America's top 10 favorite books: Atlas Shrugged out, Grapes of Wrath in

[muriel_volestrangler]

Via The Stranger, a poll of "what is your favorite book?".

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/mid/1508/ArticleId/1422/Default.aspx

The Bible and Gone With The Wind retain #1 and #2; Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter swap at #3 and #4 - a slight generational thing, I suppose; and all of these climbed:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Out: 2 Dan Brown novels (which shows how much hype could influence people in the 2008 list - is that over, or were people too embarrassed to say "50 Shades of Gray" this time?), Stephen King's The Stand, and Atlas Shrugged.

I think that, overall, this shows (a) greater appreciation of good writing (b) a shift in morals. Out go Rand's uber-selfishness, Brown's pulp conspiracy theories and an apocalyptic novel from a generally good author, and novels with people trying to do the right thing in difficult circumstances come in.

[Exposethefrauds]

1. Moby Dick is #1 fav for African Americans?

Moby Dick makes a nice door stop but a fav?

It was an on line poll of 2300 people

It appears that someone skewed the poll

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Surprising, but I wouldn't want to say it shows anything wrong with the poll

It's part of a large poll by an established polling company (and it's "number one after the Bible", though you may have been assuming we understood that).

[Exposethefrauds]

3. The bible makes sense the #1 best selling work of fiction of all time

Outside of school when was the last time you even saw someone reading Moby Dick or gone with the wind?

I will go even one better how often do you even see people reading a book?

I ride trains and subway into work and have for years most people sleep, play with their mobile device now only a few read and fewer read books anymore.

[Javaman]

5. I guess I'm the exception. I read both Moby Dick and Gone with the Wind when I was out of school

and enjoyed both. Moby Dick especially.

[Retrograde]

7. I read books on my mobile device

as well as listening to them on same mobile device - it's easier on a crowded train of bus. If there's room to spread my elbows I'll take out the real book, which is easier on my eyes.

Actually, I see people reading regularly. Not everyone, but with the advent of tablets I see more people reading on-line magazines and papers.

[Retrograde]

6. Why not?

The ship has a very ethnically mixed crew, one of the main characters is a person of color (South Pacific Islander) and the cabin boy is Black.

And it's IMHO a pretty good book.

[Exposethefrauds]

8. Why not because back when I was in school

It was not exactly a popular read. I saw more people reading the autobiography of Malcolm X and Roots than Moby Dick when I was in school.
I am basing my comments on personal experience and observations over a 30 year period.
Cliff Notes versions, audio books, and watching the remake of the movie with Patrick Stewart really does not count as reading in my opinion and neither does watching the Gregory Peck version of the movie too.
I personally do not know anyone who reads Melville for pleasure perhaps there is a huge Melville fan base out selling Say Ann Rice, Dan Brown or Jackie Collins that us hidden from me?

[Retrograde]

9. I've read Melville for pleasure

Yeah, we're not a big group, but there are people who enjoy 19th century literature. How can anyone read the opening paragraph:

"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me."

and not be intrigued? All I can say, sir or madam, is, "Clam or cod?".

[JI7]

10. Moby Dick was very accepting of different races, religions, even had a positive Gay theme

it was very much ahead of it it's time . it's even more amazing when you think of when it was written .

[malaise]

4. Oops

Good riddance