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123rd out of 461 books
—
706 voters
The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived: How Characters of Fiction, Myth, Legends, Television, and Movies Have Shaped Our Society, Changed Our Behavior, and Set the Course of History
From Santa Claus to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, from Uncle Sam to Uncle Tom, here is a compelling, eye-opening, and endlessly entertaining compendium of fictional trendsetters and world-shakers who have helped shape our culture and our lives. The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived offers fascinating histories of our most beloved, hated, feared, and revered invented...more
Paperback, 317 pages
Published
October 17th 2006
by William Morrow Paperbacks
(first published 1990)
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I thought this might be an interesting read, if it went into why and how these 'most influential people who never lived' have impacted us, but it turned out to be quite disappointing. The list is interesting in itself, but the essays on each character/story explain only who the character is and where they came from, rather than how (and even how much) they've influenced modern society. There's some interesting titbits, but it wasn't what I hoped it would be.
Supposedly a discussion of “How Characters of Fiction, Myth, Legends, Television, and Movies Have Shaped Our Society, Changed Our Behavior, and Set the Course of History”—to quote the rather lengthy subtitle—this book instead presents 101 explanations of who 101 characters are—there’s almost no analysis at all of why they are important or how they did any of the things the subtitle loftily claims. I could have gleaned the same information by clicking around to 101 random Wikipedia entries. The W...more
Well, this book is not what it purports to be. Yes, it lists 101 characters that have influenced pop culture and, I will barely grant this, in some cases, actual history. But it spends most of its time recapping the fiction. Fine, yes, it is good to know, but with the subtitle, I was expecting the authors to, you know, back up their outrageous claims!
It was enjoyable to think about the characters and about their significance to me and my life, but I swear to you, just brainstorming what I though...more
It was enjoyable to think about the characters and about their significance to me and my life, but I swear to you, just brainstorming what I though...more
This fun book looks at the influence of the most famous imaginary characters - like Nancy Drew and Barbie for instance. It is (as it admits), very America-centric, so there were characters that I either didn't know or didn't think should have been included in the first place. But overall, I think the choices were interesting and appropriate.
While they do provide a list of the greatest 101 characters, the book is actually organised by genre. This may make it a little counter-intuitive (I expected...more
While they do provide a list of the greatest 101 characters, the book is actually organised by genre. This may make it a little counter-intuitive (I expected...more
This was basically ... how does one put this ... the result of some dudes getting together and trying to show how intelligent, witty, culturally relevant, philosophical, and feminist they are. What results is kind of the literary equivalent of a massive facepalm. Or maybe the proverbial turd that doesn't stink (after all, these guys are so great! And philosophical! Of course their poop doesn't stink!).
This is possibly one of the most haphazhard, slap-dash, poorly-constructed books I've ever read...more
This is possibly one of the most haphazhard, slap-dash, poorly-constructed books I've ever read...more
Although they take great care to be objective, there are some clear undertones here. For example, the authors applaud all the personages that promoted women’s rights and denounced those that advanced smoking; both viewpoints are easy to agree with. However, they also clearly saluted two characters whose prime influence has been to loosen the moral fabric of American society and “[bring] sexuality into the public domain.” Personally, even though I agreed with the fact that these individuals were...more
The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived was written by three guys who apparently know each other somehow (I don't think they mentioned exactly how in the book). They got together and hashed out what they consider the 101 most influential characters from movies, television, mythology, folktales, and other sources. An interesting concept, for sure. Books like this are fun for me because I get to learn new things, which enriches my mind; and it's in a list format, which pleases my love of t...more
I love book lists and list books. The best movies, the worst presidents, the best science fiction, the worst rock and roll songs… Lists are interesting and they are fun.
So, the 101 most influential people who NEVER lived? Must be a winner.
Or maybe not…
Actually the list is ok; wide-ranging, some surprises, good choices and bad, pretty subjective and open to debate. Exactly what you would want from such a list.
But the writing… When the authors are not interviewing their dog, Yogi, about some char...more
So, the 101 most influential people who NEVER lived? Must be a winner.
Or maybe not…
Actually the list is ok; wide-ranging, some surprises, good choices and bad, pretty subjective and open to debate. Exactly what you would want from such a list.
But the writing… When the authors are not interviewing their dog, Yogi, about some char...more
I give this book 10/10 on premise and 3/10 on execution. The choice of which characters to include was obviously highly subjective (the book should have been titled 101 Characters of Myth and Legend that Influence(d) Americans, in which case I wouldn't have had a single complaint about which characters were included. But really, Archie Bunker? Buffy the Vampire Slayer? And not a single character from Celtic mythology?), many of the essays were poorly written, there was (as usual with nonfiction...more
This amusing collection of essays challenges the reader to think about the impact on our our culture and history by some people (and other creatures) who never actually lived. From King Authur and William Tell to Barbie and Rosie the Riveter, each entry includes a thoughtful history as well as thoughts on how the subject impacted our world, for better or worse. This isn't just a collection of heroes (though Superman, of course, makes the list). The authors also take issue with such icons as Prin...more
I found it befitting to start the New Year’s book challenge with one that emphasizes the influence of fictional characters on our daily lives. From infancy, we are exposed to stories of important historical personae and fairytale characters. Some of the life lessons we begin learning early in our youth are portrayed as conclusions of stories that are told to us by teachers, parents and role models. It is those people who have inspired, lead, challenged, effected and changed thousands of lives th...more
When I first came across this book I was hoping for a thought-provoking read about how we’ve influenced both our culture and social identity not only by the things we do, but by the things we make up. Sounded intriguing! And, as a college Philosophy major myself, when I learned the authors were also philosophers I expected to be in for a real treat.
I wasn’t.
In retrospect, I wish whoever wrote the preface had actually written the rest of the book. The tone set in the preface is completely betraye...more
I wasn’t.
In retrospect, I wish whoever wrote the preface had actually written the rest of the book. The tone set in the preface is completely betraye...more
A really neat idea, but by the end I was really wishing it had been written by someone other than this team of McSweeney's wannabes. The zany asides tried way too hard and the shorter snarky jokes were simply never clever. There were also fervent strident political asides that were just out of place and distracting, and that's even despite being views I agree with. Poor execution with a tin ear for context. All that said, there were some really interesting choices on the list and plenty of obscu...more
Well, this is barely a three star. But I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. I enjoyed it for the light, quick overview and the opportunity to consider some major themes on my own time, but that considering mostly happened off the page. The authors repeatedly remind us that this is not a scholarly work, and that couldn't be more true. But the project is interesting, and, from time to time, amusing. There are a few essays I'd like to hand to my 11-year-old son, just as an introduction...more
This book was not as interesting as I thought it would be. It ended up being more about the authors trying to be funny than truly exploring the influences of these various characters. Worth it to read to explore the list, but I'd get it from the library.
Oct 27, 2011
Lily
is currently reading it
In this book, three men made a list of all the fictional people they could think of that have influenced pop culture and then ranked them in order of influence. For each entry, they talk about one of the characters they selected, give a brief history on the character and explain how the character has influenced Western culture (specifically America).
I am really enjoying this book. I think the history of the people they write about is very interesting. Many of the characters have been alluded to...more
I am really enjoying this book. I think the history of the people they write about is very interesting. Many of the characters have been alluded to...more
From Santa Claus to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, from Uncle Sam to Uncle Tom, here is a compelling, eye-opening, and endlessly entertaining compendium of fictional trendsetters and world-shakers who have helped shape our culture and our lives. The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived offers fascinating histories of our most beloved, hated, feared, and revered invented icons and the indelible marks they made on civilization, including:
# 28: Rosie the Riveter, the buff, blue-collar factory wor...more
# 28: Rosie the Riveter, the buff, blue-collar factory wor...more
How much you are likely to enjoy this book largely depends on how you feel about the characters listed within. Whether you agree with the writers on just how influential the characters are is open to debate. Readers may well think of other characters not listed they wish had been included in the book.
With several books already written on real life influential people, it’s an interesting question to raise and debate as to why we should need fictional characters as role models at all, including h...more
With several books already written on real life influential people, it’s an interesting question to raise and debate as to why we should need fictional characters as role models at all, including h...more
I read this only because it was a book-club selection. The authors decided to put together a list of the most influential fictional characters/ icons from books, movies, television, and advertising. I don’t necessarily agree with their choices (No. 1 is The Marlboro Man), but more importantly, I really didn’t like how the book was organized and written. They spent far too many words trying to be cute and far too little time explaining how these characters influence America and Americans. There w...more
Let’s be honest – I am so glad to be done with this book. I love the randomness and the obscure facts. I do not love how enamored the authors are with themselves and their damn dog. I think this is a good book to peruse when you’re waiting for someone or when you’re looking for something to talk about at a dinner party. This is not a book that I would recommend reading from cover to cover.
A few things that I found thoroughly entertaining from my read:
*Still cracking up from the Prince Charming...more
A few things that I found thoroughly entertaining from my read:
*Still cracking up from the Prince Charming...more
This was rather amusing all together. I'm giving it a three, because I'm much rougher and tougher on my non-fiction than I am on my Fiction. Fiction can get me so much more moved and passionate. (So think of this maybe as a 4 Star when only counting my Non-Fictions)
This was a glorious little romp through a whole lot of people I agree in large part did change or influence my life. I'd suggest it to anyone who wants to spend a good ninty percent of the books going "Oh, wow, I remember this" the wh...more
This was a glorious little romp through a whole lot of people I agree in large part did change or influence my life. I'd suggest it to anyone who wants to spend a good ninty percent of the books going "Oh, wow, I remember this" the wh...more
This was a fun, light read. No, the authors didn't analyze why/how the characters impacted (American) people today with as much depth as they could have, but that didn't really bother me as much as it bothered some reviewers; I felt like I could make those connections on my own for the characters that I cared about, and the new characters that I hadn't thought much about before were just icing on the cake. I also really liked the interludes where the authors played around with being authors; the...more
This book holds in it the kernel of a really neat idea – what 101 fictional characters/myths/legends influence our lives and has affected history? But by the end I wished it had been written by someone other than this team. There were plenty or entries which kept strictly to the facts, ma’am but the zany asides at least one of the three authors tried too hard and most of the snarky jokes simply fell flat. There is a difference between something that is funny with the proper inflection or when yo...more
I felt very conflicted about this book. It should have been something I really wanted to like, but while the idea is great, the writing style really killed it for me.
I'm not sure if the book was trying to be scholarly or funny. (It succeeded a few times in being scholarly...but funny? I wasn't laughing)
Somethings seemed completely out of place, like the author's dog interviewing Buck from Call of the Wild. When it comes to humor with me, either go big or go home. I had just read a book before th...more
I'm not sure if the book was trying to be scholarly or funny. (It succeeded a few times in being scholarly...but funny? I wasn't laughing)
Somethings seemed completely out of place, like the author's dog interviewing Buck from Call of the Wild. When it comes to humor with me, either go big or go home. I had just read a book before th...more
The authors present the 101 fictional characters that have had the most influence on our society, behavior, and ultimately our history. They explain in detail their process of inclusion on and elimination from the list. They also readily acknowledge there is room for disagreement in not only who did or did not make the list, but in how the characters were ranked on the list. They also point out that they left many popular characters off the list, because popular does not always translate into in...more
I like the idea of this book, which is why I read it, but I didn't like the book. I think it's true that there are many people in literature, folktales, and movies that influence us. What we read and watch shapes what we think and do. There were some interesting characters and important influences identified in this book, but it was a very random list created by the authors. I didn't agree with some on the list and really didn’t like that there was no rhyme or reason or method that helped create...more
The author takes the excellent idea of assessing fictional characters' impacts on the world and executes it rather well.
Unfortunately, due to the number of characters explored in this book, there is not much of an in-depth analysis of each character (an average of one or two pages per character).
There are characters from mythology and legends, literature, contemporary writing and film (even Luke Skywalker and the Star Wars series are explored here).
To the book (and author's fault), there are som...more
Unfortunately, due to the number of characters explored in this book, there is not much of an in-depth analysis of each character (an average of one or two pages per character).
There are characters from mythology and legends, literature, contemporary writing and film (even Luke Skywalker and the Star Wars series are explored here).
To the book (and author's fault), there are som...more
This was a very uneven book. The book has 3 authors, and my understanding from the book is that essays were written by one of the three authors and they then conferred and revised.
Each essay gives a bit of background on the character that is the subject of the essay and then generally lists the places the person has appeared (various books, plays, movies, etc). Unfortunately, that's often as far as the analysis goes. There's no real attempt to explain how a given person influenced history or soc...more
Each essay gives a bit of background on the character that is the subject of the essay and then generally lists the places the person has appeared (various books, plays, movies, etc). Unfortunately, that's often as far as the analysis goes. There's no real attempt to explain how a given person influenced history or soc...more
The title sounds interesting enough but ultimately this book failed to live up to the grand claim of the title.
The list itself is interesting enough but what the contents of this book eventually boil down to are 101 summaries of popular fictional characters. Undoubtedly some of them influenced our behavior, some may even have "set the course of history" but don't expect the authors to come up with a reasoned, thought out argument to show how they did that.
All in all, it was a passable read but...more
The list itself is interesting enough but what the contents of this book eventually boil down to are 101 summaries of popular fictional characters. Undoubtedly some of them influenced our behavior, some may even have "set the course of history" but don't expect the authors to come up with a reasoned, thought out argument to show how they did that.
All in all, it was a passable read but...more
The premise of this book is very interesting. But it kind of turned out to be a dud for me. The authors' style of writing was snarky and annoying. They were just so full of themselves. The book had an aura of the authors' self-importance which ruined the book, in my opinion. Plus, in most of their selections, they gave information about their individual but did not do a good job in explaining how or why that person influenced society/culture.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Group | 1 | 4 | Aug 14, 2007 07:14am |
That book sounds like a con, implying so much more than it delivers. The partriarchal heroes, fo...more
Dec 18, 2011 03:16am
Yeah, it did feel like a bit of a con. Definitely a disappointment, anyway.
Dec 18, 2011 05:40am
Dec 20, 2011 10:32am