Comments on Best Books Ever - page 36

That's sounds like fun and I will give it a go and get back to you,
Thanks

I can't believe all those stupid Harry Potter books are offered as possible all time greats. C'mon people! That's trash for middle schoolers. Should not even be near War and Peace or Emma!

The great thing about Harry Potter is that it did get some people who have been struggling with the menu at Red Lobster to read an actual "book". So for that Thank you Ms, Rowling. Now onward and upward to the Hardy Boys, Frank and Eustice.

How the bleep can sparkling vampires be the number one? This puzzles me.

Astrid wrote: "How the bleep can sparkling vampires be the number one? This puzzles me." I know! I'm surprised I haven't been barraged by angry young teens who want to burn me in virtual effigy.

My all time favorite had always been Peter Pan. I don't know why but for me, other books couldn't hold a candle to that of a Barrie classic. :)

That Hook dude is bad A !

I think the reason Twilight is "un-phenomenal" was because of how the movie turned out. Even my friends' faces fell as soon as they watched the movie.

You might have a point there. The first book wasn't even all that bad. Ofcourse you can't call it a masterpiece - not even close, since it has zero plot and charact without any depth- but it was readable if you wanted something you didn't have to use your brain too much. The following two books were awful though, so I didn't bother to read the fourth one.
Then the movie came out, and now I'm wondering why I even bothered to spend money to read that book or see the movie.

There is no shame in reading a bad book, especially if you don,t tell anybody. You can even enjoy it. Just don,t brag about it.

I have a lifetime flaw that makes me finish every book I start. Only recently have I adopted a new rule. If you don't like the book after a hundred pages, put it down and don't feel guilty about it. Unfortunately I haven't been perfect but for the first time in my life I have put away a few bad books and the feeling is great. Does anyone else have this problem? By the way the first three sentences of this post are just a tease.

Mack wrote: "There is no shame in reading a bad book, especially if you don,t tell anybody. You can even enjoy it. Just don,t brag about it.

I have a lifetime flaw that makes me finish every book I start. Onl..." I only give the book 50 pages. If it hasn't captured my attention in the first 50 pages, it's unlikely to change. Life is too short and there are too many great books out there. Don't waste your time reading material that belongs in the circular file (trash). Move on to Dickens or some other classic writer, to clear your palette. Then read something contemporary. But reading tripe is better than reading nothing at all!

Russell wrote: "Mack wrote: "There is no shame in reading a bad book, especially if you don,t tell anybody. You can even enjoy it. Just don,t brag about it.

I have a lifetime flaw that makes me finish every book..."

exactly

Josef wrote: "Todd wrote: "Best and worst list are certainly not meant to be definitive. Best and worst are so subjective. They are merely meant to elicit conversation and thought which they obviously have don..."

wooo! 13 times? i'm still working on my 1st round :p

I absolutely love to read. I judge a great book on all of the emotions that I feel as I read it. The more emotions that it envokes in me, the better. I do not read a large volume of books as I simply do not have the time with four children, but I have read the many of classics, as well as, the modern phenomenons that have bombarded the book world: Twilight and Harry Potter included. I adore the books in both of those series. I also am a huge fan of the classics and Stephen King. I have to say as much as I love those books, too, all of them have parts that are a struggle to get through and do not capture my attention in some cases. I have voted for my favorite books which include Twilight and Harry Potter. That does not make me ignorant. I will vote on any book that I feel is a good read and makes me want to read it again and again; inspiring me to be creative in my own writing or painting is also a factor for me. I say any book or graphic novel or comic book for that matter that will get a young person, who otherwise has sworn off reading in general, IS a good book.

Robyn wrote: "Any "best of" list that has Harry Potter and Twilight books in it... let alone at the top... should be deleted and the hard drive physically erased with a very strong electromagnet so no latent tra..." I don't think your actions are extreme at all. I'm glad I'm not the only one who erased their hard drive and then got blotto so ... I forget what we were talking about.

Tammy wrote: "I absolutely love to read. I judge a great book on all of the emotions that I feel as I read it. The more emotions that it envokes in me, the better. I do not read a large volume of books as I s..."

Sierra wrote: "Josef wrote: "Todd wrote: "Best and worst list are certainly not meant to be definitive. Best and worst are so subjective. They are merely meant to elicit conversation and thought which they obvi..."

I agree with Robyn but really quality and popularity are usually entirely different things. Perhaps a more nuanced list or better, lists, would be helpful and that's up to Goodreads.

I assume this is a joke. How Twilight could be at the top while Tolkien, Austen, and Orwell fall far behind is beyond me - obviously, that isn't an accurate representation of the world, in any way, shape, or form. Truly pitiful.

I was about to press post on a scathing comment about how disappointed I was with this newfound community. I was about to go on a ballistic diatribe about how poor I hadn't even realized modern education had gotten until I saw this list.
How could Harry Potter and Twilight be 8/10 of the top 10 books ever and the entirety of the top 5?
But then I remembered "I'm a grown man with a sizable penis... I've never read a word of those books."
I therefore have no idea how wonderful those books may be. Doubtful, but possible.
I'll start with those obvious piles of horseshit... I mean potentially incredible books... next week after I finish The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest.
Don't let me down goodreaders.

Let's stop beating on the folks who think the Twilight series and Harry Potter are the best books. First of all anybody can join this information website and have an opinion. Theses are not horrendous books (maybe Twilight) but they are common and ordinary in every way. The point is we have all heard about them. As well as those of you who keep throwing out Dickens and War and Peace and then say look how superior I am. It's a list. To day it's a shock if the kids can read a menu.

What we need is a list of insanely wonderful books that we may not have read. (give Vampires a rest, these guys are exhausted )

,

I am a kid, and I've read all the Harry Potter and all the Twilight books...multiple times.

I cannot understand why Harry Potter receives as much hate from older adults as it does. It's truly not a childish series at all - it's just child-friendly. People anywhere from eight to eighty love those books. They have deep meaning, not to mention a convoluted and imaginative universe built around them. (And a theme park! And now Pottermore!)

Twilight, on the other hand, has not been praised as well-written by anyone that I've ever heard. I would like to know how something that has generally been detested by critics and, well, anyone other than teenage girls and a few of their mothers could be the Best Book Ever.

My love for Harry Potter aside, my former comment still stands: "I assume this is a joke. How Twilight could be at the top while Tolkien, Austen, and Orwell fall far behind is beyond me - obviously, that isn't an accurate representation of the world, in any way, shape, or form. Truly pitiful."

It makes me sad that the book with the most votes is Twilight.

Well, everyone has opinions. Most can't back them up. And sure, these books may be entertaining, but they're aren't 'technically' the best books over. Best would be objective. Now, if it was a 'Favorites' list, then sure.
For example, I really enjoyed Cars. But it's not a Citizen Kane (insert any greatly heralded movie here). Just because you LIKE something does not mean it's the BEST.

The Lovely Bones? Really? Really now?

So...why is Lord of the Rings not on the top 10? In my opinion, LOTR and GWTW are two of the greatest books ever written. With out LOTR we wouldn't even have Harry Potter :P

is the a waiting for Godot..

I think that the voting audience here is predominately YA readers. I understand that Twilight and Harry Potter books are read by adults as well, but there are a lot of better books out there than these pop culture favorites. JMHO

Lol Twilight #1? Is everyone who voted in this list an teenage girl?

Richard wrote: "Only in the USA would "the most popular" be confused for "the best". How many people have read Philip Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint" about masturbation? Compare that to how many people have read Thor..."
I will now... :)

The Chronicles of Narnia!! <3

I loved almost all the books on the list. Especially A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. Its my alltime fave. its funny how the best books & the worst books are like the same.

While I agree that the Twilight Saga is merely a bandwagon book that will be completely forgotten in a few decades, I think people are getting too worked up about their position on this list. A lot of people who vote on here are only voting because they feel like they have something to prove. You can read whatever books you want and you can vote for them too. But people will have their opinions and frankly, who cares what someone else thinks? Besides, the list is always changing and it really doesn't bear that much importance. So everyone, go relax, and read whatever book YOU think is the greatest. No one's stopping you from having your own opinion. So don't begrudge others for theirs.

Altho it takes forever try to go though the list before adding a book as some are listed twice. This happens on big lists. I noticed 2 editions of the Bible listed both were King James versions and also Sonnets of Shakespeare, something else at number 2001 but forget now which book it was.

Is this for real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

?



Erica wrote: "Is this for real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Seriously? For ALL time? What is the average age/IQ of the "readers" taking this poll.

Habu wrote: "Seriously? For ALL time? What is the average age/IQ of the "readers" taking this poll."

habu don't get mad . im pissed to but i dont explode no offence

Rogier wrote: "Habu wrote: "Seriously? For ALL time? What is the average age/IQ of the "readers" taking this poll."

habu don't get mad . im pissed to but i dont explode no offence"

I'm shaking my head and laughing too hard to be mad. *smile*

2011.07.10 - the top 7 books are all from either the Harry Potter or Twilight series. How awful.

why is twilight number one, when there is clearly better books then twilight. there is something wrong with this list

Okay, seriously? Twilight as #1? How is that the best book ever? It was badly written, with no description, and had actual spelling mistakes. There's no depth in it either. It's only plus was that the plot idea was good and new; it would have been better if it was developed.

Is this a farce or what...all I can see on the top is Twilights and Harry Potters both of which are sheer insult to literature...though my vote will harldy matter here but I am not voting among a bunch of imbeciles who think Twilight is the best thing to happen to this world...and I can bet my bottom dollar that these Twilight minions wouldn't have even read anything else apart from Twilight...really really disappointed to see such state of literature on GoodReads.

Okay, I understand that people would get annoyed with Twilight being on the list, since that book is a piece of crap, but Harry Potter is not. It has a unique and carefully thought out plot, the characters are well-developed, and there are deep themes in those books: love, friendship, loyalty, the power of sacrifice, the line between life and death, and so much more. Just because the plot is child-friendly, does not mean it's not worth reading. J.K. Rowling has some meaningful lessons in there. But yeah, as I said, the Twilight saga was terrible and probably the worst money I ever spent.

Elizabeth wrote: "Okay, I understand that people would get annoyed with Twilight being on the list, since that book is a piece of crap, but Harry Potter is not. It has a unique and carefully thought out plot, the ch..."
@Elizabeth:
I agree Potter books are better than Twilight series...and it will be rather unfair to categorize them together...and though Rowling's Potter series has all those well developed attributes you mentioned above,still in literary prowess it doesn't possess the calibre to be included in great books of all time. Yes its widely read just because over the years Potter books and Rowling's literature has succumed to the lure of endless stream of money...several corporate houses and groups have invested in this and made it a franchise spanning from games to replicas and movies and what not..!!

So, I'm guessing that Harold Bloom had no hand in making this list...?

Nothing wrong with Potter, but it definitely doesn't belong at the top of the best books ever. Above Dostoevsky, Proust, Tolstoy, Joyce, Hemingway, Faulkner, et al.? No.

Shiva wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Okay, I understand that people would get annoyed with Twilight being on the list, since that book is a piece of crap, but Harry Potter is not. It has a unique and carefully though..."

Yeah, I agree. It just bothered me that people are bashing these books when they're actually really good.

CAN I READ ANY BOOK ONLINE?

C.selvakumar wrote: "CAN I READ ANY BOOK ONLINE?"

yes, you can. Let me help you, please. But some books you just can't read because the author wants people to BUY it, like for money. All the classics are avilable here on goodreads. com. Just go the classic, under the cover you will see a button says "read book", and there you go! Try Jane Eyre (:

Tiger saga all the way!!!!

What is "best"? Truly?

It will certainly help if such lists are named something more meaningful - "Favorite Books", "Most Loved Books", you name it.

That's how I look at them myself. And that's why I believe it's right for Harry and Edward to top them. Because that's what most readers (_here_; _now_) have loved the most.

Yes, I do grieve inside that not many people have enjoyed _The Neverending Story_, and grown with it, as much as I have. But that's only because there's still that little nazi* inside me. The one who says, "The world must be such and such! And if you disagree -- burn! Burn!"

So it's my own problem ... isn't it?

K)

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* Not to be confused with the historical Nazis.

Twilight #1? This deeply saddens me...