What's on America's Bookshelf? Besides porn, of course...

So the Harris group just ran a poll to determine what America’s favorite book is. Now let’s remember a few things before we dig into the poll here. We are talking favorite as opposed to best. This means that there might be a Schindler’s List effect here in that Schindler’s List might be the best movie you have ever seen I doubt that too many people would consider it their favorite. It’s just not a film that you pop in on a rainy Saturday because you are bored. So a book like Ulysses probably won’t make the cut. Also, this is a survey of Americans and sadly we are not a very high brow nation. The fact that a collection of Jeff Foxworthy redneck jokes did not make the cut is rather surprising. We are a nation that felt that sticking a Garfield doll to our car window was some sort of fashion statement. With this in mind, let’s go through the top ten and see just how bad it is this year.

#10: “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger: A surprisingly good choice to start off the top ten. It’s the classic book of teen rebellion that parents in Johnson County wanted to ban because it involves swearing and prostitutes. It also has poetry written on a baseball glove, which is one of my favorite literary images of all time. I’ve read it and enjoyed it but I don’t know if I would consider it one of my favorites. Maybe by the time that I had read it the book had collapsed under the weight of its own genius. It’s tough to read a book with an open mind when you know going into it that the story inspired someone to murder John Lennon. Still, absolutely no issues with this being on the list.

#9: “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand: Every time they do one of these polls for best books or favorite books Ayn Rand always makes the list. It’s amazing just how long her popularity has last especially given the fact that she is one of the worst authors I have ever read. I’m not questioning her philosophy, which is quite good in parts and definitely something that everyone should examine at a minimum. But my God this woman has less understanding of plot and character than I do. Now I haven’t read this one but I did read “The Fountainhead” and outside of some great discussions around architecture I found it to be one of the most depressing books I have ever read. Every character hated themselves and when one character is introduced halfway through the novel in a suicidal state my reaction as a reader was “Go ahead and kill yourself or at least run off to Florida. Trust me, it is a better fate than being stuck in a novel with all these depressing characters.” Sadly, the guy chose three hundred pages of torments over a vacation.

#8: “Angels and Demons” by Dan Brown: Sigh. Ok, I have read this book. I spend a lot of time in airports so I am required by law to read Dan Brown novels. Let’s be honest, they could just call this book “Scooby Doo Goes to the Vatican” and it would be just as accurate. Yes, it is a great page turner and it hits upon just enough of the mysterious goings on behind closed doors to catch your attention. So did Leonard Nimoy on In Search Of but that doesn’t make it one of the best books ever. It’s a beach read with a love story that seems to have been stapled on in an attempt to make the future movie and easy sell. Oh and apparently to become pope you also have to be trained as a fighter pilot. I missed that one in school.

#7: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I was completely let down by the lack of hunting scenes in this book. I also am embarrassed to say that until last year I had never read this book. For someone who considers themselves to be as well read as I do that seems like an awfully big gap. I don’t think anyone can question this choice. Maybe its popularity is driven by the fact that it is required reading in many schools (though not mine apparently) but it is simply a twentieth century American classic. A story about race and society and standing up for your beliefs that never turns too preachy. Score one for the American reading public.

#6: “The DaVinci Code” by Dan Brown: Yeah, we might want to take that point away. I’ll admit it. I own this book in hardcover. I picked it up before the craze hit and actually recommended it to people based on how it uses the Mary symbolism and the role of the feminine in the church. But once again it is a Scooby Doo story. A wonderful page turning one that will keep you up late at night to see what happens next but it is not literature. It is not even very good theology. And once again we find a woman falling madly in love for the hero despite the fact that her father had been brutally murdered less than twenty four hours ago. Funny how that always happens. Yes, I can understand how this makes the favorite list but it doesn’t mean that I have to be happy about it.

#5: “The Stand” by Stephen King: Of all the Stephen King books one could list I am happy that this is the one to make the cut. I think from a story and symbolism perspective it is the best he has ever written and it has retained its power over the years. Interestingly though when I reread parts of it a few years back (it’s the type of book you can read in bits and pieces when you are bored) I wasn’t really that impressed by how it was written. Just something about the language and the fact that there seemed to be so much superfluous stuff going on. Maybe it was just because I was reading the expanded version but it does seem to be stuck in that horrible point of having too many brilliant ideas. That said, the section discussing those last few days when society collapses are some of my favorites. Oh and Molly Ringwald was in the mini-series. It’s my favorite book for that alone.

#4: “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling: I’m kind of stunned that this only ranks fourth. I would think that with all of the hoopla over the past few years that this would definitely be one of the top two. I’ve written about Harry Potter before so I’ll just try to sum up here. As a children’s story it is a wonderful series and I get to talk with my niece about the books (she’s up to the fourth one and wonders why I continually say that Neville is my favorite character). As literature it leaves something to be desired. Some of the later books could use some editing, some of the earlier books could use some expanding (or at least a rewrite) but at the end of the day she did create a mythology out of whole cloth. I’m not too ashamed that I’ve read these books as an adult. I’m more ashamed about the DaVinci Code.

#3: “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien: I am going to state something here that absolutely no one will believe. I have never read these books. I have never seen the films, either. I know I know, I am someone who owns several twenty sided dice. I have answered to the title of Dungeon Master. I once bought a t-shirt that read “I’m not Chaotic Good, I’m Chaotic Great!” But for some reason when I tried to read the Hobbit as a kid it bored me to tears and I put it down after a hundred pages. Same thing happened with The Fellowship of the Ring. I don’t get it. I will now hand in my geek badge as I am apparently not worth my salt in this regard.

#2: “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell: I’m pretty sure most people here are referencing the movie and not the book. As opposed to every other one on the list I really doubt that a ton of people have read this one. I’m not sure if I have ever witnessed anyone actually reading it. Maybe I’m just a part of the wrong book clubs or something. Did Oprah feature it? That could explain it. Another case where I haven’t read the book or seen the movie. I think I can live a full life without reading the book. I should see the movie if just to shore up my cinema bona fides. This is the one book on the entire list that actually surprises me. I just don’t see it as being popular.

#1: The Bible by Various Authors: It is the book that has everything. Sex! Violence! Redemption! Discussion of what types of locusts are edible! Long lists of genealogical history that seem to hold no real purpose! This is where the cynical and spiritual side of me really clash. The cynic asks how many people really read the bible and of those who do how many really understand it at a theological or artistic level. On the other hand, I can’t fault anyone who would list this as their favorite book. If it gives them meaning in life, if it helps them get through the day to day struggle that is existence, then who can blame them? So no complaints as long as people read and think. You do have to do both.

Wednesday Night Music Club: I want to be sure to end this on an upbeat note. I was trying to think of what music always makes me smile and The Ditty Bops are at the top of the list. Here they are as they started their cross country musical bicycle tour. Still the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten to see.