after the original advocates leave and adopting new works only when shared teaching materials become available.