Fiction

Kablooie

(18,745 posts) Sun Apr 28, 2013, 07:14 PM Apr 2013

WTF! Modern Library's Reader's list of best books -- !?

The board's top 10 is:

ULYSSES - James Joyce
THE GREAT GATSBY - F. Scott Fitzgerald
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN - James Joyce
LOLITA - Vladimir Nabakov
BRAVE NEW WORLD - Aldous Huxley
THE SOUND AND THE FURY - William Faulkner
CATCH-22 - Joseph Heller
DARKNESS AT NOON - Arthur Koestler
SONS AND LOVERS - D.H. Lawrence
THE GRAPES OF WRATH - John Steinbeck

I might not agree with all the choices but they are understandable.
But then here is the reader's list of the top 10:

ATLAS SHRUGGED - Ayn Rand
THE FOUNTAINHEAD - Ayn Rand
BATTLEFIELD EARTH - L. Ron Hubbard
THE LORD OF THE RINGS - J.R.R. Tolkien
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - Harper Lee
1984 - George Orwell
ANTHEM - Ayn Rand
WE THE LIVING - Ayn Rand
MISSION EARTH - L. Ron Hubbard
FEAR - L. Ron Hubbard

Who the hell are these readers?

http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/

7 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

WTF! Modern Library's Reader's list of best books -- !? (Original Post) Kablooie Apr 2013 OP

You sure that website isn't really called.... Little Star Apr 2013 #1

Perhaps . . . Staph Apr 2013 #2

What are you doing trolling wingnut sites?!?!?!?! Curmudgeoness Apr 2013 #3

I loves me some Tolkien Goblinmonger Apr 2013 #4

We really do have to DU the next poll they do. Curmudgeoness Apr 2013 #5

wtf indeed! wet.hen88 Apr 2013 #6

My bookclub Brainstormy May 2013 #7

Little Star

(17,055 posts)

1. You sure that website isn't really called....

Reply to Kablooie (Original post)

Sun Apr 28, 2013, 07:23 PM

Apr 2013

www.modernrepublicanlibrary?

Staph

(6,340 posts)

2. Perhaps . . .

Reply to Little Star (Reply #1)

Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:23 PM

Apr 2013

but modern republican is an oxymoron!

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)

3. What are you doing trolling wingnut sites?!?!?!?!

Reply to Kablooie (Original post)

Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:27 PM

Apr 2013

Do you have to ask who these readers are!

It is quite apparent that the next time there is voting for the "readers list", we have to DU that poll.

That list is so pathetic, that if I were Modern Library, I would be ashamed to print it. Besides "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "1984", there is not one book worth reading. (Sorry to all the Tolkien fans, understand that this is just my personal opinion.)

Goblinmonger

(22,340 posts)

4. I loves me some Tolkien

Reply to Curmudgeoness (Reply #3)

Mon Apr 29, 2013, 11:17 AM

Apr 2013

but in no world is his work better than either 1984 or Mockingbird.

That Rand and Hubbard are on the same list with those three books tells me all I need to know about the bullshit factor of said list.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)

5. We really do have to DU the next poll they do.

Reply to Goblinmonger (Reply #4)

Mon Apr 29, 2013, 05:41 PM

Apr 2013

It is quite apparent that the freepers were all over that vote. I think it is embarrassing to all book lovers. And if I were Modern Library, there would not be another "readers choice" poll.

And I knew someone would have to jump to the Tolkien defense....which is fine, I know that there are many fans.

wet.hen88

(64 posts)

6. wtf indeed!

Reply to Kablooie (Original post)

Mon Apr 29, 2013, 09:13 PM

Apr 2013

They got Repub lit and Scientologist lit? Some big fat LIARS did that poll and uh, WHEN? was it taken? And speaking of LRR, I forgot Gandalf in my list of fave book characters... Back to list, what ass or asses put it out?!

Brainstormy

(2,423 posts)

7. My bookclub

Reply to Kablooie (Original post)

Wed May 22, 2013, 04:01 PM

May 2013

has been reading the ML Greatest List for years. We just passed our 50th book and it's been a great experience. We're reading from the critic's list, not the reader's, but there's actually a lot of overlap. (Rand, Hubbard, et al, notwithstanding.)

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