big read book meme

[mizkit]

the book meme!

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed. Well let’s see.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you love.

Comments

[pers1stence]

I'm not going to do the bold/underline thing, but I've read at least 57 of these (and technically it's more than that if you count each book in the sets separately). I also question the validity of a list that includes so many multiples of the same author (I mean, really, Hardy is on there three times and Dickens six times). I also question the inclusion of books like Charlotte's Web and Winnie the Pooh, which may be classics of literature for very young persons, but they don't bear nearly so much examination by adults not obligated to read them to small children.

[controuble]

89 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a single book, not a complete collection of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.

As for skewing the results/averages, I would expect a writer to have friends who are readers! I need to sit down and do this one.

[adri3nn3]

I've seen this list a few times and eventually I might get around to doing this sorting. I, too, have managed to miss some of the "classics" that you'd think everyone was forced to read in high school.

As to the repeat appearance of a couple of authors, am I mistaken in thinking that each one that's been listed twice or more has some works that have been adapted for film/stage and others that haven't? Perhaps it's sorting the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Some people might have read the book because they saw the movie or play, but not bothered with the rest.

[rfrancis]

I've read about 15 of them. Saying that's about the level of energy I have for the whole thing, though. :)

[vrc84]

I've read 15 plus half of two others. A few of them thanks to public education, but otherwise because reading is awesome... And how does the count change if you've read a book 10 times???