Comments on Best Books Ever - page 61

Andrew wrote: "Lord of the Rings is actually quite well written, I personally don't think it was the best book ever or even in the top 10"

I beg to disagree. The Lord of the Rings (together with The Hobbit, of course) is the Book of the Century. The sad thing is folks prefer to holler elves and wizards and rings and swords, yet few seem to see the deep wisdom underneath.
The makers of the movie certainly did not. Small wonder, to come to think of that...

I liked those book too. Some books I liked but not on best books ever for me is world war z. Thank you for the people who are being civil. I was annoyed when i wrote that post , because it seems like some people just want to bash other people's choice. I agree we are all entitled to our own opinion, but i had just read one where the person was calling other people names. I am an adult and outgrew that. I like we have a wide variety of opions, but people can still be respectful of each other.

Many of these books are either love them or hate them. I personally liked 'Hunger games' better than 90% of the 'classics' listed. I see 'Hunger games' as the modern equivalent of 1984.

Yes I have read a lot of classics and most of them are glorified purple prose. Harry Potter has replaced the Narnia series in modern culture and Twilight... well um... yes its terrible, but I certainly enjoyed it more than anything Jane Austen wrote.

These are comments are funny!! Bt seriosly some or most of these books are soooo damn annoying and boring.We dd this stupid list???? Twilight seriouly GOSH what with you people with pale dudes with fake fangs and the annoying girlfriend with her dog thing friend??

This is an awful list. Twilight one of the best books of all time?!

Twilight is soooo.................u know-whats-gonna-happen-next kinda book/movie.Sorry if this affends people but it kinda sucks ALOT.

Thank you for gathering the best ever books and listing them here for us :)

. . . How. . . How in all of reality are The Hunger Games, The Order of the Phoenix and TWILIGHT the top three books?! The Hunger Games was good-ish, yeah, but HOW ARE THOSE OTHERS UP THERE?! The Order of the Phoenix was the worst of the whole series (not hard when the other books are that awesome but still)! Twilight shouldn't even be in the top 100, let alone the third greatest book of ALL TIME! How. . . How did the world come to this . . .

I really wish this list is a subject to change. Yes, there are some good books on it, too. And some I didn't even remember before seeing them here - thank you for those votes. But, basing a vote on just some kind of trend is simply stupid and doesn't serve anybody.

'The best book ever written' = Book that always evokes the deepest feelings in the reader, is well-written and seems unique (or is otherwise interesting); close to perfection or absolutely perfect. DEFINITELY NOT one like Twilight or The Hunger Games - they are addictive, but poorly written and completely unoriginal.

That being said (again), I don't believe I can cast a vote on my own for a long, long time. Even picking a favourite from books I have read is hard - but doing so when there's so much more to experience? Madness :P

Wendy wrote: "I will stand by little women but that is a book every one should read. It talks about loss, family, and the future.That is the one book I would take with me on a desert island."

I couldn't get more than 50 pages of that snoozefest read before I gave up. I almost always finish books I start... hell I even made it through twilight (although barely).

i well like to read

I don't think there can ever be a best book ever considering everyone likes different kinds of books. Truthfully, this list is not of the best books, but the most popular. Therefore arguing with other people's opinions is going to do nothing but make everyone upset.

Jenna wrote: "I don't think there can ever be a best book ever considering everyone likes different kinds of books. Truthfully, this list is not of the best books, but the most popular. Therefore arguing with ot..."

Thank you. Everybody listen to her!

I don't want to live in a world in which crap such as The Hunger Games can be "No.1"....the Age of the DickHead.

Hunger Games, Harry Potter.....we are fxxked.

List like that make no sense. The best example is the above.

Sad some of these are on the same list with the classics. I understand it; I'm just shaking my head at it.

I checked with other people to make sure it was not just me, no they agreed this list is ridiculous......Harry Potter???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ????????????????

Actually yes, Harry Potter... Lets look at what it replaced as the 'classic' childrens story, Narnia. The Narnia series is dated and doesn't reflect the values of todays society. It just doesn't resonate with people today. Harry Potter does. YOU may stick your literary nose up at it, but trust me, in 50 years people will still be reading Harry potter. Lord of the Rings was also looked down upon by the critics of its day, yet it was voted the books of the century.

I would agree that, of all the children's series available today, Harry Potter is the most likely to become a classic. However, using your logic about the demise of Narnia, wouldn't that hold true for Potter - fifty years from now, it is unlikely that it will reflect the values of that future time. What makes a classic a classic is its timelessness which transcends the values of one generation. Few, today, share the values of Jane Austen but there are a lot of people who would argue she is one of the greatest writers to ever live and her books are still read two hundred years later. If one were to base their understanding of great literature based solely on this list, apparently Hunger games and Twilight are the best books ever written and Stephanie Meyers is this generation's Jane Austen. Perhaps the problem is not with the classics but with the egoism of youth. By the way, Lord of the Rings wasn't 'looked down upon'. It did receive some negative reviews (what book hasn't), but over all it was praised by reviewers and there were many, including CS Lewis of Narnia fame, who considered it the best book of the twentieth century and destined for classic status.

CS Lewis and Tolkien were friends... of course he gave it a good review. LOtR had mixed reviews and when released it wasn't ever thought of as a classic. I would also argue that stephenie meyer IS this generations Jane Austen. I personally detest Jane Austen and find her books formulaic and terribly written. Jane Austens claim to fame is that she was the first female author that wrote a best seller under a female name (not just a male pen name). Only literary snobs have kept her work alive. Hunger games is also this generations distopian vision of society, much like other 'classics' such as 1984 (yet another novel that garnered its fair share of poor reviews).

where has sherlock holmes gone?

fantastic writters

ottelo is supreb

Jason wrote: "The Narnia series is dated and doesn't reflect the values of todays society."

Well, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by Hoffmann seems to be even more dated. But it`s still being read, as well as many other wonderful tales by the author.
Concerning Narnia, I`d say that just lacks something that makes a book really alive. Of course, I`ve only read the chronicles translated, so it might well be poor translation...

Jason wrote: "in 50 years people will still be reading Harry potter"

Agree!

HAPPY MIDSUMMER ALL!

Really...... Twilight????? no way! it's entertainig, good for an afternoon read, just relax, you know, some easy book, but pleaseeeeee it's not one of the best books ever written!

Truly finding it hard to believe The Hunger Games is going first. Has the world gone mad? I mean, I love Katniss and everything, but it's just a dystopian story. It doesn't deserve to be before all the other great classic novels this list has.

The worst book ever put on paper and is a waste of trees is " Wuthering Heights." It was ghastly with its fifteen page letters and its confusion over the two Cathy's. I wanted to walk in the river with rocks in my pocket before the end!

Becca wrote: "I agree. I think every fair-minded reader here will agree that you have to actually read something before deciding on its merit. And no one would argue with someone esteeming The Bible or The Quran..."

I agree. The Bible is a lifesaving book to some and a horror story to other's yet it packs a punch either way. I see no reason why someone cannot say they appreciate the Book of Mormon. We cannot all like the same things. The world would be incredibly dull if this were the case.

Amber wrote: "This list is a joke!"

Agree!

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..."

i don't think people are meaning to be offensive in their disbelief about The Book Of Mormon being on the list it's just that when you look proportionately at the number of Mormons compared to other faiths combined as well as those with no religious persuasion it is hard to believe that that many people would have even read it.Although you are a large and growing group you are still a minority.

I believe the best reads are neither non fiction or fantasy, but fiction books. Why? Fiction books are based on real events that have been slightly changed to teach the reader a lesson in life. They are based on many real life events that have occurred at different times in different places but mashed together to create a fictional story not only to entertain us but to teach us a valuable lesson in life. These books are the best reads.

best book ever and the top ones are hunger games, harry potter and twilight

Problem with these lists is it all so objective. I vote for books that I enjoy and move me personally...but what I may enjoy and what others may enjoy are two completely different things.

I also prefer books that are written well but sometimes these two qualities do not come hand in hand. For example, I love the Narnia series and feel it had a big impact on fantasy-fiction and also encouraged my love of reading when I was young. So I voted for it, but anyone who has read the Narnia Chronicles would know it's not the most literary challenging or well-written. (This is partially due to it being a children's series.)

Anyway, I take these lists with a pinch of salt. They're just a bit of fun! :)

But seriously...Twilight? Really? *face palms*

Twilight, Hunger Games, and Harry Potter before War and Peace, Gone with the Wind, and Anna Karenina... This is really a list of shame...

Ben wrote: "Twilight, Hunger Games, and Harry Potter before War and Peace, Gone with the Wind, and Anna Karenina... This is really a list of shame..."

Well said, Ben.

What I want to know is how Twilight and Harry Potter beat out The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? Really?? And all though I like The Hunger Games, there's no way it should be #1!

Samuel wrote: "What I want to know is how Twilight and Harry Potter beat out The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? Really?? And all though I like The Hunger Games, there's no way it should be #1!"

So true.

I find it sad that the Twilight series is on this list... it belongs in the garbage heap!

Zoey wrote: "I find it sad that the Twilight series is on this list... it belongs in the garbage heap!"

"I couldn't agree with you more, my Fairy friend."

"Why in the world is the Twilight saga on this list? Oh, well I guess people have different opinions. Of course, I will always think that the Twilight saga deserves to be buried underground, never to be found again."

Jasmine wrote: "Zoey wrote: "I find it sad that the Twilight series is on this list... it belongs in the garbage heap!"

"I couldn't agree with you more, my Fairy friend."

"Why in the world is the Twilight saga o..."

And eaten by a flying tampon, too.

Corey wrote: "Viewing this list was a terrible decision."

"Why? Because of the comments Zoey and I made or do you just not like the list itself?"

Zoey wrote: "Jasmine wrote: "Zoey wrote: "I find it sad that the Twilight series is on this list... it belongs in the garbage heap!"

"I couldn't agree with you more, my Fairy friend."

"Why in the world is the..."

"And then put in a Ziploc bag full of burning ****."

"Oh, I can see why it's actually quite disappointing."

Why isn't Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" here.

*Shrugs* "I don't know, I looked for it but I couldn't find it on this list at all."

Yikes. Well, I guess people don't lie about what they read, at least.

This should be titled, "the most currently popular best books." Goodreads strength and weakness is that it is user generated. What anyone thinks of a book is subjective. Fun reads are usually not quality reads. I remember slugging thru Moby Dick in high school - epic story that still resonates in my mind, but what a slog. The readership might be better served if several, more nuanced lists were generated, I.e. "20 books that were murder to read, but changed the way I view the Universe."

Eurooppalainen kirjallisuus jää pahasti pimentoon. Surettaa ranskalaisen, espanjalaisen, englantilaisen, yleensä anglosaksisen, ja varsinkin itselleni läheisen suomalaisen kaunokirjallisuuden sivuutus. Edes Nobel-kirjailija Frans Emil Sillanpäätä (Silja nuorena nukkunut) ei näy, eikä kansalliseepos Kalevalaa, jota tutkitaan kirjallisuusihmeenä monissa ( mm Rooman) yliopistoissa. Euroopasta säteillyt klassinen kirjallisuus on kuitenkin antanut linjoja koko maailmankirjallisuudelle. Siksi äänestin Infernoa (eli La Divina Commediaa) ja Utopiaa sekä ylipäätään Shakespiereä. Lorcaa en löytänyt, mutta annan pisteitä mielessäni.

WHAT?!!! TWILIGHT IS AT THE TOP OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't read it, but from what I gather it certainly doesn't deserve that or anything even close to it!

Each book represents a separate viewpoint; no two alike. Each author is a separate being. Therefore, lists such as these don't apply, except as marketing tools.