Comments on Best Books Ever - page 37

Nicole wrote: "Twilight #1? This deeply saddens me..."

In its 15th anniversary edition, Valley of the Dolls claimed to be the biggest fiction seller in history. (Sigh).

Elisabeth wrote: "I think you people need to just relax!!! I think "you're just too high strung" and eventually the "strain will be more than you can bear.""

Oh, you gave me my best laugh for day! thanks as you are so right!

Obviously a popularity list rather than a quality list

Tiger saga all the way :)

Ugh!!!!! How do some people like some of those books?! I can tell you I hated a good chunk of those books up there, ones I hated so much, that I didn't even put them on my "read" shelf...........

I think we can all agree that at best "Best" is a subjective term. I also hope we can all agree it should encompass more than how technically proficient the writing. Some emotional value has to be taken into account -- how a book makes us feel for instance -- and what it makes us think about.

I know it's easy to slam those damn Twilight books but the series has obviously resonated with a lot of people (and not just teen girls -- some of the latest stats show the series has sold over 116 million copies worldwide and has been translated into at least 38 languages -- I don't think teen girls are driving all of those sales).

"Best" should include those accessible books that speak to a wide universal audience, rather than just to the few "erudite" "college-educated" readers who staunchly defend "the classics" to their dying breath. Without a doubt, some classics are classics for a reason: they have stood the test of time and continue to speak to each new generation of readers. But some classics have stayed too long at the party if you ask me and no longer speak to anyone.

I think populist lists like this one are great because it does get people talking about what's worth treasuring in a book and are often an interesting window into the timber of the times. These lists are certainly more revealing than the same old boring critics' Top 100 Books that only dare choose the same predictable "classics" over and over again.

Trudi wrote: "I think we can all agree that at best "Best" is a subjective term. I also hope we can all agree it should encompass more than how technically proficient the writing. Some emotional value has to be ..."

Thank you for your comment, Trudi. It's good to see there are more kindred spirits here. :)

NEVER should twilight be number one on a list of books, unless the list is of books that make you want shoot yourself

pfffff!

Please tell me I don't see Twilight as Number One on this list.

I found your comment refreshingly funny - and very true. While I am a Twilight fan.. Best Book Ever??
hahaha

I think that the most amazing thing about the written language is that anyone can write anything. Of course I can also see the downfall in that, but either way I think that as writers and as humans we should hold our selves accoutable for maintaining a certain level of respect while interacting with one another.

Tara wrote: "Please tell me I don't see Twilight as Number One on this list."
i agree

Marla wrote: "this is the second list--worst books was the first--and i'm done. this is madness. i mean, how many mormons congregated to vote the book of mormon as a top 100 book? really?"

Honestly, I'd be more concerned with the influx of Twilight and Harry Potter taking over the top 8...

The point of these lists is lost when all 4 Twilight books appear on most of them :/ Goodreads, you really should do something about this.

Is it an error that The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr is on this list and not William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Deluxe Edition? Similar titles for very different works.

Liz wrote: "Is it an error that The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr is on this list and not William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Deluxe Edition? Similar titles for very different w..."

Considering the average reader today, that's probably not an error. The former is the abridged works of, while the latter is simply Shakespeare in its entirety.

Tara wrote: "Liz wrote: "Is it an error that The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr is on this list and not William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Deluxe Edition? Similar titles for very..."

The first is a play written by The Reduced Shakespeare Company. It's about as close to Shakespeare as a House episode is to the Sherlock Holmes canon.

"House on the Strand" by Daphne du Maurier. What an Awesome story, It draws you in immediately and transports you and stays with you forever. The ending is so very, very unexpected!

Can´t vote, I heavent read all yet, so it wouldn´t be fair!

All I can say is C'mon everybody..we are a DIVERSE country with different taste!!Its obvious when you see this list..LOL..so why even debate it!!!

I'm thoroughly saddened at Twilight being #1 still...

Lorena wrote: "I am rooting for "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."
I can understand how "The Book of Mormon," is on that list but before The Bible? No way..."

It got on the list because there were/are a whole load of groups for Mormons and I suppose they all added the book and since this list is nothing to do with best book but more like most-added with a high rating book, it got on before the bible. In my opinion, the list is rubbish.

Who the hell made this list? Can we figure out why Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, and J.Rowling are lumped together? The Iliad? Dostoyevsky? Give me a break!!

Tracy Brantleysuperior

I honestly don't understand why some of these books are on the list. I have read tons of great books and so far hardly any of them are on the list! Also I know how obsessed people can get with Twilight and they are good books but they are definatly not on my "favourites" shelf. I used to love twilight but then I read the "Hellgate London" series by Mel Odom and realized there are so many books waaaay better than Twilight and most of the really good books are not even on the list.

So the Lord of the Rings is not even in the top 100? Whether you are a Tolkien fan or not, you must admit that any "Best Ever" list that doesn't even rate it in the top 100 is quite ... unique, to say the least.

I speculate that it's because the votes for the various Lord of the Rings books are divided among 4 or 5 different entries ranked 100-200. If they were taken together it might be ranked where you'd usually expect.

Gitanjali

I Am going for Alive in Wonderland!!!!!!!=D

Hienlien is king of si-fi. Seuss, of childrens/adult cartoonies
. . .

Somebody needs to go back in time and put Stephanie Meyer in an insane asylum before she writes Twilight. I despise Twilight it does NOT deserve to be number one! It shouldn't be considered literature!!!

Bruce wrote: "I'm not going to argue with the Book of Mormon--either all religious texts are valid for a list like this, in which case it's merely interesting, or all religious texts should be off the list, in w..."

I second your opinion!

Sheesh, people. They're just books, not Grammy awards. It's not worth complaining about, let's just have fun, hmm?

Harle wrote: "Sheesh, people. They're just books, not Grammy awards. It's not worth complaining about, let's just have fun, hmm?"
+1.

Yet, I have the nagging feeling no-one (who's complaining) ever reads what his fellow Goodreaders have been saying...

Twilight? Harry Potter? This list is a joke!

They're just books, not Grammy awards.

Just books. Really? Just books? I think books are pretty important, myself, a lot more important than Grammy awards. Unless... you're being ironic, of course.

Didn't the book of mormon used to be at the top of this? Did a GR librarian get fed up and delete it or something?

Kirsten wrote: "I'm annoyed with Twilight. Extremely

And where is The Shack?"

same! lol

I don't even want to vote anymore if all four twilight books are in the top 10. I'm makin' my own list.

I wouldn't take this list too seriously. It's pretty obvious that the only way you'd get a decent poll is if everybody who ever read voted. :-) Looks to me like mostly teenagers voted, which means you're going to get a whole different list of books than if it were people over 35.

I am quite disappointed at the top 100, therefore I don't give any credibility to this list as Meyer's books is number one. This is terrible!

Is HP 1 on there? 'Cause I cannot find it O.O

I can't find Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm sure it's on here somewhere though... I'm surprised it's not on the first page, actually.

A rather surprising list, dominated by crap like Twilight and, I'm sorry, the idea of Harry Potter in the same breath with Shakespeare? Makes no sense to this old English major. I write crime fiction, but I sure don't expect it to land on the best books ever list, nor, I suspect would the estimable Ms. Rowling.

*cough cough*

Can anyone explain how Twilight got to spot #1?

How is Twilight the best book ever? Im really upset...

Morphy wrote: "Pride and Prejudice is a jewel of dry wit and intelligence. Austen is like Mozart - more or less flawless.

Why do people enjoy 'Mockingbird' so much? It is not really a literary experience. th..."

I totally agree

....Why is Twilight number one? Like get real, that has to be a joke...

there are so many wonderful books, writers, but if they're aren't for sale, they don't exist. I've read about 50 books out of print, small publishers or hard to find. since the last one I read here. I know it's a business but libraries are the same, HARRY POTTER and TWILIGHT--fine and great-- but people too young too remember 60's and 70's used book stores have no idea of the gold.

With Twilight I also thought that the books were pretty amazing the first time that I read them, but then I realised that I was just going along with the hype that was surrounding them, and if I really had my own indvidual opinon on them then they are actually pretty awful...