Most famous book for non-readers

[JhKreisler]

I was thinking about what could be the most famous book all over the world. The book all non-readers and non-literature interested people know.
Could it be alice in wonderland?
Lord of the Rings maybe..

Alright, I was more thinking about novels, not so much religious books, otherwise the bible would be hard to beat, indeed.

[JuniperWoolf]

How about the bible?

[Il Dante]

How about the bible?

Ditto.

The Bible is probably the most well-known universally. Runner-ups might include the Koran and.... hmmm. Darwin's Origin? I really dunno.

If by books you mean creative/fiction/artistic literature and do not mean religious texts—that is a very different question.

[One Gallant]

In Fiction: Catcher in the Rye,Lord of The Rings,Harry Potter Series,Da Vinici Code and most of Shakespeare's and Dicken's work would be my guess.

Religious and political books are probably the most famous though.

[paradoxical]

I would say War and Peace. Most people haven't read it, but almost everyone has heard of it. It is famous among non-readers for its length; the very epitome of a long book.

1984 is also very well known. So are books such as Moby Dick and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

[mal4mac]

The yearly print run of the IKEA catalogue has been bigger than that of the Bible for some years now, so that would be my choice. The narrative is less wooden, as well :)

[kelby_lake]

Romeo and Juliet

[Lokasenna]

The yearly print run of the IKEA catalogue has been bigger than that of the Bible for some years now, so that would be my choice. The narrative is less wooden, as well :)

On a similar note, what about the Phonebook? Almost everyone has a copy...

[kasie]

On a similar note, what about the Phonebook? Almost everyone has a copy...

But have they read it?

[JhKreisler]

I would say War and Peace. Most people haven't read it, but almost everyone has heard of it. It is famous among non-readers for its length; the very epitome of a long book.

1984 is also very well known. So are books such as Moby Dick and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

I really doubt War and Peace is known well by non-readers. Moby Dick comes closer; )

[JhKreisler]

Romeo and Juliet

I'd agree on this one.

[Lokasenna]

But have they read it?

Well, it's a cracking, thrilling page-turner of an epic, with a monumental cast of characters, and is instantly readable from any page you flick to - it's obviously a masterpiece!:D

[Katy North]

I'd say a Christmas Carol...

[Niamh]

Romeo and Juliet

I agree. Most people would know the story in one shape or form even if they have never read the play or seen it preformed.

[mal4mac]

Most people would know the story [Romeo & Juliet] in one shape or form even if they have never read the play or seen it preformed.

How can you know? What about the multitudes in China and India who have had little contact with Western Literature?

Other Shakespeare plays might be more widely known. Kurosawa, for instance, produced films influenced by King Lear, Macbeth, and Hamlet. These plays have more general themes that might make them more well known/appreciated in Eastern countries. Romeo & Juliet is centred on a Western idea of romantic love, it may not travel so well...

Given its impact West *and* East perhaps the Bhagavad Gita is the most widely known?

[OrphanPip]

Actually, I remember seeing Japanese uses of Romeo and Juliet in cartoons when I was younger, so the story must be fairly familiar there as well. Also, Shakespeare is apparently very popular in India.

If we adapt the question to be "what Western piece of literature is most well known by non-readers," Romeo and Juliet is probably a very good bet. Dickens Christmas Carol in the English speaking world is a good one as well. As is Stephenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Wells' War of the Worlds.

[Aravona]

I think that most books people said before me are all wonderful, and definate contenders.

I think many of them have unfortunately become famous from their film counterparts. I can happily report that I read lord of the rings and harry potter before they hit the silver screen.

I think that many childrens books will rank highly in this list. The house at pooh corner, as an example, is a book that I have yet failed to find someone who has not read this - whether as a child or to a child. I think perhaps there are also some Authors, if not their seperate books, which have their name printed across the minds of this world. Agatha Christie being one of my uttermost favourites and I'm sure most people can name one of her books.

Push comes to shove, unfortunately, I'd have to say that if you were to get people to name one non religious book... most of you're answers will come from the Harry Potter series.

[mal4mac]

Given the impact of the British Empire, English authors are certainly read in India, but have they really had much impact on the majority of the population? I suspect (hope!) most people in the UK have heard of Oliver Twist, and Romeo & Juliet, and can give a rough account of their plots. But is the same true of the average Indian person? Not that they should be able to do so, of course! I can't name or give you the plot of one Bollywood movie... so why should someone in India know anything about my culture?

[JhKreisler]

How can you know? What about the multitudes in China and India who have had little contact with Western Literature?

Other Shakespeare plays might be more widely known. Kurosawa, for instance, produced films influenced by King Lear, Macbeth, and Hamlet. These plays have more general themes that might make them more well known/appreciated in Eastern countries. Romeo & Juliet is centred on a Western idea of romantic love, it may not travel so well...

Given its impact West *and* East perhaps the Bhagavad Gita is the most widely known?

Ask Europe how well they know the "Bhagavad Gita"...
Ask America...

[janesmith]

Dan Brown's "The Davinci Code". The amount of people that I know that read it, yet had previously never picked up a book since leaving school seems to qualify it. I can't comment further because I've never read it!

[cgrillo]

At least in America, Dracula is very well-known, but more so as a movie or a stock character than a book.

[Aravona]

At least in America, Dracula is very well-known, but more so as a movie or a stock character than a book.

I think this is a conclusion we can unfortuntely give to several books now.

Washington Irving's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' - most people I know just think ... Sleepy Hollow? Johnny Depp film. 'The Other Boleyn Girl' has had a similar fate, many people didn't know it was a book first. More recently also 'The String of Pearls: A Romance' was thrown onto the silver screen from musical theatre as 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'.