BBC's Big Read

[Scheherazade]

I am not sure those of you who live outside the UK are familiar with BBC's Big Read (http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/). Last year, they did a survey to find out nation's favorite books. After months of campaigning and voting, the 100 most popular books are:

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

(The top 200 can be seen at http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top200.shtml)

I am hoping to read all of them sometime... and maybe the top 200 as well in time although I do not agree with certain choices or understand how and why they ended up in this list.

What are your thoughts on this list?

[subterranean]

Gormenghast is on the list??? :goof: Wow, I think people in UK got a weird taste ;)..and The Princess Diaries??? Isn't that one of those chicklit stuffs? I think LOTR is at 1# more or less cause of the movie version factor.

Some of my fav books are on the list: 1984, (8), Catch 22 (11), Animal Farm (46).

I think Jude the Obscure is much better than Tess of D'Ubervilles.
By the way Scher, can you give more info about who are the respondents/the crtieria of the samples (age/sex/occupation/location etc)?

[mono]

Thank you for providing the statistics, Scher. I love to see that many of the classics continue to persist as many people's favorites, including Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, J.D. Salinger, William Golding, John Steinbeck, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Alexander Dumas (among others).
I had to read the list twice, however. I felt surprised reading it the first time to see that Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez made the list, but One-Hundred Years of Solitude did not; then I saw number 32.

[Scheherazade]

Here are the books in the next 100, which didn't make it to the top:

101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Grossmith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. LawrenceLife of Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews

[Scheherazade]

By the way Scher, can you give more info about who are the respondents/the crtieria of the samples (age/sex/occupation/location etc)?

It was almost a year long process... First people nominated their favorite books. Anyone who wanted to take place could either go online or phone. Then people voted for their favorite ones among the top 200 most nominated books. It was a big campaign, celebrities trying to get people vote for their favorites etc.

Since anyone could vote online, kids voted for their favorites as well which explains the presence of all H.Potter books etc... However, it has been very good... Many people have started reading again or read some of the books they wouldn't normally.

I agree with you that LOTR is popular because it coincided with the movie release...

Who would you like to see at number 1?

[baddad]

These are the books I have read that are on the BBC list.....a total of 55.


#1-2-4-6-7-8-11-12-15-20(never finished) -25-29-30-36-39-42-44-46-47-52-53-58-60-70-87-91-92-103-104-105-109-119-120-128-141-144-146-147-153-157-158-161-164-165-170-171-173-179-182-183-187-191-194-195-200...

Yes, # 200, Flowers in the Attic! Who would have thunk it? I must have been at the cottage and had nothing else to read that summer.....

Favourite from the list?....... "The World According To Garp"...#165.

[Basil]

By my count, there are NINE books by Roald Dahl on there, but not a single one by William Faulkner . . .

[Scheherazade]

The list reflects the tastes and choices of the British people today, which is why some American authors do not appear in the list. Or other eminent foreign authors;e.g. where is Camus, where is Kafka??

*sighs* I guess people have spoken...

Being a person of simple mind and tastes, I desperately wanted 'To Kill A Mockingbird' to top the list... I am still glad that it is in top 10.

[crisaor]

Thanks for the numbers, Scherezade. I'm astonished with the notable contrast between some of the top ten books. I'm guessing that's a matter of age, but nevertheless, it's still shocking. Even in the following ones, there doesn't seem to be a disctinct pattern, or at least, I don't see any.

[Basil]

where is Camus, where is Kafka??

Yes, and where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?

[Scheherazade]

Yes, and where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?

Où sont les Neigedens d'antan?

I hadn't read this at the time of the Big Read voting... Maybe I would like this one to be # 1 actually...

*edit*

Why are there are so many books and so little time to read?? :(

[subterranean]

Why are there are so many books and so little time to read?? :(


Very true.
And about the reading taste, perhaps you right. I mean I don't see how on earth that Gormenghast can be on the list.

[Bongitybongbong]

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (4) is a good book. The only problem is you could read it in about 2 hours.

[Scheherazade]

I'm guessing that's a matter of age, but nevertheless, it's still shocking.
A matter of age??

I think the list suggest a clash between 'popular culture' and 'classic' favorites... I don't see any other way to explain this for example:

17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot

I am just happy that people are reading, no matter what.

[baddad]

I disagree with the use of the world, 'clash' in the post above. I find it fascinating and gratifying and rational that a cross section of a society is reading a cross section of available literrature. Sure, I'm using the term 'literature' in its loosest sense, but readers interested in current writings (pop culture) are no less valid judges of what is pleasureable to read than those expounding the virtues of the 'classics'. And I'm not sure that a persons age has the final disposition on what to read. Many of us here have read an incredibly wide variety of writings, probably more so than the average reader because of our heightened interest in the written word. Many of us will read ANYTHING!... maybe even feel compelled to read, voraciously gobbling up typeface as quick as we can find it.

And of course, scientifially, polls are a notoriously poor way to gather data, and so we can make of these lists anything we would like/dislike to see. But to echo Sher, it is good to see people reading. The list reflects the diversity of a society, and this is as it should be and seems perfectly normal.

[EAP]

Gormenghast is great! But not for those looking for a coherent plot or stereotypical characters or a variety of other things. ;)

I love the list, it truly represents all factions of the reading public and not some mundane old scholarly schuzmuck by thrice-damned 'critics'.


Agree totally with Baddad's first para!

Oh and I was reading the BBC page about this a month or two ago and IIRC, they mentioned that about 800,000 plus people replied to their querry. that's quite a large sample space.

Also nice to see Birdsong and Winnie the Pooh in the top 21.

Lord of the Ring almost invariably wins these type of poles in many Europeon countries. [Happen in Germany and possibly Austria?]

So, what would be your personal favorites of this list?

[Scheherazade]

I disagree with the use of the world, 'clash' in the post above. I find it fascinating and gratifying and rational that a cross section of a society is reading a cross section of available literrature.

When I used the word 'clash', I was trying to imply that there was an equal number of people who enjoy classics and modern popular books...which is reflected in the list... Harry Potter books are surrounded by Dickens, Tolstoy and Hardy books... I don't mean that one is better/worse than the other or more/less worthy.

[baddad]

Yeah......sorry Sher, I took the word for what it was though........my bad...

[mono]

I was trying to imply that there was an equal number of people who enjoy classics and modern popular books...which is reflected in the list... Harry Potter books are surrounded by Dickens, Tolstoy and Hardy books... I don't mean that one is better/worse than the other or more/less worthy.

The combination of classics and modern-popular books does not quite surprise me either; I think here seems the only place that the two can thrive in harmony. Being more of a fan of the classics, I felt slightly more relieved, thinking that despite the many new-comings of literature, no one has yet forgotten what brought contemporary writers to this point.

[Bongitybongbong]

I figure you have to read a little bit of everything to really find good things in the reading field. :nod:

[Zooey]

From a quick scan-through, I counted I've read 14 selections on the first 100, and merely 3 from the two hundred that follow. But I've always known my reading doesn't usually match up with public opinion. And no Virginia Woolf. *sigh*

FAVORITES: Catcher in the Rye, Great Gatsby, and Unbearable Lightness of Being

LEAST FAVORITE: The Grapes of Wrath is the only one of the ones I've read that I'd say I didn't enjoy.

[mister_noel_y2k]

for real zooey? you honestly didn't like the grapes of wrath? wow. well i guess everyones different, why didnt you like it though, out of interest?

ive read about 45 of the books out of the 200 but im only 20 years old so hopefully by the time im as old and grey as santiago in hemingway's "old man and the sea" ill have read all 200 but then again theyll probably have another list out and ill have to read those too....

its a cheesy choice but im going to have to say that fantastic mr fox is my number one simply because of its special place in my heart, growing up and so forth. and its just a wonderful tale.

second place to the grapes of wrath for sheer beauty and brilliance, not just in the skill of writing but in the engrossing tale and humanity that shines through on every page.

third place goes to the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde because this was just a great funny dark and victorian gothic book with deeper meanings of wilde's tortured sexuality and his struggle with it.

fourth place to the old man and the sea by ernest hemingway. short but beautiful and really takes you there, makes you see the entire world in just the fight between marlin and man. poetry in prose eh?

and a special mention to the truth by terry pratchett, simply for being entertaining and making his 25th discworld story a real blinder, showing he can still produce the goods after over 2 decades. bravo! :banana:

[Scheherazade]

This summer I will read Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Wilson books which are in the top 200... There are so many of them and I haven't read anything by either author. Even though they are 'teen' books, I just want to tick them off.

[Nightshade]

So far I ahve read 46 of the top 100 . I hope that Ill manage to read gone with the wind. War and peace and Anna Karina this summer. Then agin I absalotly hated LTR and if I hate these too I dont think Ill be finishing them its a waste of good reading time!

[mono]

I hope that Ill manage to read gone with the wind. War and peace and Anna Karina this summer.
Nice choices! I read Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina very recently, and absolutely loved it. War and Peace I have yet to begin, but, with time, I will brush off that dust collecting on it. :D

[Snukes]

32 of the top hundred... I lost track halfway through the second hundred. I've got some work to do! Now, if I could just get my hands on a library that has titles other than "Third Season Excavations at Tell Beydar" and "600 ways to use a trowel," and "Analyzing dirt samples with only a match and the spit in your mouth."

Ugh. It's time for this year to be over!

[Helga]

I've read about 40% of these 200 books, but I own around 55% of them, I should start reading them... I'm not planning on reading the princess diaries and Bridget Jones and a few others... I should get on with the reading...

[Scheherazade]

As I work my way through the top 200, I realise that most of the books in the list are either children's books or pre-18 books (more than 50 %). Either nominated by students among whom the programme was a hit or people nominated their childhood favorites due to nostalgic reasons.

After reading J. Wilson books one after another, I feel a little discouraged and am wondering whether I should give up my project or skip certain books in the list. Then again, this is exactly why I have decided to do this; to familiarize myself with what English people read... Having said that, I have read some very nice books as well and I feel like I am filling up a gap in my literary knowledge as well because I did not grow reading Roald Dahl or Pratchett.

Oh decisions, decisions.

[Pensive]

Why "The Moonstone" and "The Mill on the Floss" is missing....
Small Gods should have been in first hundred....
I think that Winnie the Poo is no match to some books that are missing. Many of Stephen King are missing on first 100. I liked OotP better than GOF...It also should have been on first 100 list....

[Schokokeks]

A German television channel has done a simular poll some months ago. I bet they copied it from the BBC :D.

Here are the top 10 of the German results:

1. The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
2. The Bible
3. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
4. Parfume (Patrick Süskind)
5. The little Prince (A.St-Exupéry)
6. Buddenbrooks (Thomas Mann)
7. The Physician (Noah Gordon)
8. The Alchimist (Paulo Coelho)
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J.K.Rowling)
10. Die Päpstin (Donna Cross)

(see http://www.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/7/0,1872,2181735,00.html for complete listing)

Very interesting, how much it differs from the British ranking! The Bible being the second-favourite books of the voters might be explained by the fact that the particular TV-channel (ZDF) that organized the poll is mainly watched by the elderly...

Anyway, the British top-ten seems to agree a lot more with me that the one of my fellow-citizens. :)

[Scheherazade]

A little update on my reading list... Now I have read 110 of the 200 books; considering that I have two more years to complete the list, I am not doing too badly. I am glad that sometimes the Book Club reads the books listed here though! ;)

[x-file.]

I have to say that I prefer the books in the second hundred list. And not just because i have read more in that list. :yawnb:
I prefer the second list because the books are more accessable, and better reads.

I'm not a fan of lists either.
:idea:
Anti-list campaigners needed.

[Robert Jordan]

I'd say Coma was Garland's best work, not The Beach. Only one Hemingway also.Wow.

[Niamh]

i've read 51 out of 200. And it turned out most of them were kids books.

[papayahed]

A little update on my reading list... Now I have read 110 of the 200 books; considering that I have two more years to complete the list, I am not doing too badly. I am glad that sometimes the Book Club reads the books listed here though! ;)

Hey that's not a bad goal. But why 2 years?

And if I know I read them but can't remember anything about them does that still count?

[Nightshade]

75/200
25 of those from the first 50, thats not counting the three I started and gave up on. Or the one IM readingnow... :D

[Scheherazade]

Hey that's not a bad goal. But why 2 years?It was actually 4 years as I started this about two years ago. I just thought it would be good to have a time frame to keep myself going.

And if I know I read them but can't remember anything about them does that still count?Yes, why not? If you cannot remember them, probably they were not very memorable books, I guess :)

I am re-reading only those books that I had not read in English just to have an idea.

[SleepyWitch]

this scheme is a really good idea.
can i copy it, leaving out all the books i don't want to read and those I've never heard of? :D

[Laindessiel]

Wow! All deserving I guess. I wasn't aware such a list was made. Now I have a basis for the books I have to read: a problem for me before.

[aydin]

Gormenghast is on the list??? :goof: Wow, I think people in UK got a weird taste ;)..and The Princess Diaries??? Isn't that one of those chicklit stuffs? I think LOTR is at 1# more or less cause of the movie version factor.

Some of my fav books are on the list: 1984, (8), Catch 22 (11), Animal Farm (46).

I think Jude the Obscure is much better than Tess of D'Ubervilles.
By the way Scher, can you give more info about who are the respondents/the crtieria of the samples (age/sex/occupation/location etc)?

I think The Princess Diaries is considered to be children's, although I haven't read it, so can't be sure. Agree with you about Jude - tis my fav Hardy novel that I've read.

Agree with everyone who says it is great that people are reading, whatever they read. Also I think some people who work really long hours sometimes just want something light to enjoy after a hard days work and perhaps aren't in the right frame of mind to absorb themselves into anything too heavy.

Have only read about 30 books in the top 100 :(

[papayahed]

this scheme is a really good idea.
can i copy it, leaving out all the books i don't want to read and those I've never heard of? :D

That's what I was thinking.



Yes, why not? If you cannot remember them, probably they were not very memorable books, I guess

All right I'll cross those off the list. I know I read Catch in the Rye but for the life of me can't remember a darn thing, the problem is that I can't remember if I read 1984 - was it required in HS or do I just think I read it?:(

[Woland]

I can't remember if I read 1984 - was it required in HS or do I just think I read it?:(

Neither. Big brother has told you so often that youve read 1984 - now you believe it. In fact, how could it be otherwise?

[liesl]

i personally have read 45 from the top 200, and i too find the second 100 a lot more interesting than the first. though i am curious as to how 'Moby Dick' managed to worm its way into the list, especially due to my own, and my friends', reception of the book at university.

[Scheherazade]

i've read 51 out of 200. And it turned out most of them were kids books.For me, it was the other way round. I had not read any Dahl or Wilson books growing up so it was interesting trying those at my old age! :D (Imagine me borrowing those books from the library! 'Crazy old lady who reads kiddie books! :eek:')
this scheme is a really good idea.
can i copy it, leaving out all the books i don't want to read and those I've never heard of? :DI am trying to stick with it and read all the books in the list even if they are not my usual cup of tea... Like fantasy/sci-fi books... It is proving interesting, to say the least.
i personally have read 45 from the top 200, and i too find the second 100 a lot more interesting than the first. though i am curious as to how 'Moby Dick' managed to worm its way into the list, especially due to my own, and my friends', reception of the book at university.There are books that makes one wonder... Like Very Hungry Caterpillar or Horse Whisperer but it is good to see what people consider 'readable'.

[Alexei]

Wow, I just find out that I have read only 35 of all 200 books in this list. I know I usually read things that other people don't but this was too much. These are more 150 books that I have never read, at least I have heard of them and a great part of them are in my must-be-read-list.

[Niamh]

For me, it was the other way round. I had not read any Dahl or Wilson books growing up so it was interesting trying those at my old age! :D (Imagine me borrowing those books from the library! 'Crazy old lady who reads kiddie books! :eek:')

I never actually read any of wilsons, But my god! She has soo many of them! Mainly grew up with Blyton and Dahl. Really only started getting in to kids biik a few years back. Have read some really good one lately. The Fourth Horseman by Kate Thompson is very good. Dont worry... you'd be suprised how many Adults read kids books! I've given up asking what age group they are looking to buy a book for, as most of the time the reply is 'oh no its for me!':D


I think The Princess Diaries is considered to be children's, although I haven't read it, so can't be sure. Agree with you about Jude - tis my fav Hardy novel that I've read.

Agree with everyone who says it is great that people are reading, whatever they read. Also I think some people who work really long hours sometimes just want something light to enjoy after a hard days work and perhaps aren't in the right frame of mind to absorb themselves into anything too heavy.

Have only read about 30 books in the top 100 :(

No the princesses diaries are young Adult. The last one to come out (titled After Eight in Europe) even has written on the back of 'for older readers only' as it has a lot of content regarding sex.

[EAP]

The boundary between 'children' and 'adult' literature is nebulous at best and usually extremely irritating.

[Scheherazade]

I never actually read any of wilsons, But my god! She has soo many of them! Mainly grew up with Blyton and Dahl. Really only started getting in to kids biik a few years back. Have read some really good one lately. The Fourth Horseman by Kate Thompson is very good. I read lots of Blyton while growing up too :)

Wilson books are good for 10+, I guess and she tries to integrate some 'real life' issues in her books as well, which is noteworthy (eg divorcing parents, step-parents, growing up pains, being over-weight...). From what I have read so far, I cannot say I really like Dahl. Even though some of the story lines are interesting (Chocolate Factory, Matilda), there is some underlying cruelty and crudeness in his stories, which I do not appreciate. Even though it might be considered 'humour', I am not sure it is my cup of tea.

I am yet to read Princess Diaries so not sure about those. There are many in the series if I am correct?

[Niamh]

I read lots of Blyton while growing up too :)

Wilson books are good for 10+, I guess and she tries to integrate some 'real life' issues in her books as well, which is noteworthy (eg divorcing parents, step-parents, growing up pains, being over-weight...). From what I have read so far, I cannot say I really like Dahl. Even though some of the story lines are interesting (Chocolate Factory, Matilda), there is some underlying cruelty and crudeness in his stories, which I do not appreciate. Even though it might be considered 'humour', I am not sure it is my cup of tea.

I am yet to read Princess Diaries so not sure about those. There are many in the series if I am correct?

There are eight of them so far. I have read them. My sister loves them and through lack of something to read i've ended up reading them. They are alright at first. Much better and nothing like then disasterous movies.

Was Artemis Fowl on that list? i cant remember. They are very good, humourous and very well written. I think they are much better than harry potter.(my new sentences being displayed for location amd under my name are a play on Fowl.)

*edit* a yes they are number 59.

[aydin]

No the princesses diaries are young Adult. The last one to come out (titled After Eight in Europe) even has written on the back of 'for older readers only' as it has a lot of content regarding sex.

Sorry, my mistake.

[Nightshade]

I am yet to read Princess Diaries so not sure about those. There are many in the series if I am correct?

eight at last count.....I think. But if we ar talking kids books, I tell you who is great NM Browne I love that persons books:nods:

[Scheherazade]

Was Artemis Fowl on that list? i cant remember. They are very good, humourous and very well written. I think they are much better than harry potter.(my new sentences being displayed for location amd under my name are a play on Fowl.)

*edit* a yes they are number 59. I have read Stormbreaker and Noughts and Crosses; I enjoyed the former better. My favorite so far has been Holes (Coincidentally, I watched the movie based on it as well on TV not so long ago, starring Sigourney Weaver).

[Niamh]

I am yet to read that one. I have read Stormbreaker and Noughts and Crosses; I enjoyed the former better. My favorite so far has been Holes (Coincidentally, I watched the movie based on it as well on TV not so long ago, starring Sigourney Weaver).

When you get to Fowl, let me know what you think!;)

[Alexei]

When you get to Fowl, let me know what you think!;)

Yes, I would like to hear it too. I was thinking to read them, but I am not really sure whether they are indeed so good.

[Scheherazade]

Yes, I would like to hear it too. I was thinking to read them, but I am not really sure whether they are indeed so good.
When you get to Fowl, let me know what you think!;)Will do! :thumbs_up

*edit*

Holy Molly! How many books are there in this series??? :eek2:

(Didn't even realise it was a 'series' till now)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/026-0892037-7725266?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=artemis+fowl

[Alexei]

Will do! :thumbs_up

*edit*

Holy Molly! How many books are there in this series??? :eek2:

(Didn't even realise it was a 'series' till now)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/026-0892037-7725266?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=artemis+fowl

I search a bit, and I think they are five, but I am not sure whether these are all of them or there are other, which are going to be published.

[Nightshade]

Five since when , rats looks like I need to catch up the first was great :nod:
as to dahl and crultey thats why he is occasionally put on banned and censored lists, it becasue the adults are always evil and cruel. :nod: And even when they are not they are liars. I rember the bit in Danny about your parennts will always lie to you upsetting me rather a bit when I was 8. :(

[Niamh]

Will do! :thumbs_up

*edit*

Holy Molly! How many books are there in this series??? :eek2:

(Didn't even realise it was a 'series' till now)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/026-0892037-7725266?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=artemis+fowl

there are five books Scher. but they are very good. a lot of Irish homour it them though! They are very imaginative, and clever. I love them and get more excited over them than HP.

[Alexei]

there are five books Scher. but they are very good. a lot of Irish homour it them though! They are very imaginative, and clever. I love them and get more excited over them than HP.

Yes, but if I don't like HP, do you think I would like these series?

[Omniglot]

The BBC Big Read was great!

It is one of my favourite sites to visit still and get inspiration for my next book.

www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread

As previously mentioned, the list is a snapshot of the tastes of a wide range of age groups at one particular moment in time, NOT - the carefully dabated thoughts of literary experts over the past century, so take it with a pinch of salt.

()

[Aiculík]

I have 33 of first 100 and 24 of second hundred, if I don't count books I tried to read but dropped after first few chapters (there would be approx. 20, e.g. Princess Diaries). That's not too bad, I think, but... but there are some 15 authors I've never heard of! :eek:

I think I'll visit my library today. :D

[Niamh]

Yes, but if I don't like HP, do you think I would like these series?

yes, i think you would.

[Alexei]

yes, i think you would.

Thanks, Niamh, I shall definitely try to read them.

[Scheherazade]

I am reading Northern Lights (first one in His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman) at the moment and I cannot say I am enjoying it even though it is not a bad book. Fantasy is not really my thang. :(

[SleepyWitch]

I have 33 of first 100 and 24 of second hundred, if I don't count books I tried to read but dropped after first few chapters (there would be approx. 20, e.g. Princess Diaries). That's not too bad, I think, but... but there are some 15 authors I've never heard of! :eek:

I think I'll visit my library today. :D

heehee, there are about 15 authors (well not quite as many maybe 5) who i've never heard of and don't want to hear of, either. E.g. the author of Dustbin Baby, Trashcan Toddler and and Litter Box Lover, or whatever they are called :)

[Aiculík]

Hehe... I found out that I actually have books of half of those authors at home :blush: I just completely forgot all about them and their books... (I have 3562 books or at least that was the number last September when I finished catalog them into my PC... so now there must be some 30 more - so it's easy to forget about one or two books)

But some authors are not even in libraries! :bawling:

[B-Mental]

I used to have a large collection too Aiculik. Wait until you start moving around and see how many you keep.

[Niamh]

I am reading Northern Lights (first one in His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman) at the moment and I cannot say I am enjoying it even though it is not a bad book. Fantasy is not really my thang. :(

Thats a shame scher! I thought they were very good. Maybe you'll prefare the movie when it comes out this summer?

[Annamariah]

Books that I've read:

2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Sue Townsend
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans

I think this BBC list was better than the ABC list. Katherine, The Count of Monte Cristo and A Town Like Alice are great books that were missing from the ABC list.

Michelle Magorian's Goodnight Mister Tom also made it to the list, which is great, though I like A Little Love Song better.

[Nossa]

It's the first time for me to know about BBC's Big Read actually..lol
But it's GREAT...I've read soem of the books on the list..some of them are on MY list..lol
It's great though! Thanks for posting! :D

[Niamh]

hows that list getting on Scher? Read Artemis Fowl yet?

[Scheherazade]

hows that list getting on Scher? Read Artemis Fowl yet?Yes, I have finished Artemis Fowl, which was a nice little read but I have had enough of Disc World books... There is so much fantasy a gal can put up with!

If I endure all the Disc World ones, I need to read about 75 more books but I am very tempted to skip those. :blush:

[_Shannon_]

I should totally be British- I've read 41 of the top 50...LOL!!

I LOVE that Winnie the Pooh is in the top 10.

[kasie]

I had forgetten about this list - and I watched the programmes regularly on tv!

Three years later,I find I have read 41 out of the top 50, (does this make me typically British?) 63 out of the top 100 but only 23 of the next 100.

And shame, oh, shame, I have read the Enid Blyton and the Jeffery Archer....

[kelby_lake]

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
177. Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle

[Trystan]

I thought that The Big Read was a TV show that they put on years ago? I remember watching it and I was unimpressed - I still am now. But hey, it's like the guy I met at Starbucks said: aesthetics is subjective . . .

[Scheherazade]

I thought that The Big Read was a TV show that they put on years ago? I remember watching it and I was unimpressed - I still am now. But hey, it's like the guy I met at Starbucks said: aesthetics is subjective . . .Yes, The Big Read was a TV show as long as a poll to determine the most popular books in the UK.

Having grown up in another country, I have personally decided to read the top 200 just to get a glimpse of the reading taste of the Brits. And since then, I have been ploughing through it. I do not agree with some of the choices but... not passing any judgement! ;)

[kelby_lake]

It's not necessarily which are the best books, just the books people like the most.

[Hank Stamper]

popularity contests are not usually worth paying any attention to

[kelby_lake]

Look, it doesn't define the greatest ever novels, it shows what people like to read. It's quite interesting to know that, actually.

[Niamh]

Well when you do ever finish Scher, you better post your likes and dislikes for us all to see!
Or rather...read....

[Scheherazade]

Look, it doesn't define the greatest ever novels, it shows what people like to read. It's quite interesting to know that, actually.Aye.
Well when you do ever finish Scher, you better post your likes and dislikes for us all to see!
Or rather...read....I have been cluttering the Book Reviews section up with my reviews! :p

[Niamh]

Ah!!!! It all makes sense!:p
Still. Could always copy the original list here and just do a 1-10 kitkat rating beside it for a general idea.;) :D

[papayahed]

Ah!!!! It all makes sense!:p
Still. Could always copy the original list here and just do a 1-10 kitkat rating beside it for a general idea.;) :D

That's a great idea!!!!! :D

[Hank Stamper]

Look, it doesn't define the greatest ever novels, it shows what people like to read. It's quite interesting to know that, actually.

Yeah I know. I'm just saying popularity contests are pointless. If you go in WHSmith, look at the top ten, thats what people like to read. Pointless ;)

[Scheherazade]

Not if the point is finding out what people would like to read at a given time.

[Hank Stamper]

Not if the point is finding out what people would like to read at a given time.

Yes but popularity contests only take into consideration the people who actually bothered to vote...

[Scheherazade]

Sure and probably people who are interested in reading would take part in such a poll?

[Hank Stamper]

obviously yes. but you are not getting everybody's opinion. that is why popularity contests are (in my opinion) pointless...

however i agree they should be taken in the spirit intended - as a bit of fun...

i enjoyed reading this poll anyway (even if it is pointless) ;)

[Janine]

I read about 20 from the first list and 10 or so from the second list. I read a lot more books than that, in my life time, but most of my favorite books and authors are not listed, or if they are there is only one or two novels by them.

I did find it curious, that so many of the novels listed here, have been made into movies. Now if we looked at the list as a film list I would probably have seen a lot more. I wonder how many people, even youth in England saw the films first. Even some of the classics have film versions they probably would have been exposed to. I think mass media and the film industry has truly influenced this list of popular reading.

[Joreads]

I found the second and third books much better. The first book is really just setting the story up for the next three books.



I am reading Northern Lights (first one in His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman) at the moment and I cannot say I am enjoying it even though it is not a bad book. Fantasy is not really my thang. :(

[andave_ya]

I've read 38 of those on the list...

[Nightshade]

Yes but popularity contests only take into consideration the people who actually bothered to vote...


Sure and probably people who are interested in reading would take part in such a poll?

Actually Im pretty sure the big read is/was just one in the series of thngs the BBc has been doing in order to increase the intrest in reading and the literacy levels in the Uk, its to do wiuth their mandate of entertain inform and educate. At the moment they are 2 years into an 3 year campaign thing called RAW ( read and write) but since I just wrote 2,000 words on the subject last week for my examIll shut up now before I duplicate it.
But the pioint of the big read wasnt just to see what people were intrested in readin, which it did measure. It was supposedly a snapshot of britians reading tastes at the time.

Anyway they made such a fuss about it ther actually was a measurable increase in people buying books to read , it recaptured intrest and so forth.

[kasie]

The thing about The Big Read was that people were asked to vote for the book they had enjoyed the most - they were not asked to evaluate it or consider its merit as Literature, which might well have daunted a lot of people. The weekly programmes kept the survey to the front of viewers' minds and a lot of promotion was done in schools and libraries, hence the large number of children's titles in the list. Also it explains the high rating for books that were newly published and so in evidence in bookshops/supermarkets/railway station bookstalls. I suspect a survey made now would find a lot of titles have disappeared and been replaced with equally ephemeral titles.

What did I nominate? Ummm - I can't remember....

Reading promotion in UK has come from an unlikely source at the moment - Richard and Judy, the hosts of an afternoon chat show, have a list of (mostly newly-published) books each year, invite people on to the show to talk about them, go to groups for vox pop opinions and at the end of the year nominate a Book of the Year. They also have a Summer Read list. I can't stand R & J but their choice of books is not bad, not Literary, but good middle of the road titles (though I can't believe it is their personal choice....) and my goodness, do they boost the sale of books - even if only a proportion of people who buy the books read them, many more people are reading newish books than would otherwise do so.

[Niamh]

Dont get me started on the Richard and Judy Bookclub. We have a special section dedicated to each section, Summer one is coming up. Drives me bonkers.

[DapperDrake]

this list make me look moderately well read :) I count 47 in the top 100 that I've read (or am reading). There are certainly a whole bunch of books listed that I enjoyed very much - If I remember rightly I voted for Dune at the time.

I think its a good representation of what British people read, though as has been commented there are some that are perhaps only on the list because they were out at the time.


By my count, there are NINE books by Roald Dahl on there, but not a single one by William Faulkner . . .

I'm British and I'd not even heard of Faulkner until I started frequenting this site... Its no surprise at all, most American authors are simply off the radar for British readers.

[Niamh]

i've read 51 out of 200. And it turned out most of them were kids books.

Thia is now 63 out of 200. Surprised no Gaskell.:(

[Hank Stamper]

Thia is now 63 out of 200. Surprised no Gaskell.:(

possibly because the kind of people who read Gaskell watch very little telly and therefore probably didn't know anything about this poll.. which would explain the myriad mainstream titles/children's books

which is why I suggested popularity contests are not usually worth paying any attention to because they only take into consideration those who actually bothered to vote...

Incidentally I live in the UK and I had never heard about this BBC Big Read show...

As for Richard and Judy :crash:

[Scheherazade]

which is why I suggested popularity contests are not usually worth paying any attention to because they only take into consideration those who actually bothered to vote... Isn't this what statistics about?

The assumption that a sample group would be representative of the larger population?

Why is everyone against R&J? I don't watch their show, didn't even know that they had a book club but why are you against them?

[Nightshade]

Why is everyone against R&J? ?

Good question.

I can seee why Niamh might have a grudge , I do sort of. Because suddenly everyione wants the same book now and we only have a limited number of one book so people can get quite irrated.

But then again I want to know why a mobile and choclate companies are concidered experts in jududging what is a good book too.

[Janine]

Does anyone else except me think that movies have influenced this list? I see many of the books listed, are also very popular films nowdays. Many young people see the film and then might be inclined to read the novel or the opposite way around. I would say Austen films have actually become a British tradition, by now.

[Nightshade]

Actually I was going to say that, a lot of people thought that the lord of the rings came out #1 because of the films rather than people actually reading them.
and I have the Big read book of books ( got given it for my birthday) and actually most of the books have a notation beside them telling you about the adaptions of it.

[Scheherazade]

Not sure if that says much. There are many books which are not on the list but have great movies made based on them. Hollywood will never miss an opportunity to invest on great books.

[papayahed]

Why is everyone against R&J? I don't watch their show, didn't even know that they had a book club but why are you against them?

I've never heard of them until this thread but I just checked their website and I find their pictures kinda annoying.

[Nightshade]

:nod:..... and sometimes books were just meant to be films and sometimes a film was really meant to be a book the makers just got confused.

[Scheherazade]

I've never heard of them until this thread but I just checked their website and I find their pictures kinda annoying.I am not a fan of them either but how does it affect us that they might be running some kind of book club? More importantly how does the fact that they run a book club affect the books? (Yes, sales might be going up etc etc but all said and done, do books lose their value because they are endorsed by R&J Book Club?)

[papayahed]

I am not a fan of them either but how does it affect us that they might be running some kind of book club? More importantly how does the fact that they run a book club affect the books? (Yes, sales might be going up etc etc but all said and done, do books lose their value because they are endorsed by R&J Book Club?)



I dunno. Ya'll know my views on book covers (I don't by books with any hint of book clubedness or tie in to movies. For example, if it says Oprah book club on the cover I'm not buying it even if it was the last one in the store and it was made of gold), I think it's the same principle I feel annoyed that otherwise nonreaders read because Oprah said so and I fear I will be mistaken for one of those types.

[Hank Stamper]

Isn't this what statistics about?

The assumption that a sample group would be representative of the larger population?

Why is everyone against R&J? I don't watch their show, didn't even know that they had a book club but why are you against them?

Yes. That is why statistics are always ambiguous and never truly representative. 99% of statistics are usually wrong. FACT ;)

and re. Richard and Judy. Apart from being the most cringeworthy couple on TV, I just think if people need to watch Richard and Judy to be motivated to pick up a book, then we have real problems... But at least it is motivating people to read I suppose. Even if they need an irritating wotsit-tinged sock-puppet and his gormless wife to encourage them.

Does it affect our enjoyment of the books they choose - absolutely not. However, I bought Moondust from Amazon the other week and it has a Richard and Judy sticker on the front that you can't even remove. In other words, it's not a sticker - they've actually printed the cover with Richard and Judy's name on it! :crash:


I dunno. Ya'll know my views on book covers (I don't by books with any hint of book clubedness or tie in to movies. For example, if it says Oprah book club on the cover I'm not buying it even if it was the last one in the store and it was made of gold), I think it's the same principle I feel annoyed that otherwise nonreaders read because Oprah said so and I fear I will be mistaken for one of those types.

It's because we are all existentialists and don't like people telling us what to read ;)

I think there is also some smugness involved as well - sometimes you feel good (superior :D ) because you've read a book that you know not many other people have read. If it has been popularised by Richard and Judy, and by association it is in the Top 10 in WHSmith's, then anybody who commutes by train will have read it

[Scheherazade]

if it says Oprah book club on the cover I'm not buying it even if it was the last one in the store and it was made of gold)


it has a Richard and Judy sticker on the front that you can't even remove. In other words, it's not a sticker - they've actually printed the cover with Richard and Judy's name on it! :crash:So much for not judging a book by its cover, eh? ;)

[Hank Stamper]

I have to say I would have looked for another copy if I had bought it from a shop... I don't know if that makes me a massive pedant, but it spoils the cover more than anything

[kasie]

Why is everyone against R&J?

They are patronising, smug, self-satisfied, think they are so bright, intelligent and with it and ask questions that reveal appalling ignorance...will that do to be going on with?

No, I don't watch their show, I tune in when the book list is on and keep the sound off until they start on the books and turn off straight afterwards!




I think there is also some smugness involved as well - sometimes you feel good (superior :D ) because you've read a book that you know not many other people have read. If it has been popularised by Richard and Judy, and by association it is in the Top 10 in WHSmith's, then anybody who commutes by train will have read it

No intellectual snobbery on this site then. :D :D :D

[Scheherazade]

I don't know if that makes me a massive pedant,Yes, but we will overlook it ;)
but it spoils the cover more than anythingStill, so much for not judging a book by its cover, eh?
They are patronising, smug, self-satisfied, think they are so bright, intelligent and with it and ask questions that reveal appalling ignorance...will that do to be going on with?I rephrased my question somewhere above.

I don't care about R&J... this way or that. However, I don't see why we should have an attitude against the books that they endorse... Or any other celebrity/presenter etc etc.

[papayahed]

I don't care about R&J... this way or that. However, I don't see why we should have an attitude against the books that they endorse... Or any other celebrity/presenter etc etc.

My name is Papayahed and I judge a book by it's cover.

It's partially about people telling me what to do, to me it's the same as those movie stars talking about world issues at awards shows. It drives me bonkers. And partially it's about someone coming into my world and telling me what I should read and worse yet what will make me a better person if I read it.

[kelby_lake]

i'm influenced by who tells me to read something. i'm not taking the opinion of some middle-aged couple to tell me what i'd like. and i intend to read tess of the d'ubervilles but was put off it for ages by my annoying english teacher who loves
it and spent an entire lesson telling us most of the plot

[Scheherazade]

My name is Papayahed and I judge a book by it's cover. I knew it!

:D

How about our Book Club??? :D

[Niamh]

Good question.

I can seee why Niamh might have a grudge , I do sort of. Because suddenly everyione wants the same book now and we only have a limited number of one book so people can get quite irrated.

But then again I want to know why a mobile and choclate companies are concidered experts in jududging what is a good book too.

:nod: thats what annoys me about the book club too. Some books just suddenly become in demand and when we run out of stock and there is a delay in getting the orders in, people get cranky and start giving out. (this mainly happens in the high st. In the airport its different. They take up too much space and hardly budge, sitting there for a good while when other more in demand books or bigger sellers could have been stocked in its place. :( )

But i must admit, they do sometimes have a gem on their list. A quiet Belief in Angels being one.

[papayahed]

How about our Book Club??? :D

The book club is only annoying when my picks don't win and even moreso when my pick doesn't win and none of the winnings book voters read it. OH! or when new people think they need to pick the "intellectual" book.

[JBI]

The book club is only annoying when my picks don't win and even moreso when my pick doesn't win and none of the winnings book voters read it. OH! or when new people think they need to pick the "intellectual" book.

Or when people decide to pick the cliché book, and then I don't feel like re-reading.

[Kafka's Crow]

Thank God I don't watch television. That list shamelessly displays a large number of books enjoying the marketing campaigns by movie-makers and television 'crouch and cleavage' dramas. Year 2005 and the "LOTR" films recently released and the marketing campaign still raging on to promote DVD release etc, guess what would the sheeple vote for? Expect me to go to a list created by 'popular vote' to decide what books I invest my precious little leisure-time in? You must be having a laugh! BBC are one of the more decent broadcasters but still a popular vote is all that it is. I love Radio 4 whereas BBC television is gone down the pan trying to compete with privately owned 'commercial' channels.

About book clubs. I find them shallow and unpalatable, just my subjective opinions, nobody has to agree with them. My copy of The Shadow of the Wind has some sort of sticker on it about Richard and Judy, I thought it was something like Punch & Judy. Never seen them, have no desire to see them either.

[Scheherazade]

Interesting. I do not consider myself a separate entity: I am part of the public and hence, my vote is part of the popular vote.

Oh, and Kafka's Crow, I do not agree with your opinion on book clubs... I could even say that I actually find your view shallow and unpalatable but I won't do that.

Guess everyone expectations are different. To me, the Book Club is nothing but fun and a way to enrich my reading regimen. I also enjoy the process of nominating/voting/campaigning.

[papayahed]

Interesting. I do not consider myself a separate entity: I am part of the public and hence, my vote is part of the popular vote.

Oh, and Kafka's Crow, I do not agree with your opinion on book clubs... I could even say that I actually find your view shallow and unpalatable but I won't do that.

Guess everyone expectations are different. To me, the Book Club is nothing but fun and a way to enrich my reading regimen. I also enjoy the process of nominating/voting/campaigning.

The reason I stick with the book club is because it makes me read stuff I wouldn't otherwise.

[Beautifull]

?????????????????????

[Kafka's Crow]

Interesting. I do not consider myself a separate entity: I am part of the public and hence, my vote is part of the popular vote.

Oh, and Kafka's Crow, I do not agree with your opinion on book clubs... I could even say that I actually find your view shallow and unpalatable but I won't do that.

Guess everyone expectations are different. To me, the Book Club is nothing but fun and a way to enrich my reading regimen. I also enjoy the process of nominating/voting/campaigning.

Very shallow reading of my post. I did not forget to leave a reminder:

About book clubs. I find them shallow and unpalatable, just my subjective opinions, nobody has to agree with them.
But then, how can you teach people to be careful before being judgmental:( I'll leave it at that.

[Cadi]

Wow. I've only read 25 out of the top 100. But, some of these I don't really want to read anyway :)
Regarding book clubs, I find that they provide the necessary motivation for me read books outside of my comfort zone. I also like discussing books with different people because you can hear so many different perspectives.

[Scheherazade]

Very shallow reading of my post. Hard to have an indepth reading of something "shallow", I guess.

But then, how can you teach people to be careful before being judgmental:( I'll leave it at that.It cannot be harder than teaching people not to be arrogant. I will leave it at that.

This thread, or the discussion that has followed for that matter, is not aimed to make people read the books listed or anything they are not interested in... It was just an attempt to see whether these books were really as widely read as the Big Read results suggested and I think it is safe to say that, looking at the replies of our members, most of them are quite popular and widely read (even though there are puzzling ones as well).

[kelby_lake]

I've heard of pretty much all the books on the list whereas I haven't heard of some of the ones other people have mentioned here.

[Scheherazade]

DM's thread reminded me of this one.

A little update; the books I *still* need to read (top 100):

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman

7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

27. Middlemarch, George Eliot

31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

53. The Stand, Stephen King

55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth

57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

Second 100:

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens

109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

119. Shogun, James Clavell

120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

144. It, Stephen King

145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl

146. The Green Mile, Stephen King

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian

150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

165. The World According To Garp, John Irving

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett


So, 135 down, 65 to go.

Don't know how I will manage to read so many Terry Pratchett books etc though... I read couple and feels like they are more or less the same...

[Dark Muse]

I found the list had an interesting mix to it. Some of the books sound interesting, and there are a few I intend to read, or have but just haven't gotton to yet. Here are the ones I have read from the list


2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
144. It, Stephen King
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine ( I loved these when I was a kid)
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. LawrenceLife of Lawrence
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle (this was one of my favorite childhood books)

And I am currently reading 174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco

[Scheherazade]

Another update. The books I *still* need to read (top 100):

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

53. The Stand, Stephen King

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

Second 100:

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

119. Shogun, James Clavell

120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

144. It, Stephen King

145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl

146. The Green Mile, Stephen King

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian

150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

165. The World According To Garp, John Irving

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett


So, 144 down, 56 to go.

[semi-fly]

I'm kind of surprised that Winnie the Pooh made it on the list although Tolkien & Rowling are far from surprising.

[Nightshade]

scher didnt we read the unbareable lightness of being for the forum book club in may or something?
( I have a copy Im trying to get rid of - need to cull the book before I have to move in june so I can send you mine!! )
And I see an honest to goodness romance on that list...:lol:
Mind quite a few of those books youve got left are brilliant!! :nod:

[kasie]

Scher - do try a Terry Pratchett, only not in public unless you want people to give you funny looks because you are laughing and they don't know why. :D

[Scheherazade]

I'm kind of surprised that Winnie the Pooh made it on the list although Tolkien & Rowling are far from surprising.I am dreading the moment I will have to read LOTR, to be honest. Not my cup of tea at all.

And read Winnie last summer and absolutely loved it. It is hillarious and interesting. One of the delightful surprises in the list, in my opinion, because I would never read it if it weren't there.


scher didnt we read the unbareable lightness of being for the forum book club in may or something?
( I have a copy Im trying to get rid of - need to cull the book before I have to move in june so I can send you mine!! ) I read this one ages ago actually and did not join the BC reading either due to timing.

There are a few books in the list that I will re-read in English.


Scher - do try a Terry Pratchett, only not in public unless you want people to give you funny looks because you are laughing and they don't know why. :DI have read about four Pratchett books so far; they are fun but not good enough to read 20 of them in one year, I am thinking. And to be honest, the fantasy genre is not my cup of tea either.

[semi-fly]

I am dreading the moment I will have to read LOTR, to be honest. Not my cup of tea at all.

And read Winnie last summer and absolutely loved it. It is hilarious and interesting. One of the delightful surprises in the list, in my opinion, because I would never read it if it weren't there.
I have nothing against Winnie the Pooh. I read the book as a child, it's just a little odd that someone would place it on a Top 100 book list. I guess it equates to an everlasting impression one has when they read books as a child vs. young adult, etc.

I'm not looking forward to reading the Lord of the Ring series myself, I just can't see an interest in that type of literature. Then again looking at that list I can't say I've read too many of them myself, but that doesn't mean I won't try at some point.

[oopsycandy]

Oh I loved the list LOL it brought back many happy memories just reading through it! One of my favourite things about reading is the absolute joy I get from sharing it with my kids. Between us we have read quite a lot of the top 200, my 13 yr old has read most of the J.Wilson ones and read the Angus,thongs one just before christmas, my 11 yr old loves Dahl and has read (or had read to her) all the Harry Potters so far. Pooh was a favourite bedtime story for both of them when they were younger and reading it now takes me right back to when they were small. I have also started indoctrinating my 2 yr old nephew and he loves The hungry caterpillar (and The Tiger who came to tea) I read many different genres and found the list represented me and my family quite well :D

[Scheherazade]

Another update. The books I *still* need to read (top 100):

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

53. The Stand, Stephen King

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

Second 100:

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

119. Shogun, James Clavell

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

144. It, Stephen King

145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl

146. The Green Mile, Stephen King

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian

150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

165. The World According To Garp, John Irving

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett



146 down, 54 to go.

[kasie]

You are a model to us all, Scher, but I feel it is time for you to bite the bullet and give Terry Pratchett a go. If you find you like him, well and good, you have several titles to anticipate with pleasure; if you can't stand him, you can write off several items in one go. Personally, I'd recommend you start with a title on the second part of the list, 135 Weird Sisters and if you like it go straight to 197 Witches Abroad - they just happen to be two of my favourites.

[Scheherazade]

You are a model to us all, Scher, but I feel it is time for you to bite the bullet and give Terry Pratchett a go. If you find you like him, well and good, you have several titles to anticipate with pleasure; if you can't stand him, you can write off several items in one go. Personally, I'd recommend you start with a title on the second part of the list, 135 Weird Sisters and if you like it go straight to 197 Witches Abroad - they just happen to be two of my favourites.Kasie, I love your sarcasm! ;)

I have already read couple of Pratchett books like Mort and... The first one of the series, I believe... But I will make sure to collect Weird Sisters from the library next time I go there!

And I feel it is the time for me to admit defeat where Pratchett is concerned at least... I don't think I will be able to read all of his books.

[kasie]

Irony, please, Scher, irony! No, not even irony - I really think you are a model - you set yourself targets and actually work to achieve them. You inspire me - I set myself similar targets - then a week later I have forgotten them! Occasionally I remember, (read Tinkers by Paul Harding last week, so that could tick two lists, the Pulitzer prize winners and the 11 new authors for 2011 lists) but otherwise I've just let things slide - story of my life, really. :)

[mal4mac]

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien - sad, reflects the over-abundance of hobbit toshery in British society.
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen - suggest there are still *some* sensible people left in the UK...
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman - ... and a lot of trendy types chasing the latest fashion and their lost childhoods.
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams - and a lot of aging adolescents trying to remember their student days.
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling - see 3.
...
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens - our greatest author and he only makes it to 17?
...
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy - only 20?
...
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy - good one, Hardy deserves to be high, but higher...
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot - higher...
...
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens - much higher...
...
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson - good choice, but Stevenson should be above the Hobbit tosh mob of children authors (see 1,3,5)
...
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy - I'm surpised it isn't a lot higher, especially given the Oprah effect & all the hoo-ha about the film version...

62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden - good choice!
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding - every one remembers it from school, deserves to be here though...

79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens - should be much higher (like 1.)

The OP should find a better reading list, I hope never to read several of them again, and intend never to touch many of them.


I am dreading the moment I will have to read LOTR, to be honest. Not my cup of tea at all.

I have read about four Pratchett books so far; they are fun but not good enough to read 20 of them in one year, I am thinking. And to be honest, the fantasy genre is not my cup of tea either.

I used to be into fantasy, but grew out of it. Why do you feel the need to read it? If you don't want to read it then ... er.... don't read it! I've read Lord of the Rings and feel great relief that I don't need to read it again... unless held at gunpoint by an Ork. I've also read about four Pratchett books - kinda fun, but don't intend to read more - just reading new authors at random from the library new shelf I usually find something more fun than Pratchett (or at least something different!)

[Scheherazade]

The OP should find a better reading list, I hope never to read several of them again, and intend never to touch many of them.

I did not decide to read the books in this list because I thought they were the best the English literature could offer but because I wanted to fill a gap in my reading porfolio. Not having grown up in the UK, I felt that I lacked the background when I talked to people and this list did help me fill that gap to a certain degree... Now, I have a good idea what people read or did read while growing up.

Kasie> Without my lists, I often let things slip as well but they keep me "in line" by staring at me with silent disapproval (silence does speak louder than the words!) from the notice board they are hanging from whenever I neglect them.

[Scheherazade]

Another update. The books I *still* need to read (top 100):

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

53. The Stand, Stephen King

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

Second 100:

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

119. Shogun, James Clavell

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

144. It, Stephen King

146. The Green Mile, Stephen King

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett


151 down, 49 to go!

[mal4mac]

Are you really going to read all of these? I'm a Brit. male, watch football, but I'd never read "They Used To Play On Grass." Just watch 'Match of the Day' once to get a feel for the British obsession with football...

Having grown up in the UK, I think I can save you some pain by pointing out ones that are loved by Brits with some literary taste:

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy [Garnett and Maude translations - if you move in Brit. high literary circles these names will be dropped... they're also only £1.99 in Wordsworth Classics - a great British publisher!]

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett [OK you should read one bit of Hobbit toshery - just to get a feel for this particular form of Brit. madness - Pratchett is at least quite amusing - but no need to read the series!]

78. Ulysses, James Joyce [first twenty pages only, even literary Brits will nod amusingly when you admit to giving up after 20 pages, they will admire you for your honesty, and then say (in a whisper) "Me too, but I'm not brave enough to admit it..."]

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy [or watch the TV series]

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling [I haven't read this - which is a serious lapse. Am I really British, I ask myself :) I have read his Indian Tales - not to be missed, will really give you a feel for "Empire"...]

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder [this is how Brits like to read philosophy - very lite, preferably a kids book]

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh [Essential!]

[Veho]

I recommend Seton's Katherine. Good stuff!

[Scheherazade]

Having grown up in the UK, I think I can save you some pain by pointing out ones that are loved by Brits with some literary taste:And who are those "Brits with some literary taste"? :smilewinkgrin:

Thank you very much, Mal. I will keep your recommendations in mind; however, at the risk of repeating myself, I would like to have the reading experience.

I would not give up on fish and chips without trying it for myself simply because someone described its taste to me.

Veho ~ Thank you. It is one of the books I will definitely read from that list.

[Paulclem]

As an adult - I had a size/ dimension problem with The Wind in the Willows that I didn't have as a kid. Are they big animals that drive animal sized vehicles or are they human sized animals that drive normal vehicles? Toad dresses as a washer woman, but in the original drawings, he's a normal frog perched on top of a horse. It was an odd experience reading it again. Graham doesn't make it clear - probably on purpose.

[mal4mac]

I would like to have the reading experience.

I would not give up on fish and chips without trying it for myself simply because someone described its taste to me.

I've never eaten tripe, and I don't read Terry Venables.

You can't have *every* British experience, shouldn't you at least try to avoid the really awful ones...

Fish & Chips, properly prepared, tastes wonderful...

[Abookinthebath]

Trainspotting. A truly excellent book, however I have lived in Scotland for many years now and still I can barely understand the language! Good luck with that one!

[Scheherazade]

Another update. The books I *still* need to read (top 100):

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

53. The Stand, Stephen King

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

Second 100:

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

119. Shogun, James Clavell

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

144. It, Stephen King

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett


152 down, 48 to go!

[mona amon]

I'm not taking on this challenge, but thought it would be fun to see how many of these I've already read. Here's my list -

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
40. Emma, Jane Austen
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Sue Townsend
114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
177. Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. LawrenceLife of Lawrence
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

[coluta]

I still "need" to read these:


3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
53. The Stand, Stephen King
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

Is there something on this list I should definitely read?

[ennison]

Ah there's no end to the making of lists. Richard and Judy? Who? Perhaps teachers got complete classes to submit their choices to this list. If you've only read a handful of the common books then your choices are going to come from that list. Book sales would tell you just as much (More) about what is enjoyed by readers in Englandshire. Are there any poor writers or bad books in that list. Perhaps. But there are a large number of quality books. Lets look quickly at To Kill a Mockingbird. Children as central characters but an adult book. Frequently chosen as a class text by virtue-signalling teachers, it frequently makes a big impression on adolescents who have read little previously but who remember the book forever. When these people are asked for their favourite book later it springs into their minds. What does that tell us? Does it mean it is a great novel? Does it mean the teacher made a good choice? Does it show how impressionable and susceptible is the adolescent mind? Does it show that it is the one book these respondents have read? It is not difficult to show that TKAM is a quality piece of writing. I guess that in common with most of the other texts here the idea of books like these giving pleasure and entertainment is a quality sometimes undervalued by "serious" readers. I doubt if the list would be the same today. It's interesting as a snapshot of what these respondents like. Why would Treasure Island still be there after a century. It must have something going for it.