Rank these bestsellers in classic literature

[aurora]

Amazon lists the following as the top sellers in "classic literature and fiction" (Amazon's order):

1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
2. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
3. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
6. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
7. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
8. Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (read by Barbara Caruso)
9. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
10. The Call of the Wild by Jack London


How would you rank them in order of your preference?

(I'm sure Amazon's order changes with time; I was somewhat surprised by some of these being in the top 10 but figured I'd go with it for the sake of this thread.)

[aurora]

My ranking

5. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien (*really, the whole trilogy)
10. The Call of the Wild by Jack London (*I like dogs and the cold north; what's not to love here?)
3. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (*still heartbreaking)
8. Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (read by Barbara Caruso) (*loved this series growing up)
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (*it's been a long time so I don't remember most of this one)
6. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (*at least it's short)
1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (*I made it through this but really REALLY did not like it)

Haven't actually read these:
2. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
7. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
9. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

[Mashara]

Of those, I've only read The Fellowship of the Ring and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Tolkien should definitely be higher; hated the other one.

[charlatti]

I've only read P&P and Anne of Green Gables (by L.M. Montgomery -- who the heck is Barbara Caruso?) so I guess those would be my 1 and 2.

[aurora]

May 23, 2016 13:53:45 GMT -5 charlatti said:

I've only read P&P and Anne of Green Gables (by L.M. Montgomery -- who the heck is Barbara Caruso?) so I guess those would be my 1 and 2.

Oh my goodness you're right and I should have proofed! I was just C&P-ing. Thanks for pointing it out.

It looks like Barbara Caruso read the audiobook version that is listed in the top 10 on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/Anne-of-Green-Gables/dp/B000BX9KM0/ref=zg_bs_10399_8

[Nonny]

Call of the Wild

Uncle Tom's Cabin

I haven't read the rest... well, OK, I have read some part of LotR, and it was probably The Fellowship of the Ring (that's the first one right?) but this is where I have I have to turn in my geek card, but because I fucking hate this series.  It's slow.  It's boring.  And "blah blah blah influential on modern fantasy blah blah blah."  I don't care.  It's awful, and I'm not putting it on any lists other than, "Books I Hated" and "Books I Didn't Finish."

[charlatti]

May 23, 2016 14:07:55 GMT -5 aurora said:

May 23, 2016 13:53:45 GMT -5 charlatti said:

I've only read P&P and Anne of Green Gables (by L.M. Montgomery -- who the heck is Barbara Caruso?) so I guess those would be my 1 and 2.

Oh my goodness you're right and I should have proofed! I was just C&P-ing. Thanks for pointing it out.

It looks like Barbara Caruso read the audiobook version that is listed in the top 10 on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/Anne-of-Green-Gables/dp/B000BX9KM0/ref=zg_bs_10399_8

It's pretty funny that amazon posted it that way! Weird to have the reader credited before the author.

[aurora]

May 23, 2016 15:34:10 GMT -5 Nonny said:

Call of the Wild

Uncle Tom's Cabin

I haven't read the rest... well, OK, I have read some part of LotR, and it was probably The Fellowship of the Ring (that's the first one right?) but this is where I have I have to turn in my geek card, but because I fucking hate this series.  It's slow.  It's boring.  And "blah blah blah influential on modern fantasy blah blah blah."  I don't care.  It's awful, and I'm not putting it on any lists other than, "Books I Hated" and "Books I Didn't Finish."

But how do you really feel? Because I'm sensing that you might harbor some secret Tolkien love here.



(Maybe that's just because I can't actually fathom anyone not loving LOTR.)

[Nonny]

May 23, 2016 16:28:44 GMT -5 aurora said:

May 23, 2016 15:34:10 GMT -5 Nonny said:

Call of the Wild

Uncle Tom's Cabin

I haven't read the rest... well, OK, I have read some part of LotR, and it was probably The Fellowship of the Ring (that's the first one right?) but this is where I have I have to turn in my geek card, but because I fucking hate this series.  It's slow.  It's boring.  And "blah blah blah influential on modern fantasy blah blah blah."  I don't care.  It's awful, and I'm not putting it on any lists other than, "Books I Hated" and "Books I Didn't Finish."

But how do you really feel? Because I'm sensing that you might harbor some secret Tolkien love here.



(Maybe that's just because I can't actually fathom anyone not loving LOTR.)

LOL!  I actually liked The Hobbit just fine, but it was a quick 300ish page jaunt, and not a million pages of slow moving nonsense.  I hit the part with the pontificating tree that went on forever and was like this:

[dorothyinAus]

Books I've read:
8. Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
7. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Books I've done term papers on without actually reading:
6. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
10. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Books I haven't read (in order of books I might read if forced to choose one):
5. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
9. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
2. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
3. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

[aurora]

May 23, 2016 20:13:03 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

...

Books I've done term papers on without actually reading:
6. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
10. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

...

This category amused me, although given what I thought of Heart of Darkness and Don Quixote (very poorly) I don't blame you in the slightest.

[aurora]

May 23, 2016 17:12:00 GMT -5 Nonny said:

May 23, 2016 16:28:44 GMT -5 aurora said:

But how do you really feel? Because I'm sensing that you might harbor some secret Tolkien love here.



(Maybe that's just because I can't actually fathom anyone not loving LOTR.)

LOL!  I actually liked The Hobbit just fine, but it was a quick 300ish page jaunt, and not a million pages of slow moving nonsense.  I hit the part with the pontificating tree that went on forever and was like this:

Which is why Peter Jackson's movie TRILOGY!!! of The Hobbit is such a travesty.

[dorothyinAus]

May 23, 2016 21:42:25 GMT -5 aurora said:

May 23, 2016 20:13:03 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

...

Books I've done term papers on without actually reading:
6. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
10. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

...

This category amused me, although given what I thought of Heart of Darkness and Don Quixote (very poorly) I don't blame you in the slightest.

Cliff's Notes are a great thing.  Really.

[Mashara]

May 23, 2016 17:12:00 GMT -5 Nonny said:

LOL!  I actually liked The Hobbit just fine, but it was a quick 300ish page jaunt, and not a million pages of slow moving nonsense.  I hit the part with the pontificating tree that went on forever and was like this:

LOL, that's pretty much where I stopped, somewhere in the middle of the second book. Someday I'll read the rest... maybe. Like if I ever run out of other stuff to read.

[susiebw]

I've only read 4 of these, and I rank them as follows:

6. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
2. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
7. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens


I also have absolutely no interest in reading the LOTR series.  I liked the Hobbit okay, but like someone else pointed out - it was a quick little jaunt. 

[GilliC]

I'm pretty sure the only reason God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is on the top sellers list is because it was a Kindle Daily Deal on Monday.

Ranked by my personal preference:
- The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien

- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

- The Call of the Wild by Jack London

- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

- Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
- Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

  (Did not finish, because seriously, how many times can you read "Don Quixote does something stupid" before it's just not amusing anymore?!
)

Ranking by interest on my to-read list:
- Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

- God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut

- The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

[sassypants]

May 23, 2016 17:12:00 GMT -5 Nonny said:

May 23, 2016 16:28:44 GMT -5 aurora said:

But how do you really feel? Because I'm sensing that you might harbor some secret Tolkien love here.



(Maybe that's just because I can't actually fathom anyone not loving LOTR.)

LOL!  I actually liked The Hobbit just fine, but it was a quick 300ish page jaunt, and not a million pages of slow moving nonsense.  I hit the part with the pontificating tree that went on forever and was like this:

Treebeard is sad.

[aurora]

May 24, 2016 9:53:45 GMT -5 GilliC said:

I'm pretty sure the only reason God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is on the top sellers list is because it was a Kindle Daily Deal on Monday.

...

You are probably right; that one was a real surprise to me.