America's Favorite Book

[Dragoonster]

Probably the only books that people can name off-hand, more than anything else. People don't really LIKE them, but since they don't read, and don't want to sound retarded, they name the first fiction they can remember, like a Stephen King book or the Bible. Or, they've only read the 4-5 novels that become cultural phenomena, like Harry Potter or the bible.

Hm, might be some truth to that, my tastes lean more to the pop books than the classics. Of those I've read Mockingbird, Catcher, and a bit of the Bible, but only two match my top ten favorites: The Stand and Lord of the Rings. I'd rather be entertained than provoked I guess.

Of course, there's often quite a difference between personal "favorite" and personal "best" lists.

 

[EvilSmurf]

Betcha it was an Internet poll. Only way to explain Atlas Shrugged showing up so high. I swear the only place I've ever seen libertarians is online.

 

[Wildy]

You might like the Australia list from 2004.

Even though the results are skewed solely by the fact that it was done by the ABC.

From Wikipedia:

Top 10 Books

1. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
3. The Bible
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling
7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
8. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
9. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
10. A Fortunate Life by Albert Facey

 

[Kopji]

Gainesville, FL -- College football fans were stunned to learn that Katherine Harris, the controversial former Florida Secretary of State who presided over her state's contested 2000 Presidential Election, is the "Harris" behind the Harris Interactive Poll... championship game.

..."I didn't need people asking stupid questions like who the **** are the jokers in the Harris Poll and why do some ballots make no sense," said Harris when asked if she thought that was proper. "It's Florida and involves voting, so we'll do things how I damn well please".

http://michiganzone.blogspot.com/2006/12/mzone-exclusive-bias-behind-harris.html

I love the internet.

 

[TexasJack]

Of all the books on that list, I would have to choose To Kill A Mockingbird

 

[Foolmewunz]

Ha, in Germany "Lord of the Rings" beats the Bible!

Poll for a TV show in late 2004, ca. 250000 participants:

1) Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
2) The Bible
3) The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
4) Perfume - Patrick Süskind
5) The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
6) Buddenbrooks - Thomas Mann
7) The Physician - Noah Gordon
8) The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
9) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Joanne K. Rowling
10) Pope Joan - Donna W. Cross

The Pillars of the Earth????? Is there some reason that Germans have an affection for one of Follett's more ordinary books (and coming from a rather ordinary writer, that's saying a lot).


ETA: Never Mind! Pillars of the Earth was actually his good one. I was confusing it, for some unknown reason, with Lie Down With Lions, which is horrible!

 

[hgc]

Why should I chose a favorite when Mitt Romney made the selection to beat them all: Battlefield Earth. Why couldn't that guy be president?!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tt2yMQ-HmQw

Funny that the Germans had The Alchemist on their list. Those people must be effed up something bad.