Australia's top 100 books

This is an interesting list for you guys.

The ABC is the same as the American ... PBS? - It's the public
broadcaster.
Over most of this year, soliciting was done only via public radio and
the ABC webpage to type into a blank field what your favorite book is.

There's a few local heroes there, and a few topicals eg. DaVinci (if
it was done 10 years ago Celestine Prophecy would be top 10 :-), but
essentially, it is a pretty un-agenda'd list of what books turn
people's crank in Australia.

Interesting how many are 'current' and how many aren't. Some people
say that LotR and Pride and Prejudice are so high because of media
hype (P and P gets a lot of BBC version rerunning here). But you'll
see that Catch-22 is there at equal 9th. THAT can't be on the strength
of a movie made 40 years ago :-)

http://abc.net.au/myfavouritebook/top10/100.htm

Richard.

"Richard Moriarty" wrote...
This is an interesting list for you guys.

I can't muster much enthusiasm or respect for an Australian list that
includes a Captain Underpants book at #16, but has no room for a single book
by Rodney Hall, Peter Carey, Miles Franklin, Christina Stead, or Patrick
White. (Yeah, I know: I'm an elitist SOB. So sue me.)


--
Jon Meyers
(To reply, lose
your way)

Jon Meyers wrote:
"Richard Moriarty" wrote...
This is an interesting list for you guys.

I can't muster much enthusiasm or respect for an Australian list that
includes a Captain Underpants book at #16, but has no room for a
single book
by Rodney Hall, Peter Carey, Miles Franklin, Christina Stead, or
Patrick
White. (Yeah, I know: I'm an elitist SOB. So sue me.)
Jon Meyers

Ah yes! I agree in so many ways, but I'm fascinated all the same. Those
authors aren't there because not enough people voted for them. And the
books that *were* chosen were done so because they're the books that
occurred to people as they were faced with a blank field to type into.

"What's your favorite book?" is a very different question from (to?)
"What are the 100 most important books of all time?"

There's so many reasons for a 'favorite'. It depends what you are
thinking about. I have one kid in particular who was sleep-incapable,
and book obsessed. For a year or so me and my wife got up with her at
4.00 every morning and read the same crap over and over for two hours.
The only book I came out of that time *not* hating was Mrs.
Tittlemouse. I've read that book out loud over a thousand times, easy.
I love it, it's a favorite.

The list didn't ask what's important, it asked "what do you like?"

That said. I want to see the ENTIRE list and I want to know numbers :-)
Richard.

Analysis:
http://abc.net.au/myfavouritebook/top10/analysis.htm

wrote...
Jon Meyers wrote:
"Richard Moriarty" wrote...
This is an interesting list for you guys.

...no room for a
single book by Rodney Hall, Peter Carey, Miles Franklin, Christina
Stead, or Patrick White.

Ah yes! I agree in so many ways, but I'm fascinated all the same. Those
authors aren't there because not enough people voted for them. And the
books that *were* chosen were done so because they're the books that
occurred to people as they were faced with a blank field to type into.

"What's your favorite book?" is a very different question from (to?)
"What are the 100 most important books of all time?"
[snip]
The list didn't ask what's important, it asked "what do you like?"

Point taken, but I still shake my head when I'm reminded that there are more
readers who like a piece of crap such as Ken Follett's "Pillars of the
Earth" than like "The True History of the Kelly Gang." And poor Peter Carey
doesn't even rate a mention in the analysis you cite in your other post,
although a site search suggests he is well known to ABC watchers/listeners
and "Kelly Gang" is one of the entries in the For/Against section.

ObCollectable Book: A Pound of Paper: Confessions of a Book Addict, by
native Australian John Baxter. The first appendix to this book is "Lists."


--
Jon Meyers
(To reply, lose
your way)

"Jon Meyers" wrote in message
...

I can't muster much enthusiasm or respect for an Australian list that
includes a Captain Underpants book at #16, but has no room for a single
book
by Rodney Hall, Peter Carey, Miles Franklin, Christina Stead, or Patrick
White. (Yeah, I know: I'm an elitist SOB. So sue me.)



Yes, and they made the Bible sound like RCB: by "Various Contributors."

(I was interested to see Seth's *A Suitable Boy* on the list--that's a book
I admire quite a bit.)


William M. Klimon
http://www.catholicbookcollector.com