One of AOL's trivial bits of throwaway fluff today (7/3/08) was a list of the 10 books you must have read or else consider yourself left out:
1. Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind (1936) 2. J.R.R. Tolkein: Lord of the Rings 3. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (all 7 of them apparently) 4. Stephen King: The Stand (1978) 5. Dan Brown: The da Vinci Code 6. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) 7. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons 8. Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged (1957) 9. J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye (1951) 10. Doug Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Of course, leaving aside the grotesquerie of having two books by the most-read-writer-who-has-trouble-stringing-words-together-coherently on such a list, there are a number of odd and puzzling features about it. I don't think Catcher in the Rye has nearly the cachet now it did in the middle decades of the last century, and there are many better choices for a representative of King than the late-blooming-withered- one-the-vine overwritten The Stand. Gone With the Wind was hot in the 30 and 40's but it's considered a relic now; Jean Auel's doorstops could stand in for that one.
But the most astonishing thing to me is that, depending on how you count The da Vinci Code, five or six of these selections are specfic.
I might wax more about this if I could figure out what the heck criterion they were using to make the selection. It seems a hodge- podge to me and with some glaring omissions.
> One of AOL's trivial bits of throwaway fluff today (7/3/08) was a list > of the 10 books you must have read or else consider yourself left out:
> 1. Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind (1936) > 2. J.R.R. Tolkein: Lord of the Rings > 3. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (all 7 of them apparently) > 4. Stephen King: The Stand (1978) > 5. Dan Brown: The da Vinci Code > 6. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) > 7. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons > 8. Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged (1957) > 9. J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye (1951) > 10. Doug Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
> Of course, leaving aside the grotesquerie of having two books by the > most-read-writer-who-has-trouble-stringing-words-together-coherently > on such a list, there are a number of odd and puzzling features about > it. I don't think Catcher in the Rye has nearly the cachet now it did > in the middle decades of the last century, and there are many better > choices for a representative of King than the late-blooming-withered- > one-the-vine overwritten The Stand. Gone With the Wind was hot in the > 30 and 40's but it's considered a relic now; Jean Auel's doorstops > could stand in for that one.
> But the most astonishing thing to me is that, depending on how you > count The da Vinci Code, five or six of these selections are specfic.
> I might wax more about this if I could figure out what the heck > criterion they were using to make the selection. It seems a hodge- > podge to me and with some glaring omissions.
I've read six out of ten, and might get to CATCHER IN THE RYE someday. But I've got no interest in GONE WITH THE WIND, and if I'vegot to read Dan Brown or be left out, I'll happily be left out.
I've got plenty to read while the cognoscenti are off doing whatever it isthey do and I'm home, left out, with better books.
Bill Patterson <WHPatter...@gmail.com> wrote in news:02f3a1d2-6c0e-4339-844c- 512cc04bc...@a32g2000prf.googlegroups.com:
> I might wax more about this if I could figure out what the heck > criterion they were using to make the selection. It seems a hodge- > podge to me and with some glaring omissions.
In article <02f3a1d2-6c0e-4339-844c-512cc04bc...@a32g2000prf.googlegroups.com>, Bill Patterson <WHPatter...@gmail.com> said:
> One of AOL's trivial bits of throwaway fluff today (7/3/08) was a > list of the 10 books you must have read or else consider yourself > left out:
> 1. Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind (1936) > 2. J.R.R. Tolkein: Lord of the Rings > 3. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (all 7 of them apparently) > 4. Stephen King: The Stand (1978) > 5. Dan Brown: The da Vinci Code > 6. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) > 7. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons > 8. Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged (1957) > 9. J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye (1951) > 10. Doug Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
It's interesting how many of those entries fall under the "What we really mean is, you need to have seen the movie(s)."
<WHPatter...@gmail.com> wrote: >One of AOL's trivial bits of throwaway fluff today (7/3/08) was a list >of the 10 books you must have read or else consider yourself left out:
>1. Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind (1936) >2. J.R.R. Tolkein: Lord of the Rings >3. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (all 7 of them apparently) >4. Stephen King: The Stand (1978) >5. Dan Brown: The da Vinci Code >6. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) >7. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons >8. Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged (1957) >9. J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye (1951) >10. Doug Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
>Of course, leaving aside the grotesquerie of having two books by the >most-read-writer-who-has-trouble-stringing-words-together-coherently >on such a list,
Well, just so. I mean, what a stupid list! Hardly worth arguing about much of it -- they are central books to our culture, good or bad, in about 8 of 10 cases -- but ... but ... ANGELS AND DEMONS? Sure, I can see why one might list THE DA VINCI CODE -- though I sincerely think it will be all but forgotten in 20 years -- and it is truly one of the most poorly written bestsellers of all time -- but why ANOTHER, rather minor, Dan Brown book?
>there are a number of odd and puzzling features about >it. I don't think Catcher in the Rye has nearly the cachet now it did >in the middle decades of the last century, and there are many better >choices for a representative of King than the late-blooming-withered- >one-the-vine overwritten The Stand. Gone With the Wind was hot in the >30 and 40's but it's considered a relic now; Jean Auel's doorstops >could stand in for that one.
Can't agree, though I would agree that for 99% of us just seeing the movie (which is essential) is enough.
Auel is almost forgotten now, let alone in 20 years. Mitchell was a poorish writer, but she was much much better than Auel.
>But the most astonishing thing to me is that, depending on how you >count The da Vinci Code, five or six of these selections are specfic.
>I might wax more about this if I could figure out what the heck >criterion they were using to make the selection. It seems a hodge- >podge to me and with some glaring omissions.
Bill Patterson wrote: > One of AOL's trivial bits of throwaway fluff today (7/3/08) was a list > of the 10 books you must have read or else consider yourself left out:
> 1. Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind (1936) > 2. J.R.R. Tolkein: Lord of the Rings > 3. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (all 7 of them apparently) > 4. Stephen King: The Stand (1978) > 5. Dan Brown: The da Vinci Code > 6. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) > 7. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons > 8. Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged (1957) > 9. J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye (1951) > 10. Doug Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I'm absolutely glad that I'm left out of that in group, whoever they are.
Bill Patterson wrote: > One of AOL's trivial bits of throwaway fluff today (7/3/08) was a list > of the 10 books you must have read or else consider yourself left out:
> 1. Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind (1936) > 2. J.R.R. Tolkein: Lord of the Rings > 3. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (all 7 of them apparently) > 4. Stephen King: The Stand (1978) > 5. Dan Brown: The da Vinci Code > 6. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) > 7. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons > 8. Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged (1957) > 9. J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye (1951) > 10. Doug Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I've read four of those. And 'Catcher in the Rye' only because it was required for a high school English class.
-- History Channel is showing 'Ice Road Truckers' as part of their "American Originals" brand of shows.
'Ice Road Truckers' is a show about Canadian truck drivers.
On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 17:03:55 -0700 (PDT), Bill Patterson
<WHPatter...@gmail.com> wrote: >1. Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind (1936) >2. J.R.R. Tolkein: Lord of the Rings >3. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (all 7 of them apparently) >4. Stephen King: The Stand (1978) >5. Dan Brown: The da Vinci Code >6. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) >7. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons >8. Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged (1957) >9. J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye (1951) >10. Doug Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I won't ever read the Dan Brown works, and am unlikely to finish the Harry Potter books. I might or might not read _The Stand_, probably not. I haven't found that I'm missing anything.
> In article <02f3a1d2-6c0e-4339-844c-512cc04bc...@a32g2000prf.googlegroups.com>, > Bill Patterson <WHPatter...@gmail.com> said:
>> One of AOL's trivial bits of throwaway fluff today (7/3/08) was a >> list of the 10 books you must have read or else consider yourself >> left out:
>> 1. Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind (1936) >> 2. J.R.R. Tolkein: Lord of the Rings >> 3. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter (all 7 of them apparently) >> 4. Stephen King: The Stand (1978) >> 5. Dan Brown: The da Vinci Code >> 6. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) >> 7. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons >> 8. Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged (1957) >> 9. J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye (1951) >> 10. Doug Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
> It's interesting how many of those entries fall under the "What we > really mean is, you need to have seen the movie(s)."
If you count movies, I've seen seven of 'em. And the other three, there are no movies of, though two of 'em are in the works.
Bill Patterson wrote: > One of AOL's trivial bits of throwaway fluff today (7/3/08) was a list > of the 10 books you must have read or else consider yourself left out:
One for ten. Hitcher's Guide is the only one I've read or am likely to.
Brian
-- If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who won't shut up. -- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)
