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Ada, Vladimir Nabokov ... (fwd): Best sellers 1969 vs 2004
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EDNOTE. I see that the 1969 _Except for Me and Thee_ by Jessamyn West whom,
I'll wager, most of you never heard of was Nabokov's first pick of the the
writers included in an anthology of best New Yorker stories for the
1940-1950 decade.
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Sunday, July 25, 2004 2:01 AM -0400
From: "Sandy P. Klein" <spklein52@hotmail.com>
------------------
[Image: zip_entry_arrow_and_logo.gif]
[Image: wpcomBigLogo.gif]
Reading Then, Reading Now
Washington Post, DC - 15 hours ago
... Except for the Jacqueline Susann potboiler at No. 1, all the novels are
serious books by serious authors: Roth, Nabokov, Cheever, Vonnegut.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10802-2004Jul24.html
[Image: wpcomSmallLogo.gif]
Bestsellers & Beyond
Reading Then, Reading Now
Sunday, July 25, 2004; Page B02
Bestseller lists work like blinders on a horse: They prevent people from
seeing all the wonderful, odd, quirky and worthwhile books that might
actually appeal to them far more than the list's largely commercial and
standardized products. Think for yourself! Instead of picking up one of the
top 10 titles, look around the bookshop. Ask your local booksellers what
they've enjoyed lately. Read reviews. Talk to your friends. Above all, just
wander along the shelves, take down a novel or a collection of poems or a
work of history by an author you've never heard of and just read a few
pages -- you may discover a book that will change your life.
That said, it's still interesting to compare the most recent Post
bestseller list with the one from The Post of July 20, 1969. Take a look at
the 1969 fiction. Except for the Jacqueline Susann potboiler at No. 1, all
the novels are serious books by serious authors: Roth, Nabokov, Cheever,
Vonnegut. Even the popular fiction by Mario Puzo and Helen MacInnes are
honorable works. By contrast, I predict that nothing on the current list
will be read, or probably even remembered, 35 years from now.
You really should read the good writers of our time, but don't neglect the
great writers of the past. Any book is a new book for the person
discovering it for the first time.
-- Michael Dirda 1969 Fiction Bestsellers
(This particular list was compiled at that time from reports by United
Press International correspondents in 30 cities. Readers were cautioned
that the list should be considered only an indication of popularity.)
1 The Love Machine, Jacqueline Susann
2 Portnoy's Complaint, Philip Roth
3 The Godfather, Mario Puzo
4 Ada, Vladimir Nabokov
5 The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton
6 Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
7 Except for Me and Thee, Jessamyn West
8 Bullet Park, John Cheever
9 The Salzburg Connection, Helen MacInnes
10 The Vines of Yarrabee, Dorothy Eden2004 Fiction Bestsellers
(These rankings reflect sales for the week ending July 11, 2004, and are
copyrighted by Nielsen BookScan.)
1 Sam's Letters to Jennifer, James Patterson
2 The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
3 The Rule of Four, Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
4 Ten Big Ones, Janet Evanovich
5 The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albon
6 Angels & Demons, Dan Brown
7 Second Chance, Danielle Steel
8 Kill the Messenger, Tami Hoag
9 The Bourne Legacy, Eric Van Lustbader
10 Song of Susannah: The Dark Tower VI, Stephen King
---------- End Forwarded Message ----------
D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L
I'll wager, most of you never heard of was Nabokov's first pick of the the
writers included in an anthology of best New Yorker stories for the
1940-1950 decade.
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Sunday, July 25, 2004 2:01 AM -0400
From: "Sandy P. Klein" <spklein52@hotmail.com>
------------------
[Image: zip_entry_arrow_and_logo.gif]
[Image: wpcomBigLogo.gif]
Reading Then, Reading Now
Washington Post, DC - 15 hours ago
... Except for the Jacqueline Susann potboiler at No. 1, all the novels are
serious books by serious authors: Roth, Nabokov, Cheever, Vonnegut.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10802-2004Jul24.html
[Image: wpcomSmallLogo.gif]
Bestsellers & Beyond
Reading Then, Reading Now
Sunday, July 25, 2004; Page B02
Bestseller lists work like blinders on a horse: They prevent people from
seeing all the wonderful, odd, quirky and worthwhile books that might
actually appeal to them far more than the list's largely commercial and
standardized products. Think for yourself! Instead of picking up one of the
top 10 titles, look around the bookshop. Ask your local booksellers what
they've enjoyed lately. Read reviews. Talk to your friends. Above all, just
wander along the shelves, take down a novel or a collection of poems or a
work of history by an author you've never heard of and just read a few
pages -- you may discover a book that will change your life.
That said, it's still interesting to compare the most recent Post
bestseller list with the one from The Post of July 20, 1969. Take a look at
the 1969 fiction. Except for the Jacqueline Susann potboiler at No. 1, all
the novels are serious books by serious authors: Roth, Nabokov, Cheever,
Vonnegut. Even the popular fiction by Mario Puzo and Helen MacInnes are
honorable works. By contrast, I predict that nothing on the current list
will be read, or probably even remembered, 35 years from now.
You really should read the good writers of our time, but don't neglect the
great writers of the past. Any book is a new book for the person
discovering it for the first time.
-- Michael Dirda 1969 Fiction Bestsellers
(This particular list was compiled at that time from reports by United
Press International correspondents in 30 cities. Readers were cautioned
that the list should be considered only an indication of popularity.)
1 The Love Machine, Jacqueline Susann
2 Portnoy's Complaint, Philip Roth
3 The Godfather, Mario Puzo
4 Ada, Vladimir Nabokov
5 The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton
6 Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
7 Except for Me and Thee, Jessamyn West
8 Bullet Park, John Cheever
9 The Salzburg Connection, Helen MacInnes
10 The Vines of Yarrabee, Dorothy Eden2004 Fiction Bestsellers
(These rankings reflect sales for the week ending July 11, 2004, and are
copyrighted by Nielsen BookScan.)
1 Sam's Letters to Jennifer, James Patterson
2 The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
3 The Rule of Four, Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
4 Ten Big Ones, Janet Evanovich
5 The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albon
6 Angels & Demons, Dan Brown
7 Second Chance, Danielle Steel
8 Kill the Messenger, Tami Hoag
9 The Bourne Legacy, Eric Van Lustbader
10 Song of Susannah: The Dark Tower VI, Stephen King
---------- End Forwarded Message ----------
D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L