The Great American Read discussion
The list, other books, movies
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What are you surprised to see on the list?
NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Yes, it's interesting to see that "Great American Read", for some, is defined by its ability to engage and engross, while for others, style trumps plot and en..."I finished it on a bus going through the boring, flat part of the Spanish countryside. No billboards, of course, just the drone of the tour guide......I had figured out the whole apple bit and was just trying to get it over with.
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to cull the selections.
Because Doña Bárbara is kind of an 'older' b..."
I read Tom Sawyer several times, as a kid and as a mother. (I'd read a page, my son would read a page, etc.) It's very special to me.
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Favorite reads definitely change over time. I remember that The Sun Also Rises was one of my favorites in my 2..."
NancyJ wrote: "Bruyere wrote: "I agree - for local book club I'm much more open to reading whatever people agree to.
Favorite reads definitely change over time. I remember that The Sun Also Rises was one of my f..."
The Sun also Rises is only Hemingway book I can get through without cringing.
I was surprised to see Dona Barbara on the list, also. I had never heard of it before, although it is considered a Spanish classic. It only has 2800+ ratings on Goodreads so that makes me think it’s not THAT popular, at least within the GR community. On the back cover it states, “Published in 1929 and all but forgotten by Anglophone readers...” There is a 2012 English translation. Also, it was made into a telenovela so that probably increased its popularity with the Spanish-speaking population. Hopefully, by being on the list, more readers will discover this classic. I’m reading it now and enjoying it!
@NancyJ (Sorry, I was on vacation) - Off the list, I would say things like The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Memoirs of a Geisha, Twilight are books that I really enjoyed, but don't necessarily think should be on the list.
Is it the Ultimate Hitchhiker's or just the first book? (Maybe it's the whole series, in which case, yeah - that's the ultimate.) Hitchhiker's and Memoirs of a Geisha (as much as I didn't like that one) are considered regularly in lists of the 100 best modern books etc. Both are considered modern classics, so I get why they're there. I have to wonder how on earth 50 shades of gray made the list beyond people reading only one book - that one. I guess my thought is they should have either picked for popularity or for quality. There are some markers of quality that can be measured. Or they could have had two lists: one by "the experts" and one by just regular old people like us.It would have been nice if they'd sampled people who read though, rather than just random people who may only be able to think of one book title - like Twilight or 50 shades.
Argh - I'm in a crappy mood. Ignore my hostility to those books. I'll be back tomorrow after I'm less crabby.
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In my imagination, there was an argument in that final committee about 50 Shades:
The literary purists and classics lovers said it shouldn't be considered at all. The low quality writing would discredit the whole list.
The conservatives said it shouldn't be considered at all. They argue that smut would discredit the whole list.
Those who see themselves as art experts said books are art. Art should make people feel things, debate and argue. It should reflect controversies in society.
The marketing expert said. 1) sex sells. 2) the controversy will generate discussion, and 3) any publicity is good publicity.
Actually, you've convinced me, and I'm being a snobby snothead.In fact, 50 shades has made ME feel something (not by reading it - just by listening to a bunch of other people who have read it then tried desperately to make me read it. If I want BDSM, I want real BDSM, and I know where to find that. ;)
It made me feel irritable and worried about the state of both sex and reading all at once. I actually think it has generated discussion about the parts of the sex world that have been more underground. I've never seen so many people from the BDSM community run for the TV cameras to say "this is NOT how it works" in public like they did right after the first book was published - and that's a good thing. I'm all for more open conversations about sex (as a widow, it's either reading or conversations usually for me.)
So, i take back my comment about that and Twilight - they should be on the list. They've earned their places by the sheer number of people who have read the books.
And actually, I'm just glad people are reading. I'm glad the people who read the book were not happy with the first movie - maybe that means more people will keep reading. If you want to read a cereal box, great - just read, that's my thought now that I've remembered to eat something and work is almost over for the week!
Yay 50 shades of Gray. Yay more for Twilight (though honestly I have no idea what that's about.)
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The lowest ratings go to Moby Dick and Heart of Darkness. I think those scores were both dragged down by large numbers of young people who were forced to read them, and by people who were disappointed that they didn't live up to their reputations.
I'm sure we all have different ideas on what should or shouldn't be in the list. I guess I just wish there were more guidelines. For example, I love Hitchhiker's Guide series so very much, but comparing it to Count of Monte Cristo seems ludicrous. But life is weird - I happened to read Twilight series while going through real life breakups and for some reason it just resonated with me. The movies, though...those required a lot of drinking to get through...
NancyJ wrote: "The lowest ratings go to Moby Dick and Heart of Darkness. I think those scores were both dragged down by large numbers of young people who were forced to read them, and by people who were disappointed that they didn't live up to their reputations. "Well, my goal for the GAR is, in part, to revisit those two monstrosities because I read them in high school (at least Moby Dick, and I was *supposed* to read the Conrad too, but I don't remember that at all.) So I'm going to use this as impetus to force myself to read these two. If I don't do it soon, I'll never do it (and I still have my high school copy of Heart of Darkness - conspicuously without any notes or underlining.)
I know nada, nor have I ever even heard of, Mind Invaders. It's probably the pick of someone on the committee. Who knows, maybe that person was an agent or editor or something and ushered that book through publication and really loves it.
Bruyere wrote: "I'm sure we all have different ideas on what should or shouldn't be in the list. I guess I just wish there were more guidelines. For example, I love Hitchhiker's Guide series so very much, but comparing it to Count of Monte Cristo seems ludicrous."
Agreed. See - this is where the limits are vital. If we're looking for innovation, then Hitchhiker's Guide belongs and the Count doesn't really - at least not as much. If we're looking for hard core classics that "everyone should read" then the Count belongs more.
If we're looking for popular and "best sellers" then Twilight belongs (and there's nothing at all wrong w/ a book that just is easy and feels good to read - that's why I love spy novels and mysteries. They make me happy (unless they're not good, but we'll leave that out.)
I do think some sort of guidelines would have made a better list - at least we'd understand it. What seems odd to me is the cold calling of a few thousand people - who may or may not have read any books or even be able to read - and asking for a favorite book. That's when you get people just thinking of the first title that comes to mind. Or someone like me who would have a hard time picking anything and probably not answer in the first place.
I didn't know there were Twilight movies. Maybe I blocked it from my mind. I might have to look them up and try one just to get the gist.
Have a good evening all - E
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I have never heard of it and it is the only GAR book not available in any form from my library.
J. wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Did we discuss Mind Invaders yet? It has the 3rd lowest ratings of the list, and it had only 100 ratings on goodreads and only 15 rating on amazon. This is the one that makes me wond..."My theory about how Mind Invaders got on the list is that the surveyors targeted specific demographics AND genre readers, including Christian Fiction. There are several Christian Fiction books on the list, including this one. It would be interesting to know the details on how participants were selected and surveyed. They obviously tried to get as diverse a list as possible. I feel like they missed fans of Arthurian tales, though! I think books likeThe Once and Future King and The Mists of Avalon are MUCH more popular than several books on this list. Just my opinion, as a fan of both books!
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I agree. I feel like I'm missing some of the great stories and myths, including King Arthur, Odysseus, Roman gods, etc.
I haven't been able to find any details on the research process. There is so much out there, but it's all the same. It's frustrating.
I really don't know what I would have answered if someone asked me about my favorite book. I might have given a different answer on different days, particularly if the wording was different. Greatest, best, beloved, favorite, etc. might all trigger different memories and titles.
I was happily surprised to see Jurassic Park. As a fan of thrillers (and Michael Crichton in particular) I feel like the genre deserves more recognition than it receives at times.Agree that mythology could have had more of a presence on the list.
I would have liked to know the criteria used by those 13 literary advisors to cull the selections. In the end it doesn’t really matter because all books that were chosen must have had a large base to get that far. I do think it’s extremely interesting on how the American public is so extremely diverse. I admit I have thought for a million years 50 Shades will be next to Don Quixote on any possible list of books to vote on. That was the only one that truly surprised me.
I too wonder. For books like 50 Shades and Gone Girl to be on the list, it makes me wonder. I mean to vote those on the list suggests you haven't read that many books.
I read Jurassic Park a few months ago and thought it was pretty bad. But, from an inventive stand-point, it is quite good! Probably right about them picking different genres and making sure there were all different types.
I do think that this is a great impetus for all of us to read some books that we never got around to. It's nice to have it narrowed down as the list of books I "should" read feel overwhelming. Unfortunately, I also suspect that most of us will be disappointed when we DO read books that we put off.
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Those are two books that I do not plan to read. I started to read Gone Girl on a beautiful summer day, and it just left me cold. It was like dementors came into my back yard. I needed chocolate. Now anytime a publisher says,... for fans of Gone Girl, I won't pick that book either.
Oh, I do love you, Nancy! A woman after my own heart.
NancyJ wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "I too wonder. For books like 50 Shades and Gone Girl to be on the list, it makes me wonder. I mean to vote those on the list suggests you haven't read that many books."I actually think publishers are harming innocent books/authors by comparing their books to Gone Girl SO very often. I've read a couple that said 'for fans of Gone Girl" that weren't bad at all.
Honestly, I never read Gone Girl, nor did I ever try b/c I saw the beginning and end of the movie (fell asleep through the middle.) When I wasn't surprised everyone said it was b/c I snored through the interesting parts. In any event, don't bypass all the books compared to it - you could literally miss two years' worth of thrillers!
Bruyere wrote: "I'm sure we all have different ideas on what should or shouldn't be in the list. I guess I just wish there were more guidelines. For example, I love Hitchhiker's Guide series so very much, but comp..."I tried watching the movies, to be able to engage with my students on the topic, and knowing that I´d never read them..........couldn´t really watch them, made me feel like a pedophile! :P
Ella wrote: "Actually, you've convinced me, and I'm being a snobby snothead.In fact, 50 shades has made ME feel something (not by reading it - just by listening to a bunch of other people who have read it the..."
Sadly, sex does sell. Not too many years ago, I questioned whether the admin was really suggesting that we "sex up" our course titles to draw students in. The dean quite frankly said "yes".
I also want to read/reread Moby Dick and Heart of Darkness. I wasn't a huge fan of Conrad's "Nostromo" in college, but I have newfound appreciation for him simply because it's hard for me to imagine writing novels in a language that wasn't my first. I could probably do it in one other, but I'm not certain that it would feel natural.
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Those are t..."
I never read Gone Girl because I had only ever heard overwhelmingly negative reactions to it. Plus, thrillers are not something that interest me. However, I picked up Gone Girl for this list and was pleasantly surprised. It kept my interest and didn't bore me to pieces like thrillers usually do.
J. wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "I too wonder. For books like 50 Shades and Gone Girl to be on the list, it makes me wonder. I mean to vote those on the list suggests you haven't read that many books..."I think she structured it nicely, and managed to keep the voices distinct from each other. As a writer, I see potential there. I just didn't care a whit about either of the characters. Felt sorry for the police who had to bother with them.
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..."
You know, I think that's what my brother used to call me. (Maybe he still does, but not out loud.) :D
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Twilight is a gushy teenage romance with lots of teenage angst and yearning (palpable yearning). And sexy vampires and werewolves I think teenage girls liked all the yearning, plus the tough protagonist who kicked vampire ass at the end.
Don't judge... but I loved Twilight. I read through that whole series way too fast. Supposedly 50 Shades of Grey was first written as a satire of Twilight.
By the by, I was in my 40s when I read it.
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Most people enjoyed it, which is how it ended up on the list. I didn't have a problem with the writing at all, so I don't object to it being here on the list. It just left me cold because I could tell it was going to get mean. At another time I might have loved the dark twists in the plot.
It is surprising though. There are so many books on the list that are so much better. I enjoyed Twilight, but I never would've thought of adding it.It makes you wonder how books got on the list. For some of these to be added, those people either haven't read that many books or have a memory disorder.
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I enjoyed Twilight too Kirsten. My favorite great aunt let me watch vampire and werewolf movies as a kid, so they never scared me as an adult. Twilight wasn't as smart as the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series (which I watched during grad school) or as funny as Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books, but I liked the story. Isn't it weird that Gone Girl was scarier to me?
NancyJ wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "Don't judge... but I loved Twilight. I read through that whole series way too fast. Supposedly 50 Shades of Grey was first written as a satire of Twilight."I enjoyed Twilight too ..."
Sadly, because it's not very far from the truth?
I, too, was allowed to watch some vampire movies as a kid ("Dark Shadows" was a big thing then, and I know I was under 10 when I saw one with my brother. But he balanced it out with the Grizzly Adams movie, haha).
But "The Shining" was always scarier to me, because the basic premise (an alcoholic who gets cabin fever, goes off the wagon, and tries to axe his family) isn't as far off from reality as vampires and werewolves.
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I enjoye..."
I remember watching dark shadows when I was 10!
I agree that The Shining was much scarier. Vampires are imaginary, so they aren't as scary. It was easier to conceive that a man could go off the deep end with a combination of mental illness, alcohol, and the perception (if not the reality) of paranormal disturbances.
I was disappointed that the committee didn't select one of King's more popular and accessible (or at least shorter) books. Though I might have only read his lighter books, so maybe The Stand is the favorite of his true fans.
Nancy- From different polls/posts etc. that I’ve seen re: Stephen King, The Stand is usually listed as readers’ first or second favorite. I know it’s my favorite! If I could ever get “caught up” I would read it again!
NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "Don't judge... but I loved Twilight. I read through that whole series way too fast. Supposedly 50 Shades of Grey was first writ..."I've read lots of his stuff, and even though it's not my favorite, "The Stand" is the favorite of many. I think "The Shining" gives it a run for its money.
I agree with Linda. But I've not read a lot of Stephen King's books. Of the ones I've read, I was really affected by The Stand (I also read it right around the time I first became aware of superviruses, back in the 1990s.) However, The Shining was truly terrifying to me. They are both well worth reading, even for those of us who don't love horror novels all the time. I do think the thing that makes these so scary to me is the possibility of them happening. Sure, they're far out, but not impossible, and at least to me, that's what is so scary.
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That's good to know.
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I agreed that plausibility can make everything scarier. I loved Carrie (that's more my speed), but my husband loves The Shining. He'll rewatch it, but it still makes me jumpy. (I have a hard time watching Apocalypse Now too.)
NancyJ wrote: "Ella wrote: "...I do think the thing that makes these so scary to me is the possibility of them happening. Sure, they're far out, but not impossible, and at least to me, that's what is so scary. ....."Haha,
I was about 13 when my sister and brother in law took my best friend and me to the movies, and midway to the theatre, changed the film from Steve Martin to "Apocalypse Now". I fell asleep, and woke up for the tiger.
If you liked "Carrie", then "The Stand" will work for you. Good vs. evil. Just too long.
Honestly, the thing that annoys me about YA book is the lack of sex. What I mean is - there's so many words dedicated to the young people getting worked up. I just keep thinking - just have sex and get on with your life. Then we could get back to the plot...I feel like I enjoyed Green Mile more than The Stand. The Stand is great, but it did feel too long. The Shining is the best if you're looking for really creepy, though.
Bruyere wrote: "Honestly, the thing that annoys me about YA book is the lack of sex. What I mean is - there's so many words dedicated to the young people getting worked up. I just keep thinking - just have sex and..."Oh,yes, Bruyere, I forgot about that one! For those who don't like creepy, The Green Mile is perfect!
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YA is just hit or miss with me. Sometimes it seems sanitized, not just of sex, but of anything honest. I did enjoy the two John Green books I read, despite the emotional manipulation. I like many of his characters and the fact that he doesn't shy away from pain, or sugarcoat it.
I never read the Green Mile, but I loved the movie! I forgot that was Stephen King! I also loved the movie Shawshank Redemption, which I did know was based on a short story of his.
NancyJ wrote: "Bruyere wrote: " YA... Sex... Green mile...."YA is just hit or miss with me. Sometimes it seems sanitized, not just of sex, but of anything honest. I did enjoy the two John Green books I read, de..."
Yes, a lot of his short stories are creepy, but don't have anything to do with the paranormal ("Secret Window", the movie with Johnny Depp, was also based on one of his stories). SyFy network had a show called "Haven", and in the first couple of years, the episodes were self-contained and pulled a lot of material from his stories/books.
Haven was awesome until the last half of the last season, which was such a hot mess! It tainted the whole thing for me. I actually liked Under the Dome, which was based on a King book. Is anyone a fan of Dark Tower books? I'm on number five I think. I really liked Eleanor & Park for a YA book that covers difficult issues but also a nice love story.
Bruyere wrote: "Haven was awesome until the last half of the last season, which was such a hot mess! It tainted the whole thing for me. I actually liked Under the Dome, which was based on a King book. Is anyone a ..."I looooved Haven, it was close to "Lost", for me, since I don't watch that much TV. And I agree about the last season completely.
Yes, Under the Dome was SK as well. I tried the Dark Tower series, only made it to number 3. They just weren't grabbing me. The only thing of his that I haven't been able to finish (besides "On Writing", which I hear is fabulous=I have it, just haven't started it yet).
Under the Dome started off with a lot of suspense but faded from what I remember. I didn't stick with it so it may have picked back up. I think most King fans would enjoy at least the first season though. The movie "Stand by Me" is based on a King short story but I haven't read it, so I'm not sure how similar they are or how good the story is. I thought the movie was great and have seen it a few times.
"On Writing" is fabulous, as is the audio book which is narrated by Stephen King - well worth it for the writing advice and just the background and anecdotes about his work like how he finally got his first big break.
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I agree 100% about Haven. I haven't seen or read the others.
Cathy wrote: "Under the Dome started off with a lot of suspense but faded from what I remember. I didn't stick with it so it may have picked back up. I think most King fans would enjoy at least the first season ..."Oh, yes, "Stand by Me" is based on the story......I think it's called "The Body". Not creepy-scary at all, so another one for those who don't like the paranormal.
The Great American Read
Books mentioned in this topic
Swan Song (other topics)Eleanor & Park (other topics)
The Once and Future King (other topics)
The Mists of Avalon (other topics)
The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (other topics)
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to cull the selections.
Because Doña Bárbara is kind of an 'older' book........it's..."
I agree with you on Twain. I think I've only read HF as an adult.....odd....