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I'd be willing to bet that the majority of books people cite on these lists they haven't actually read. The list serves as a status symbol and there's no way t
by herbig 12y ago
I'd be willing to bet that the majority of books people cite on these lists they haven't actually read. The list serves as a status symbol and there's no way to verify it anyway.
Also, U.S. citizens will happily list the entire high school summer reading list that they "loved" over ten years ago, which of course they didn't actually read then either.
Just my cynical take on it. Still interesting data.
- smeyer 12y agoReally? I didn't get that sort of idea at all. For example, the top book, the Harry Potter series, is something that tons of people have read. I don't think I've ever encountered someone who only pretended to have read the Harry Potter series but hadn't actually. Also, among my personal friends, I haven't seen anyone post a list where I had any suspicions they hadn't actually read everything, although most of the lists I've seen posted are by my more well-read friends. Edit: I forgot the word "everything" in "actually read everything".
- henrik_w 12y agoMaybe not, but the six I have read (out of the top ten) were all really good in my opinion. So it seems (to me at least) that they are still good recommendations. The only one in the top 20 that I have read and not like is The Alchemist - I thought it was terrible.
- viewer5 12y agoCan I ask what you hated about The Alchemist? I heard it as an audiobook on a road trip (read by Jeremy Irons) and loved it, as did the people traveling with me. But I ran into some people who hated it, because they saw it as a mystical self-help allegory, whereas I just took it as a work of fiction.
- henrik_w 12y agoIt just didn't do anything for me. It felt like it tried too hard to give some deep insights, but to me it just fell flat (that's the mystical self-help part). And I didn't care for the story as just fiction either - I can't really explain why. But I know a lot of people of liked it, so I can see why it is on the list, even if I didn't like it.
- graeme 12y agoNone of those are particularly high status books. It's a mix of popular fiction, popular books children read and books assigned in high school English classes.
- herbig 12y agoThat depends on the local definition of high status. To many, the high school English assigned reading list is high culture.
- VLM 12y agoClaims the Silmarillion, probably lying. Claims the Hobbit or LOTR, probably telling truth I am willing to put it out there that people are embarrassed to admit certain books, so I'll be the first to admit that I think most people prefer "Blood Meridian" to "The Road" but don't want to put their full authenticated legal name to the claim. I don't claim blood meridian is some kind of great literature, but as an action book with memorable characters and local flavor... Another book with gallons of local flavor and just "weirdness" and interesting is Lucifers Hammer and that's another "I'm not going to admit in public, but ..." How about "Post Office" another, uh, questionable tome. There is also an age aspect. Some young kid claims to have slogged thru all of Gibbon, he's probably a history student or more likely lying, but I'm an older guy and I really did invest the time reading the whole decline and fall. I think it was worth it, at least the first half or so.
- darasen 12y agoI will gladly admit I thought Lucifer's Hammer was great. One of my favourites from my favourite author.