The lawyer progresses from 'light character' stories to 'classics' as his thinking grows deeper due to his time in confinement. This is a step up, as the lawyer has ruminated more over philosophical matters. This also foreshadows the lawyer's growing interest in philosophy.
To move from novels of "light character" t the classics is a step up. The first ones often are used as a form of escapism and killing time, as the lawyer does in his first year of confinement. Much of the literature published has the same plot with different characters and settings. When he changes to the classics he is becoming more serious and deep in his thinking, and uses reading to fulfill his need of companion, and the classics are much better company than stereotyped literature.
