Re: MLA's 30 Books Every Adult Should Read Before They Die
- From: Towse <self@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:20:33 -0700
Alan Hope wrote:
Towse goes:
"a World Book Day poll conducted by the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), in which librarians around the country were asked the question, 'Which book should every adult read before they die?' "
<http://www.listsofbests.com/list/2321>
I chucked the list across the proverbial room the moment I saw that
three out of the thirty spots were taken up by Lord of the Fairies,
which is simply preposterous. In the first place, it's a ghastly book
which has spawned an industry of even worse books. It's over-written,
far too long, and the plot is fundamentally stupid. As an allegory,
it's something a teenager would come up with, and be ashamed of by the
time he hit 21.
In the second place, no way is any single book worth 10 percent of the
books every adult should read.
They go on to commit the self-same error with Philip Pullman, which I
haven't read. But it's equally preposterous to allow him three places
on such a short list.
So they're saying that from the whole of world literature, throughout
history, one in five of the best books were volumes from two works of
fantasy. That's too insane to be even laughable.
Agreed. Indeed!
I think the list is interesting for what it lists and what it doesn't. Who answered the MLA survey and how did they choose this collection of works?
Is THE LOVELY BONES more worthy than FAHRENHEIT 451? Is LIFE OF PI more worthy than STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND? How do you choose between THE ALCHEMIST and, I dunno, JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, ferpetezsake. THE CURIOUS INCIDENT more worthy than ... MALTESE FALCON?
Odd "should read" list, but interesting as are other listsofbests on the site.
--
Sal
Ye olde swarm of links: thousands of links for writers, researchers and the terminally curious <http://writers.internet-resources.com>
.
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- From: Towse
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