This is actually a fair question. I think both of these things aren't necessarily worth caring about, though they can be indicators of quality. And that's the q

This is actually a fair question. I think both of these things aren't necessarily worth caring about, though they can be indicators of quality. And that's the question--is it critical reception or popularity that proves a book's worth? But here's a deeper question for you: is a book great if it was only popular in its era? Most people seem to agree that the greatest books are the ones that outlive their authors, which means that popularity and even critical reception in the short-term matter very little.