BBC's Big Read

Wings of Fire · #1 07-28-2009, 02:14 PM

Kinda six years old now but I'm curious to see how this forum matches up to The BBC's Big Read

Put an X near the ones you've read, suggest additions and subtractions to the list below.

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien X
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman X
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling X
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne X
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell X
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontÃ«
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller X
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily BrontÃ«
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame X
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling X
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling X
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling X
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien X
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson X
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel GarcÃ*a MÃ¡rquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl X
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson X
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert X
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell X
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens X
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett X
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King X
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl X
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell X
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens X
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett X
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett X
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick SÃ¼skind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett X
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl X
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce X
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl X
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett X
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel GarcÃ*a MÃ¡rquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

That's 29/100 for me.
Too much Pratchett, Dickens, Dahl and Wilson there for my liking, I'd like Don Quixote (Cervantes) to replace Colour of Magic as the obligatory fantasy deconstruction and almost certainly throw The Sandman (Neil Gaiman) and Watchmen (Alan Moore) in there.

I'd also like to see Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Friedrich Nietzsche), Beloved (Toni Morrison) and Hero of our Time Mikhail Lermontov make an appearance.
Ack! My Firefox dictionary doesn't have Lermontov in it, how horribly uncultured.
Oh, and tell Jeffery Archer to get the fuck out.

OANST · #2 07-28-2009, 02:23 PM

I have 27/100.

There are some fairly mediocre books on that list.

Wings of Fire · #3 07-28-2009, 02:27 PM

This is a popularity one, the (apparent) list of books BBC thinks you should read going round of Facebook has some atrocious ones in. Like The Bible, and The Da Vinci Code.

OANST · #4 07-28-2009, 02:28 PM

Fuck.

***Wil*** · #5 07-28-2009, 03:46 PM

4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett

I have excluded book read to me as a child, and those that were read as a class. They only accounted for a couple, but I still didn’t like... "marking them read". So that leaves me with 9/100.

I think I clearly win.

***Nate*** · #6 07-28-2009, 08:17 PM

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett

I'm surprised to find that I've read 27/100. I suppose it's significant that many of these are traditional children's books.

used:) · #7 07-28-2009, 09:11 PM

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling X
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne X
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame X
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling X
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling X
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling X
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien X
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell X
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens X
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding

Yeah, I'm not that well read. Plus, I've seen many more of those as movies, I think.

MA · #8 07-29-2009, 03:22 AM

The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
Of Mice And Men
The Stand, Stephen King
The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
The Twits, Roald Dahl
The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett

so thats 12/100. only book i read at school was Of Mice And Men, which i actually thought was alright.

Wings of Fire · #9 07-29-2009, 03:44 AM

Honestly I'm surprised about this in a couple of ways. Firstly Ulysses, while being the most important thing to happen to literature since Don Quixote, isn't exactly well recieved. Voting for Jacqueline Wilson and James Joyce in one poll seems a little juxtaposed to me. Secondly, Stephen King, regardless what I think of him, is the best selling modern author ever, JK Rowling doesn't even come close. So why has he only got one book on the list? I mean, I can't think of a better choice but why only one?

dripik · #10 07-29-2009, 03:58 AM

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily BrontÃ«
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel GarcÃ*a MÃ¡rquez
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

Appart from the HP books, every one of these was for school, mostly for university. Brave New World was epic though, loved it. And the Orwell-books are so on the 'to-do' list.

I could go on and make a list of the rest of the books I've read in the past two years at uni, but would be rather extensive. Unless there is demand for it, I shall pass.

shaman · #11 07-29-2009, 04:26 AM

I've only read eight of them....

AlexFili · #12 07-29-2009, 04:54 AM

I don't read a lot, here's my list;
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams (yeah)
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling (yup)
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell (reading it at the moment)
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis (yeah)
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling (Yup)
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling (Yup)
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling (Yup, I have all 7 books)
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien (listened to the audiobooks)
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl (book)
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell (YES! and seen the film versions)
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl (when I was a kid)
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett (YES!)
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett (YES!)

I've also watched about 50% of the film versions of the books as well.

MeechMunchie · #13 07-29-2009, 05:19 AM

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett

35/100, I think. I'm glad enough of Mr. Pratchett got in. Needs more Douglas Adams, though.

EDIT: And H.P. Lovecraft. And Jules Verne, perhaps.

***Wil*** · #14 07-29-2009, 05:38 AM

Shaman beat me. =(

I used to be such a reader. But then I could repeat the sentence with so many different endings.

Laser · #15 07-29-2009, 05:46 AM

6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

That is all :/

Bullet Magnet · #16 07-30-2009, 07:05 AM

4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett

19/100

Damn. I read a lot, but not much from that list. I would like to read all of Charles Dickens, and finish my Pratchett collection.

I would add:

The Time Machine, H. G. Wells
War of the Worlds, H. G. Wells
Curse of the Gloamglozer (and The Edge Chronicles generally), Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
The Last Hero, Terry Pratchett

Havoc · #17 07-31-2009, 06:12 AM

Why is The Dark Tower not in there? At least then I would have been able to say I've read something.

I have not read any of the books in that list.

OANST · #18 07-31-2009, 07:29 AM

I would say it's because The Dark Tower is crap, but that wouldn't be fair. A lot of those books are crap.

Wings of Fire · #19 07-31-2009, 07:38 AM

It is a bit odd than in a popularity contest only one book, the cult book, by the world's bestselling author made it.