The video should have rather been called: "top 10 American (+British) books you should read before you die". What about foreign authors? French, Russian, German?...
I agree! I read War and Peace without being assigned it and loved it. I could add that I love "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers, "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, "The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck and so many more. When the list has only 10 choices and a few honorable mentions, I think we all can come up with others we also love.
Because it appears this list is exclusively english-language for some reason.. despite the fact that many pieces of world literature - like the ones you mentioned - have been translated numerous times and even have hollywood film adaptations. Curious indeed.
Another poster has mentioned Jane Eyre. I am reposting this because it is important. Jane Eyre is indeed one of the most significant books ever written. This is THE BOOK that gave A VOICE to a person who was 1. female 2. young 3. orphaned 4. homeless 5. abused 6. impoverished 7. not pretty 8. forced to take whatever work she could get 9. had to rely on charity 10. intelligent (this can be a real disadvantage for females) In this brilliant book, the author, who had a good deal in common with her heroine, makes it clear that she is just as significant a person as a man who is wealthy and has all the advantages.
My favorite novel is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - complex views on man vs nature, religion vs science, mortality vs divinity, family vs revenge. If anyone sees this comment, I recommend reading this before you die (as the video suggests).
Let's face it, there is no way we can all agree . with all the books that have been written there is no way anyone can agree on what is the most famous. It's up to the person and what kind of books they prefer, Wether it's a classic or a good mystery , as long as it gives you an insight into what the story is telling you. ...
1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 2. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen 3. Moby Dick - Herman Melville 4. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte 5. The Catcher In The Rye - J.D. Salinger 6. Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling 7. 1984 - George Orwell 8. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 9. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kirk Vonnegut 10. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck Honourable mentions:- * The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood * Catch 22 by Joseph Heller * Lord Of The Flies by William Golding * Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury * The Giver by Lois Lowry
This misses out the whole of French, Russian, Irish, Italian and Latin American and German literature, not to mention the rest of the World. It's therefore missing some fantastic books.
I was thinking of In Search of Lost Time (or, as I prefer, Remembrance of Things Past) as well! Glad you mentioned it. I'd also nominate Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, or, at the very least, Germinal could have been on this list.
Emile Zola, Honore De Balzac, Alexander Dumas, Jean Paul Sartre, John McGahern, Flann O'Brien, Umberto Eco, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Herman Hesse, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Ivan Tugenev, Mikhail Bulgakov to mention a few authors.
Book suggestions. "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch", "The Barracks", "The Third Policeman", "The Master and Margarita", "The Name of the Rose", 100 years of Solitude", "The Trial", "Fathers and Sons", "The Roads to Freedom" trilogy, 'The Water of The Hills'
Thomas Headley Yes,the Charles Laughton version of Hunchback with the beautiful Maureen O'Hara was wonderful and yes the musical Les Miserables was great If you can find it you might watch the 1930 something movie version which starred Frederic March as Jean Valjean. Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s knew how to do the classics.
I'm also disappointed. No Dante, no Shakespeare, no Wilde, no Poe, no Tolstoi? Harry Potter's a must-read book series? Last time I spend any of my time watching this biased trash
Sergio Arturo Aldaba Carreon The list is about novels. Dante and Shakespeare wrote no novels and Poe only wrote one. I agree that War and Peace and Anna Karenina should been on the list. Also the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is maybe the greatest America novels.
See her new list. They’re all there, except “Anna.” (She chose “War and Peace” instead, but gives a nod to “Anna.”) The additional list isn’t secondary in importance, but rather, another list of essential books for any reader.
The karamazov brothers and the count of Monte-Cristo should be on the list. I love the chapter the gread Inquisitor. This chapter has the essence of existentialism together with Rebellion.
Really, the world isn't only USA or UK. You really left out Tolstoi, Dovsotyevsky, Kafka or Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's scary how you completely ignore these excellent writers only because they aren't American or British. It says a lot about how you see the world.
"Crime and punishment" should have been on top of the list. To me it's the best book ever written.Dostoyevsky has a unique way of writing and nobody can compare to him regarding this style.
True enough, but he wrote in russian. Any unique style in english would have to be that of the translator, and a different translator would create a different version of the original text. It is very difficult to compare translated works of fiction.
Crime and Punishment is my absolute favorite; in fact, I read it at least once a year and it gets better every time. So many layers and facets of brilliance. When have you ever heard of a "novelist" combating a popular idea Nietzsche's 'Uberman,' using characters and conversations representing both in such luminous conversations and yet ever driving the train is a young man at war with himself because he put Nietzsche's crazy theory to the test. No writer, in any language, ever captured such deep and profound wrestlings in the human soul at Dostoevsky did. Even after reading it a dozen or so times, I always feel I just wish the book would go on a little more...
Most of the authors are americans with some british...they left out Tolstoi, Dostoiévski, Hemingway,Faulkner,Goethe, Mann,Dumas( either father or son),Hugo,Wilde,Nietzsche,etc, etc....not going to mention the more difficult ones but as classic as well such as Proust and Sartre...
Not the only to see this. Not objective at all, thinking of all the French (Hugo, Stendhal, Flaubert), Russian (Tolstoi, Dostoevski, Lermontov) and German (Goethe, Schiller, Thomas Mann) literature... so disappointed
What's even more disappointing is that they are all of European descent! It's like this list hasn't changed in 60 years with the exception of the Harry Potter series! The list is not a reflection of what Americans read. For example in the US, The Color Purple and The Joy Luck Club--both books have sold over 5 million copies--are now considered classics which are often read in honors English or first year at university. Surprisingly, even Shakespeare is absent from this list! Once again Mojo gets it all wrong, but what can you expect from an internet survey!
What kind of list is this? The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho, Papillon -Henri Charrière, The Divine Comedy-Dante Alighieri, Anna Karenina-Leo Tolstoy,One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez,etc etc. So many books that are missed here that I thought would make the list.
Yes, half of them are great. But, for example, TAKE OF HARRY POTTER SERIES !!! Its fine for children, but not even close to a great book (contruction, etc, etc). In that spot you can put Fictions by Borges, for example, or The Divine Comedy, like Claude said. Or SO MANY great books that you MUST read. Its seems that the person that made this list NEVER read a book in his/her life, and just made the list by the MOVIES one country (usa in this case) made. Its really sad.......
Really??? Harry Potter? Are yo serious??? "Lord of the Rings"? "Turn of the Screw"? "The Black Cat"? Stephen King's entire fucking catalogue? And you go for HARRY POTTER? Just because a text "defined a generation" doesn't mean you need to read it.
Well technically you don't need to read any of these. It's a matter of personal taste. Whoever made this list used their personal opinion. There is no solid reason any book or series you listed should be on this list more than Harry or any of the other books, other than that you like them more.
Like it or not, Harry Potter introduced children that didn't like to read to the world of books. I started reading because of it when I was small. Even if it isn't the best book in the world as you called it, it had the power to make children read, and really, it was needed, none were reading
Harry Potter is a modern classic. LotR will go down in history as great films, not great books. Harry Potter changed how an entire generation viewed books, it has had a greater impact on the world. If you don't feel the same way, too bad, but you cannot take away its significance.
For all of you people out there complaining about books missing from the list, please get off your high horses. The truth is, there are so many beautiful and universally liked books out there that it is impossible to narrow it down and still make everyone happy. These are probably just the video creator's favorites out of all of those great works of literature.
there really is no point in making such a list, simply because it is impossible to narrow it down to 10 books. most list about books to read before you die consist of at least 100 titles
We're not on our high horses as you sanctimoniously put it we are just airing our opinions. If we're not allowed to do that, what is the point of this video.
Yeah like...wtf...Harry Poter is a derivative work, Lord of The Rings is a genre defining master piece...sounds like the person who made this video is a Harry Poter fan....just saying.
What a poor perspective, right? What about 100 years of solitude or something of Lovecraft. The lord of the rings is a work of art. Shame on the lack of titles of this video
Check out her second list - “The Lord of the Rings” and many foreign novels are listed. The additional list isn’t secondary in importance to this one; it’s simply another list of books that are essential to any reader.
+Michella Sarah I'm with you. Tolkien CREATED multiple languages. If that isn't literary genius I don't know what is. A handmaid's tale certainly is not. Ugh! I'll never forget reading that book and not in a good way.
+winetaster13 I feel pity for you. He saw the complexity in life, not the darkness of it. Fyiodor Mikhailovic was a genius and of of the greatest geniuses. And that's not just my humble opinion. If his novels are too complex for you and you don't understand them, that doesn't mean they are dark.
I've read "Notre-Dame de Paris" (Hugo, 1831) in the original French language. It's a bit heavy on description (common in French 19th Century novels), but, of course, its expertly written. It's definitely one of the giants in world literature.
The count of Monte-Cristo and The brothers karamazov are among the best books I have ever read. Edmond Dantes reminds me a lot of the Raskolnikov of Crime and Punishiment. I saw people wanting to compare him to Jena Valjean, but apart from the unjust imprisonment, he is more like Dostoevsky's character. A person who is above the laws of society to do what he sees best.
I was surprised and glad to find Harry Potter on this list! I'm a huge Potterhead, and I wish people would stop looking down on this list, just because HP is on it. Just because the books are not old does not mean they did not have an impact. The HP series might not be as influential as some classics, but it sparked an international phenomenon. People all over the world loved it, it got so many kids and adults alike back into reading. That's the main thing, it bridged the generation gap. In libraries and bookstores, you can find Harry Potter in the children's, the young adult and the adult sections. People of all ages can enjoy Harry Potter. JK Rowling very cleverly creates parallels between our world and the wizarding world, and the books address a lot of social issues. There might be other significant books out there, but that does NOT mean you can underrate the affect HP had on an entire generation. I hate it when people act all pretentious and dismiss HP, just because it's not a classic! Anyway, everybody has their own opinions. I think this list is great, no. 1 was absolutely right.
Khaleesi216 I agree! In 50 years, ist WILL be a classic. There are not many books which influenced that many people for their whole life. It is about tolerance, friendship, trust, to trust oneself, wisdom and the power of love. It definitely is one of the best modern books!
I think those people didn't even read the Harry Potter Series. I LOVED the books, when I was 11 to 14 years old. I always carried an Harry Potter Book with me, reading all the time. Like those kids do today with their smart phones. Also you can always read the books again and they will always be enjoyable.
Exactly.I wouldn't like to read if it wasn't for Harry Potter.Harry Potter changed and influenced many many people including me.I really hate reading before.But now I luv it all thanks to Harry Potter.
As my daughter aged from 8 to 18, we read the Harry Potter books together. I remember waiting with her at midnight at the bookstore for the last 2. The last one finished just in time because she was losing interest at 18. Another month and I couldn’t have gotten her to go. Now she’s 30 and said to me just the other day, “I’m really kind of a perfectionist at work, you know, like Hermione Granger”. I reread them all 6 months ago and enjoyed it all over.
I heard/read from somewhere that she wrote it during a really terrible stormy weather. She and a few other of her writer fellows got caught in the storm so they took shelter in some house. Since there was nothing much to do they came up with the idea to write gothic stories, and whoever had the best one won. I can't remember where I heard this from but it sure is awesome :D
+seraphiccandy21 no. I just love literature. Wuthering Heights is also one of my favourites. I'm from Germany! We didn't read those kind of books in school. :) I hat to read them on my own.
***** Wuthering Heights is terribly depressing IMO, I prefer crime novels by Agatha Christie. But if you do like Psycho you should consider reading Perfume by Patrick Sueskind!I think the original is german? and maybe clockwork orange...but that one comes with a definate warning for violence
without it, we wouldn't have the origin of fantasy fiction, and --- Jude the Obscure, Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Lolita by Vladimir nabokov Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden, Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
I found Of Mice and Men to be lackluster. Maybe it was because I had already seen the 1939 movie version (Which is a very literal translation from book to page) and there was nothing new to discover in the book. But it was a bit of a let down for me.
If youre not enjoying it, I would highly recommend watching the version with Gary Sinese and John Malcovich (not sure what year it was filmed, some time in the 90's I think). After watching it, then I would try to read it again. I found that version to draw me in moreso than others I had seen.
Residential Bookworm Oh the 1994 one. I've seen it. I liked the '39 one better. The story is good but it's so short that there really isn't any new information in the book that the movies don't give you.
Juonithz Ramos Its just the added depth the movie gives you upon going back and reading the novel, sometimes I find I cant jump into a plot heavy book right away, I need to watch the movie first so I have somw base of what Im getting into. Doesnt happen often, but not unheard of hahaha
She might mean 'The Little Woman' (later a film with Ingrid Bergman 'The Inn of the Sixth Happiness') about a Christian Missionary in China before the Communist Takeover.
10: 1984- George Orwell 9: Grapes of Wrath- John Steinbeck 8: Lord of the Flies- William Golding 7: Lolita- Vladimir Nabokov 6: Jane Eyre- Charlotte Braunte 5: Catcher in the rye- JD Salinger 4: Harry Potter series- JK Rowling 3: Pride & Prejudice- Jane Austen 2: Scarlett Letter- Nathaniel Hawthrone HM: Number the Stars- Lois Lowry, Farenheit 451 1: To Kill a Mockingbird
Most of these were either excessively sentimental or depressingly cynical. And the Harry Potter books are just a bit of fluff. I think you got your selection off of a sixth grade summer reading list.
Yeah it’s good but definitely not as good as Wuthering Heights. Jane Eyre is way more classical while Wuthering Heights is revolutionary and innovative, definitely one of the greatest English poems.
ramlinshoes gone with the wind is a great piece of literature and shouldn't be taken as just a romance novel. lots of novels are centred around romance (wuthering heights, pride and prejudice). while i agree those books are more momentous and groundbreaking than gone with the wind, it still remains a brilliant piece of literature that explores some great themes such as reconstruction, strife, gender and race, identity, coming of age and society
You guys are killing me with this list. Of Mice and Men? Series of Unfortunate Events? My Antonia? Laura Ingalls Wilder?! These books were written beautifully!
As a kid I loved Anne of Green Gables loved the books loved the TV series I still do love it. It has a special place in my memory and heart because back when I was 10 or so had to get an EEG because I was epileptic so I had to stay up all night and my mom stayed up with me and we watched Anne of Green Gables all night.
I don't think they added Anne of the Green Gables because it's considered a children's novella. They need to make a separate video for children's novels...and I have my own separate list for that which includes the Green Gables.
Series of Unfortunate Events is my favorite childhood series! The writer took the recycled plot of orphaned children and created fantasy with it. Villain that is both terrifying and hilarious, side characters that are quirky and unique, outstanding and complex man characters... the writing is terribly smooth and eloquent, and perfectly paced. The series is the embodiment of perfect literature for children.
Dracula, Sherlock Holmes Series, Lord of the Rings, Devil in the White City, Night, Great Gatsby, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest... there are plenty of books that should have at least gotten honorable mentions. I mean Sherlock Holmes is the most famous literary character of all time and Tolkien has had a huge influence on literature. I would have rather seen Lord of the Rings on the list then Catcher in the Rye, which is probably the WORST book I've ever read. You can call it a classic all you want but that book was terrible.
I hated Catcher in The Rye as well. Literature like any art is subjective so what resonates with one person might not with another. I would add Jane Eyre, Stranger in a Strange Land and Animal Farm to many of the books you listed as books that had a serious influence on how I thought about the world in general. I would rather die than have to read Moby Dick again, two of the worst months of my entire life trying to get through that snooze fest. Only book I strongly agree with from this list is To Kill a Mockingbird, that is one of the greatest books of all time.
Of mice and men is one of my least favorite books of all time. Perhaps it was just because of the age and time at which I read it but it really rubbed me the wrong way. At the same time though I understand a lot of it’s message
Tatiana Terza Funny you mention, I was watching these trying to find a new book to read after reading the count of Monte Cristo and people suggest the brothers Karamazov.. googled the author you mentioned and he wrote that, so it is meant to be...
According to LITERARY CRITICS, the best novels are either:---1.) WAR & PEACE by Leo Tolstoy; 2.) DON QUIXOTE by Miguel De Cervantes; 3.) ULYSSES by James Joyce....
No one has ever honestly read from front to back War and Peace or Ulysses unless they are doing it as part of a Doctoral thesis in literature. or are full of crap..Boring is what they are
I read Ulysses up to page 300. I have read tons of books & always completed them until-- Ulysses. Yes it changed my life. It took forever for me to want to read a book again. Ulysses is the most overrated novel of all time. I believe Joyce must have checked into rehab after writing it.
With regard to Tolstoy and Cervantes, their original texts were not written in english. When works of fiction are translated into other languages they are altered, and a different translator will always interpret the text in subtlety different ways. It is difficult to compare translated works of fiction.
Had to study Wuthering Heights when I was at uni. Every time I tried to read it sat down or on my bed I fell asleep. So I tried to read it stood up. I still have the scars from the coffee table. Great for insomnia, but nothing else.
I love Jane Eyre and did enjoy hunger games but I'm not sure its so great I would have to read it before I die. it was an enthralling series but not on my top ten, top 100 maybe
*GAH*, I absolutely detest The Catcher In The Rye! From the bottom of my heart, I cannot see, what should be so world changingly brilliant about that boring and plotless novel!
Memoire de Majora I would have to say The Daylight War and Words of Radiance. I know, I know "Eeeeew fantasy!" "Schame on you!" "No wonder you can't appreciate a masterwork like Catcher in the Rye if you just read stupid things like that!" "NEEEEEEEEEEEERD!" etc. But honsetly, I don't think I've ever read a book that was quite as gripping and well written as those two....
I read All's Quiet On The Western Front this year and I think this book should be a must read all around the world. The in-depth look into what war really is like would change our political debates completely!
I feel like you missed a huge part of the hp books. racism and prejudice. the wizards (generally, but not all) see themselves as some master race, and anything/one else is below them. not only is it story about a boy who defeats an immortal dark lord, it is also a book about a bunch of kids showing up full grown adults with their heads in the sand. a story that shows equality is a better way to go rather than jumping to the conclusion that you are born better. it shows that kids and teens are to be valued for their insight, even if it seems ignorant. that kids and teens can defend and save a world. it is a story about a terrified kid walked to his death to take care of the one true home he has ever had. I understand that the video has a limit, but with all its undertones and side plots, hp needs to be higher.
"It is a story" you said it yourself so chill out. Now fantasy books are getting picked apart because they don't include the things you see fit & include things you could do without? You do know those books aren't real, right? Get over it dear 😉
@@CrystalRose333 23 year old me completely agrees with you. 18 year old me made this comment. As a teenager I was avoiding reality, opting to seek the true values of life in books. Justifying my obsessions with the "adult themes" because people kept telling me to grow up and grow out of the things that being me joy. I still love the Harry Potter books and movies, and I still love all the "kids" things I did back then, but now I go to them for brief escapes, not diving head first to completely avoid reality. And honestly, now I find it exhausting to come home and watch a kids show to turn off my brain for a bit and it's all political and preachy.
Ah Harry Potter. I think you're really missing out if you haven't read those books. I'm still of the opinion these books influenced many gifted new YA authors, just look at the new books now versus before 10 or 15 years ago and there are so many currently with high fantasy elements in them now.
rc_kunoichi I would miss nothing if I don't read Harry Potter books. If I have to choose books based on fantasy genre, I would choose Lord of the Rings, anyday
“The Grapes of Wrath” is my all-time favorite book. I highly recommend anything Steinbeck wrote. “In Dubious Battle” is one of his lesser known works, but I almost like it as much as “Grapes.” Superb reading, and oh, so timely!
This list is from an extreme American-centric perspective. The books that aren't written by Americans are written by Brits. There's a multitude of life changing publications that had to first be translated into English. Do not those great works surpass the significance of some listed here?
I was so hoping "To Kill a Mockingbird" was on the list. I'm so glad to see it's # 1. I love all the characters. Gregory Peck's portrayal was brilliant, & he is how I will always picture Atticus.
The fact that Harry Potter made into this list but masterpieces like “The Hobbit”, “War and Peace”, “Les Miserables”, “The name of the Rose”, “Crime and Punishment”, “Notre Dame de Paris”, “The Master and Margherita”, “The Betrothed”, “If this is a man” (I could go on forever) didn’t honestly makes me question what kind of criteria were used to create it. Harry Potter is NOT a life changing book, let alone one of the best books of all time. Also, only English books are life changing, according to this video. What a discover. *Sarcasm intensifies*
When I was fifteen and had read my way though all the children´s books, teen/young adult books and crime novels in my home and the local library my mum was not sure what should come next but eventually handed me a book the book that would change and shape my life, a book that would change every time I would pick it up one part or a character would speak to me in a profound way but the next time it would have changed because I have changed between readings. It is book that grows with you and changes, it will make you sad, happy, confused and angry, sometimes all at once and every time you are finished reading it you feel a emptiness and sadness in your soul but you also feel fulfilled and happy and sometimes you will just turn it round and read it again and sometimes you will just throw it way and make a silent wow (that you know you will never keep) to never read it again. The book I am speaking off is One Hundred Years of Solitude, Cien años de soledad or in my language Hundrað ára einsemd. I see that a lot of people are mad that some books were mentioned and some were not and came here to the comment section to do the same but then I realised that is my opinion but the people that made the list obviously have a different taste and opinion than I do. So in stead of arguing about it I am just going to recommend One Hundred Years of Solitude to all of you and hope that you could all recommend a book to me that I have to read before I die.....
Yeah, I still don't get why there are two channels now lol Men don't read... women don't play video games... it's a good thing we have these separate channels to teach us our gender roles xD
Kitty O'Neill oh was OP's comment supposed to be funny? I mean if it was then I'm sorry, since there so many true assholes in youtube it's hard to tell the sarcasm apart anymore
what about Anna Karenina, les miserables, madame Bovary, war and peace, doctor Ghivago, the name of the rose? Oh right if it's not written in english then it doesn't count.
It seems to me the books covered American history more than anything affecting humanity in general. Better title would be “10 books every American should read“. I really like the books listed, but the list wasn't too great. It's like the producers never really heared about authors from some other countries...
It's impossible to do a Top 10 of books to read before dying. It's difficult enough to do a top hundred, or thousand. This list is painfully anglo-centric as well #tryharder
Okay, wow! Not even an honorable mention for Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray," or Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend." Nothing for any of those true classics genuinely *worth* reading?? Really..... An exciting and powerful novel about Man's failures and desires to play God (which by the way is nothing like the classic movie featuring Boris Karloff.) Wilde's novel which is truly dangerous and disturbing, even in this modern age. One of the incredibly few novels that is genuinely dangerous if read by an immature mind. And last, a novel that deals with just what it means to be human, in comparison to the new dominant race of creatures on Earth. None of those even got an honorable mention?! You know what?.... Thumbs down for a video list made from an obvious google search.
I have read both Frankenstein and Dorian Grey, and I was not impressed with either. The former failed to raise any sympathy from me as the Doctor was an idiot and the monster was truly that--a monster--Who was deserving of all of the hate thrown his way. While the latter promised sensuality and wanton behavior but delivered only mild mischievous manner. I have not read I am Legend.
Juonithz Ramos I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing you actually read "Frankenstein." The monster wasn't a monster at the beginning. It was a hopeful creature who was abandoned by his father/god. A gentle soul. A truly kind-hearted creature who was horribly mistreated by everyone he came in contact with. He was turned into a monster because everyone treated him as though he was one..... simply based on his looks. Nurture won out over Nature. At least for a while. Ultimately, the creature regretted the evil it had done. Wishing to atone, it accepted its fate. What makes Dorian Gray dangerous is that it doesn't just highlight Man's baser instincts. But presents them for all to see. Problem is, it does so in an all too honest light. Pointing out the fact that deep down, carnal pleasures, violence, even perversion not only hold fascination as things to be experienced; but also bring pleasure to those causing them. Nothing is hidden. Ultimately there's a moral lesson. But the "other side" is presented in all its glory! That's what makes the book so genuinely dangerous to younger minds. Such a reader, just as Gray himself does, might also wish to indulge. To experience those pleasurable baser aspects of humanity.
None of these could be in the top 10 before you die. The Picture of Dorian Gray is utter drivel (a lot of Oscar Wilde is drivel) and I am Legend is a good novel but not a great one.
I appreciate your passion for these books, but I tell you I've read and disliked them. The creature Prometheus is abandoned, yes, but he then rages against innocent life in form of the child he killed and the woman he framed for the murder. Yes people were cruel to him and he was horribly mistreated, but that does not give him leave to do the horrendous things he did. I felt no sympathy for the monster. I call him that because that's what he was in my eyes. (My mother, however, shares your POV and sympathizes with him immensely) Dorian Gray did show me all of those things you mentioned, but it failed to have me feel them. A good book gives you the phantom experiences of its protagonist, but I found that this book did not do that for me.
Top 10: Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller The Idiot - Feodor Dostoevsky Henry and June - Anais Nin The Vampire Lestat -Ann Rice Portrait of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad Steppenwolf - Herman Hess Pan - Knute Hamson The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Wolf
My fav :- 1. Gone with the wind 2. Other side of the nidnight 3. Me before you 4. The fountainhead 5. Greatest salesman of the world 6. Endless night 7. Maximum city 8. The kite runner 9.Night 10. Ego is the enemy 11. How to win friends and influence people
I would put His Dark Materials series as life changing since it speaks of the soul, religion, god and ones connection to parallel worlds. And for those who said Harry Potter was a dumb pick, it wasn't. The books were life changing because the series grew up with so many people and spoke about many issues if you dared to look a little more into it. The issues of birth, class, race, the opposing government who says all is well when it isn't, the educational system made to brain wash children into lambs for slaughter. It is very powerful. Not to mention the frustration of a teenager growing up. This series grew up with me. I adored it and it gave me a friend in a way. Not to mention it connected many friendships with other children who were reading it with me. This book encouraged me to read more! Because of Harry Potter I would had never read any of those books listened on this video and I'm glad for it.
It is really american/british litterature focused. There are a lot of novels written in other parts of the world that have influenced society and culture all over the world. But I can understand that those lists have been made by americans for americans so no wonder you are less familiar with Umberto Eco's "the name of the rose" or Leon Tolstoï's "War and Peace".
Things Fall Apart was an absolutely fantastic book. The author was Nigerian, I loved that book, I even read it out loud to my children. Great, just great.
I loved Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Jane Austen "Persuasion" and "Pride and Prejudice" are several books I fell in love with. Another that grabbed me - "Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck - incredible story that taught me about family- mind blowing!
Harry Potter The Mortal Instruments Percy Jackson The Maze Runner The Hunger Games Crazy Rich Asians The Heroes of Olympus I could not put any of those books down they were so amazing!
This list is top 10 books written in English by British and American writers written in the modern era. Even in its niche perspective, the list is disappointing at best. The books picked are overrated that aren't top anything.
yay my favorite books hit the list. my favorite is to kill a mockingbird. Atticus is the best male figure I've read in a book. I like pride and prejudice Jane Austens other novels are wonderful to. I think little women should have made the list but that's okay.
100% agree! To Kill a Mockingbird is my all time favorite book, & Atticus is a wonderful character! Before I read it Little Women was one of my favorites.
Fantastic book! I agree that Aticus is a great character! I love Boo Radley too, mostly because it was based on Truman Capote, the author's childhood friend!
Oddly enough, I really love the book "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster. Its a children's book that doesn't cover huge social controversy, but it does give you a different perspective of day to day things.
Harry Potter teaches you. Harry Potter teaches you love. Harry Potter teaches you friendship. Harry Potter teaches you difference between evil and good. Harry Potter teaches you what leads us to choose evil and why being good is better. Harry Potter teaches you a tale of success (of JK Rowling) Harry Potter entertains you. And you illitrates fuckin say that it shouldn't be on this list.
Some of my favourite books: 1984 - Orwell. The Life of Pi - Martel. The White Tiger -Adiga. Wuthering Heights - Bronte. Frankenstein - Shelly (Have to admit I needed to read notes on it first). The Rachel Papers - Amis. Staying On - Scott. Barney's Version - Richler. The Princess Bride - Goldman (also The Marathon Man). The Catcher in the Rye - Sallinger.
Has Mojo heard of Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Kant, Camus, Agatha Christie, Shakespeare, Rousseau, Stendhal? These are great authors and thinkers. People should read them(all of their works)
Have a small list of books that I personally reccomend that you read before you start to push up daisies. Trainspotting- Irvine Welsh Gone With The Wind- Magaret Mitchell Les Miserables- Victor Hugo The Master And Margarita- Mikhail Bulgakov Skagboys- Irvine Welsh Dune- Frank Herbert The Foundation Trillogy- Issac Asimov Frankenstein- Mary Shelley The Bell Jar- Sylvia Plath A Confederacy Of Dunces- John Kennedy Toole Fight Club- Chuck Palahniuk
If you're doing a video like this you are really only considering books that have been made into films so you have visuals, which limits the options. My personal list would include "Frankenstein" (though it's one of the worst books I've every read), "Doctor Faustus," "The Brothers Karamazov," "A Suitable Boy", and "Hotel Paradise". I would have added Proust's great work -- however you want to translate the title -- but that has to be read at least twice which is asking too much of the average person.
I see that this video is strongly bias to English/North American Literature. It has left key novels of a more global literature, like Cervantes' Don Quixote, Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and many other of similar prestige. It would have been great if the list would have picked the best book(s) of many cultural literature, for example: a book from Hispanic-american lit, lit from the Orient, European lit., or some pattern like this.
I loved For Whom The Bell Tolls, Gone With The Wind, Little Women, The Hounds of Baskerville, Are You There God It's Me Margaret, The Velvet Room, and The Oz series of books.
The video should have rather been called: "top 10 American (+British) books you should read before you die". What about foreign authors? French, Russian, German?...
couldn't agree more!
what I was thinking too
agreed, all of hans christian andersen's works, the grimm's stories, etc etc
Um...hello...what about any novel from the Southern Hemisphere...
I agree. There's a lot of excellent french books!
WTH??! Not a single book from Leo Tolstoy, like Anna Karenina or War & Peace?!
Astonished me as well.
I agree! I read War and Peace without being assigned it and loved it. I could add that I love "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers, "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, "The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck and so many more. When the list has only 10 choices and a few honorable mentions, I think we all can come up with others we also love.
Because it appears this list is exclusively english-language for some reason.. despite the fact that many pieces of world literature - like the ones you mentioned - have been translated numerous times and even have hollywood film adaptations. Curious indeed.
*stupid voice* how about twilight?
The list is very English centric
Another poster has mentioned Jane Eyre. I am reposting this because it is important.
Jane Eyre is indeed one of the most significant books ever written.
This is THE BOOK that gave A VOICE to a person who was
1. female
2. young
3. orphaned
4. homeless
5. abused
6. impoverished
7. not pretty
8. forced to take whatever work she could get
9. had to rely on charity
10. intelligent (this can be a real disadvantage for females)
In this brilliant book, the author, who had a good deal in common with her heroine, makes it clear that she is just as significant a person as a man who is wealthy and has all the advantages.
MandyJMaddison
Fantastic! I can only agree with you! I love this novel.
An interesting follow up to this is Wide Sargasso Sea
Yes I love Jane Eyre and I share the same last name so that’s great!
I was hoping Jane Eyre would be #1!
I read the whole one when I was 11, and it shook me, as I learned a lot.
My favorite novel is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - complex views on man vs nature, religion vs science, mortality vs divinity, family vs revenge. If anyone sees this comment, I recommend reading this before you die (as the video suggests).
Let's face it, there is no way we can all agree . with all the books that have been written there is no way anyone can agree on what is the most famous. It's up to the person and what kind of books they prefer, Wether it's a classic or a good mystery , as long as it gives you an insight into what the story is telling you. ...
Thanks. It's been sitting on my shelf unread for years.
One of the most influential books of all time and definitely should have been on the list..
Its on my list of to be read! As well as about 300 others...to man books haha
It is one of the worst books ever written - be warned!
1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
3. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
4. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
5. The Catcher In The Rye - J.D. Salinger
6. Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
7. 1984 - George Orwell
8. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
9. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kirk Vonnegut
10. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Honourable mentions:-
* The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
* Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
* Lord Of The Flies by William Golding
* Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
* The Giver by Lois Lowry
No love for Dostoyevsky?
read c and p
maha janssen not all hero’s wear capes
maha janssen thank you
Scott Velez What do you recommend for a first time Dostoyevsky read?
This misses out the whole of French, Russian, Irish, Italian and Latin American and German literature, not to mention the rest of the World. It's therefore missing some fantastic books.
Agreed! I would have thought Steppenwolf or In Search of Lost Time would have made the list.
I was thinking of In Search of Lost Time (or, as I prefer, Remembrance of Things Past) as well! Glad you mentioned it. I'd also nominate Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, or, at the very least, Germinal could have been on this list.
Helen Trope could you please share some of them with everyone. I love Leo Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Albert Camus
Emile Zola, Honore De Balzac, Alexander Dumas, Jean Paul Sartre, John McGahern, Flann O'Brien, Umberto Eco, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Herman Hesse, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Ivan Tugenev, Mikhail Bulgakov to mention a few authors.
Book suggestions. "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch", "The Barracks", "The Third Policeman", "The Master and Margarita", "The Name of the Rose", 100 years of Solitude", "The Trial", "Fathers and Sons", "The Roads to Freedom" trilogy, 'The Water of The Hills'
Seriously? No Dante, no Shakespeare, no Oscar Wilde? This is even more disappointing than I'd expected it to be
The list covers only novels and Shakespeare wrote plays and poems and Dante was a poet. I'm disappointed that Mark Twain wasn't on the list.
Thomas Headley Yes,I like the Hunchback a lot,but I think that I like Hugo's other book. Les Miserables even better.
Thomas Headley Yes,the Charles Laughton version of Hunchback with the beautiful Maureen O'Hara was wonderful and yes the musical Les Miserables was great If you can find it you might watch the 1930 something movie version which starred Frederic March as Jean Valjean. Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s knew how to do the classics.
I'm also disappointed. No Dante, no Shakespeare, no Wilde, no Poe, no Tolstoi? Harry Potter's a must-read book series? Last time I spend any of my time watching this biased trash
Sergio Arturo Aldaba Carreon The list is about novels. Dante and Shakespeare wrote no novels and Poe only wrote one. I agree that War and Peace and Anna Karenina should been on the list. Also the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is maybe the greatest America novels.
Are you kidding me ? Where's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby?!!!!!!
See her new list. They’re all there, except “Anna.” (She chose “War and Peace” instead, but gives a nod to “Anna.”) The additional list isn’t secondary in importance, but rather, another list of essential books for any reader.
Tolstoy is a bit long winded, but where's Crime and punishment?
The karamazov brothers and the count of Monte-Cristo should be on the list. I love the chapter the gread Inquisitor. This chapter has the essence of existentialism together with Rebellion.
Other lists of books to read before you die 😂❤😊
Really, the world isn't only USA or UK. You really left out Tolstoi, Dovsotyevsky, Kafka or Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's scary how you completely ignore these excellent writers only because they aren't American or British. It says a lot about how you see the world.
Teresa Torr And you left out all the literature of Asia and Africa. What's your point?
Exactly, these books are real masterpieces...
Maybe you overlooked the big picture it's Top TEN of course there gonna miss some. some of those are on other lists
"Crime and punishment" should have been on top of the list. To me it's the best book ever written.Dostoyevsky has a unique way of writing and nobody can compare to him regarding this style.
True enough, but he wrote in russian. Any unique style in english would have to be that of the translator, and a different translator would create a different version of the original text. It is very difficult to compare translated works of fiction.
Crime and Punishment is my absolute favorite; in fact, I read it at least once a year and it gets better every time. So many layers and facets of brilliance. When have you ever heard of a "novelist" combating a popular idea Nietzsche's 'Uberman,' using characters and conversations representing both in such luminous conversations and yet ever driving the train is a young man at war with himself because he put Nietzsche's crazy theory to the test.
No writer, in any language, ever captured such deep and profound wrestlings in the human soul at Dostoevsky did. Even after reading it a dozen or so times, I always feel I just wish the book would go on a little more...
Most of the authors are americans with some british...they left out Tolstoi, Dostoiévski, Hemingway,Faulkner,Goethe, Mann,Dumas( either father or son),Hugo,Wilde,Nietzsche,etc, etc....not going to mention the more difficult ones but as classic as well such as Proust and Sartre...
Not the only to see this. Not objective at all, thinking of all the French (Hugo, Stendhal, Flaubert), Russian (Tolstoi, Dostoevski, Lermontov) and German (Goethe, Schiller, Thomas Mann) literature... so disappointed
What's even more disappointing is that they are all of European descent! It's like this list hasn't changed in 60 years with the exception of the Harry Potter series! The list is not a reflection of what Americans read. For example in the US, The Color Purple and The Joy Luck Club--both books have sold over 5 million copies--are now considered classics which are often read in honors English or first year at university. Surprisingly, even Shakespeare is absent from this list! Once again Mojo gets it all wrong, but what can you expect from an internet survey!
+fredrika27 The Colour Purple was the only classic book, aside from Shakespeare, we read in high school.
They did specify novels, which would disqualify Shakespeare's plays.
I've read all those you've mentioned and love them all. I'm re-reading Lermontov's HERO OF OUR TIME right now.
What kind of list is this? The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho, Papillon -Henri Charrière, The Divine Comedy-Dante Alighieri, Anna Karenina-Leo Tolstoy,One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez,etc etc. So many books that are missed here that I thought would make the list.
I use the alchemist as toilet paper , but I totally agree with the others
Papillon / Banco are masterpieces.
Not to mention Fictions by Borges. Half of the list is fine, but the other half.....AHHHHHH.
Yes, half of them are great. But, for example, TAKE OF HARRY POTTER SERIES !!! Its fine for children, but not even close to a great book (contruction, etc, etc). In that spot you can put Fictions by Borges, for example, or The Divine Comedy, like Claude said. Or SO MANY great books that you MUST read. Its seems that the person that made this list NEVER read a book in his/her life, and just made the list by the MOVIES one country (usa in this case) made.
Its really sad.......
+Zoe Hristopoulou lmao
Really??? Harry Potter? Are yo serious??? "Lord of the Rings"? "Turn of the Screw"? "The Black Cat"? Stephen King's entire fucking catalogue? And you go for HARRY POTTER? Just because a text "defined a generation" doesn't mean you need to read it.
I wish that Lord of the Rings was here to but I think that Harry Potter fits into this list too
Well technically you don't need to read any of these. It's a matter of personal taste. Whoever made this list used their personal opinion. There is no solid reason any book or series you listed should be on this list more than Harry or any of the other books, other than that you like them more.
Like it or not, Harry Potter introduced children that didn't like to read to the world of books. I started reading because of it when I was small. Even if it isn't the best book in the world as you called it, it had the power to make children read, and really, it was needed, none were reading
+Moonlover there are far better children's books (that encourage reading development) than harry Potter tho
Harry Potter is a modern classic. LotR will go down in history as great films, not great books. Harry Potter changed how an entire generation viewed books, it has had a greater impact on the world. If you don't feel the same way, too bad, but you cannot take away its significance.
For all of you people out there complaining about books missing from the list, please get off your high horses. The truth is, there are so many beautiful and universally liked books out there that it is impossible to narrow it down and still make everyone happy. These are probably just the video creator's favorites out of all of those great works of literature.
there really is no point in making such a list, simply because it is impossible to narrow it down to 10 books. most list about books to read before you die consist of at least 100 titles
We're not on our high horses as you sanctimoniously put it we are just airing our opinions. If we're not allowed to do that, what is the point of this video.
The list was obviously made by a bunch of feminists.
Don't read comments
Harry Potter made the list and The Lord of the Rings didn't?
Yeah like...wtf...Harry Poter is a derivative work, Lord of The Rings is a genre defining master piece...sounds like the person who made this video is a Harry Poter fan....just saying.
It's an American teenager list, so what do you expect?
What a poor perspective, right? What about 100 years of solitude or something of Lovecraft. The lord of the rings is a work of art. Shame on the lack of titles of this video
Vivian Worden yeah and what about Gone with the Wind
its a masterpiece
Check out her second list - “The Lord of the Rings” and many foreign novels are listed. The additional list isn’t secondary in importance to this one; it’s simply another list of books that are essential to any reader.
Lord Of The Rings?..... Not even an honourable mention?
True!!
I think they haven't included it because it is not a book, but a saga
yeah, but they included the harry potter series, so i don't know if that's why it wasn't even mentioned
Great series, but it doesn't make my top five either. I would put it in a top 10 though. Beautifully written!
+Michella Sarah I'm with you. Tolkien CREATED multiple languages. If that isn't literary genius I don't know what is. A handmaid's tale certainly is not. Ugh! I'll never forget reading that book and not in a good way.
I see no Dostoevsky here. WHY?
Tolstoi, Camus,Kafka, Victor Hugo.
Thank you...
I was waiting for this comment.
Kafka`s - The metamorphosis was really disappointing. Left me with "Huh?""
+winetaster13 I feel pity for you. He saw the complexity in life, not the darkness of it. Fyiodor Mikhailovic was a genius and of of the greatest geniuses. And that's not just my humble opinion. If his novels are too complex for you and you don't understand them, that doesn't mean they are dark.
Les Miserables, Don Quixote and Lord of the Rings
I have to agree with Don Quixote.
***** I love that one too
I agree that if you are going to put a fantasy novel on this list that Lord of the Rings would have been a better choice.
Don quixote is my overall favorite book
I've read "Notre-Dame de Paris" (Hugo, 1831) in the original French language. It's a bit heavy on description (common in French 19th Century novels), but, of course, its expertly written. It's definitely one of the giants in world literature.
No Count of Monte Cristo or The Picture of Dorian Gray?
Or The Scarlet Pimpernel?
I totally agree on those two! Changed my life as a child😊
Count of Monte Cristo will certainly to me always be the best book ever written
Tell me classics, please. Mojo lists are just dipshits based in mainstream!!!
The count of Monte-Cristo and The brothers karamazov are among the best books I have ever read.
Edmond Dantes reminds me a lot of the Raskolnikov of Crime and Punishiment.
I saw people wanting to compare him to Jena Valjean, but apart from the unjust imprisonment, he is more like Dostoevsky's character.
A person who is above the laws of society to do what he sees best.
I was surprised and glad to find Harry Potter on this list! I'm a huge Potterhead, and I wish people would stop looking down on this list, just because HP is on it. Just because the books are not old does not mean they did not have an impact. The HP series might not be as influential as some classics, but it sparked an international phenomenon. People all over the world loved it, it got so many kids and adults alike back into reading. That's the main thing, it bridged the generation gap. In libraries and bookstores, you can find Harry Potter in the children's, the young adult and the adult sections. People of all ages can enjoy Harry Potter. JK Rowling very cleverly creates parallels between our world and the wizarding world, and the books address a lot of social issues. There might be other significant books out there, but that does NOT mean you can underrate the affect HP had on an entire generation. I hate it when people act all pretentious and dismiss HP, just because it's not a classic! Anyway, everybody has their own opinions. I think this list is great, no. 1 was absolutely right.
Khaleesi216 I agree! In 50 years, ist WILL be a classic. There are not many books which influenced that many people for their whole life. It is about tolerance, friendship, trust, to trust oneself, wisdom and the power of love. It definitely is one of the best modern books!
I think those people didn't even read the Harry Potter Series. I LOVED the books, when I was 11 to 14 years old. I always carried an Harry Potter Book with me, reading all the time. Like those kids do today with their smart phones. Also you can always read the books again and they will always be enjoyable.
Exactly.I wouldn't like to read if it wasn't for Harry Potter.Harry Potter changed and influenced many many people including me.I really hate reading before.But now I luv it all thanks to Harry Potter.
As my daughter aged from 8 to 18, we read the Harry Potter books together. I remember waiting with her at midnight at the bookstore for the last 2. The last one finished just in time because she was losing interest at 18. Another month and I couldn’t have gotten her to go. Now she’s 30 and said to me just the other day, “I’m really kind of a perfectionist at work, you know, like Hermione Granger”. I reread them all 6 months ago and enjoyed it all over.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley should definitely be on this list.
hell yes!
YES! I love that book, it raises so many questions
F'ing YES
I heard/read from somewhere that she wrote it during a really terrible stormy weather. She and a few other of her writer fellows got caught in the storm so they took shelter in some house. Since there was nothing much to do they came up with the idea to write gothic stories, and whoever had the best one won.
I can't remember where I heard this from but it sure is awesome :D
+Ithil Greenleaf ---- she wrote about that in the introduction
Also Jane Eyre & The Great Gatsby
yes !
Definately
lets be honest, you're just listing those because you read them in school.
+seraphiccandy21 no. I just love literature. Wuthering Heights is also one of my favourites.
I'm from Germany! We didn't read those kind of books in school. :) I hat to read them on my own.
***** Wuthering Heights is terribly depressing IMO, I prefer crime novels by Agatha Christie. But if you do like Psycho you should consider reading Perfume by Patrick Sueskind!I think the original is german? and maybe clockwork orange...but that one comes with a definate warning for violence
Alice through the Looking Glass. Where would comedy be today without Lewis Carroll showing the result of combining absurdity with logic?
thank you!
Love it,
I was hoping to see "Alice through the looking glass" too
without it, we wouldn't have the origin of fantasy fiction, and ---
Jude the Obscure, Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Lolita by Vladimir nabokov
Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden,
Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
One of the first books I read as a child!
*cough cough* i have something in my throat *cough cough* War and Peace *cough cough*
Anna,stop trying to fight in war
War and peace is in her second list, and she also makes a call out to Anna karinina
That was funny 😄 I agree.
Am I the only person that loves reading but has never read the 'Harry Potter' series and has little desire to do so?
seraphyne13 you are not the only one
I tried to read it once, but it was too juvenile for me.
Fuck harry potter an rowling!
If u r older than 14 don't bother at all. It's too juvenile...
Of Mice and Men?? Seriously??
Lol yeah, I tried so many times and couldn't get into it.
I found Of Mice and Men to be lackluster. Maybe it was because I had already seen the 1939 movie version (Which is a very literal translation from book to page) and there was nothing new to discover in the book. But it was a bit of a let down for me.
If youre not enjoying it, I would highly recommend watching the version with Gary Sinese and John Malcovich (not sure what year it was filmed, some time in the 90's I think). After watching it, then I would try to read it again. I found that version to draw me in moreso than others I had seen.
Residential Bookworm Oh the 1994 one. I've seen it. I liked the '39 one better. The story is good but it's so short that there really isn't any new information in the book that the movies don't give you.
Juonithz Ramos Its just the added depth the movie gives you upon going back and reading the novel, sometimes I find I cant jump into a plot heavy book right away, I need to watch the movie first so I have somw base of what Im getting into. Doesnt happen often, but not unheard of hahaha
ummm.... Little Woman?
It's Little Women, but yeah, definitely!
She might mean 'The Little Woman' (later a film with Ingrid Bergman 'The Inn of the Sixth Happiness') about a Christian Missionary in China before the Communist Takeover.
+millertas oh, right, I shouldn't have assumed. Thanks! :)
Yeah, I meant little women, it should be on this list
Yes that is what I thought! Where is little women? I loved that book
How the hell is Les MIs not on here? In fact, where are all of the foreign books besides American and British authors?
I would really like a modern movie of 1984
Edgy pumpkin we are technically living it 😂😅
It's called America 2018
10: 1984- George Orwell
9: Grapes of Wrath- John Steinbeck
8: Lord of the Flies- William Golding
7: Lolita- Vladimir Nabokov
6: Jane Eyre- Charlotte Braunte
5: Catcher in the rye- JD Salinger
4: Harry Potter series- JK Rowling
3: Pride & Prejudice- Jane Austen
2: Scarlett Letter- Nathaniel Hawthrone
HM: Number the Stars- Lois Lowry, Farenheit 451
1: To Kill a Mockingbird
Most of these were either excessively sentimental or depressingly cynical. And the Harry Potter books are just a bit of fluff. I think you got your selection off of a sixth grade summer reading list.
Harry Potter is far from fluff.
LOLOL!
What about Jane Eyre? Not only is it a classic, it teaches women empowerment, bravery, and to stand up for yourself.
Yeah it’s good but definitely not as good as Wuthering Heights. Jane Eyre is way more classical while Wuthering Heights is revolutionary and innovative, definitely one of the greatest English poems.
The Diary of Anne Frank?
YESS that is the best
I agree, but they were go using on novels, and I guess that's more of an autobiography!
The fact that Harry Potter was included over this book or books from other countries shows that these lists are prepared by socially myopic fools.
scarletfluerr or because Harry Potter is highly influential and made many kids interested in reading and writing?
+Casey J but you see, Harry Potter isn't a masterpiece, not something that changed people's thoughts and lives
gone with the wind changed my life
also Agatha christies "and then there were none".
Nyan-Chan gone with the wind is a romance novel and not in league with literature.
ramlinshoes gone with the wind is a great piece of literature and shouldn't be taken as just a romance novel. lots of novels are centred around romance (wuthering heights, pride and prejudice). while i agree those books are more momentous and groundbreaking than gone with the wind, it still remains a brilliant piece of literature that explores some great themes such as reconstruction, strife, gender and race, identity, coming of age and society
Loved reading Gone with the wind! Read it twice already. It's fantastic as the movie.
One Hundred Years of Solitude -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
So good 🫡😊
You guys are killing me with this list. Of Mice and Men? Series of Unfortunate Events? My Antonia? Laura Ingalls Wilder?! These books were written beautifully!
My favourite series of books. *is not biased or anything*
As a kid I loved Anne of Green Gables loved the books loved the TV series I still do love it. It has a special place in my memory and heart because back when I was 10 or so had to get an EEG because I was epileptic so I had to stay up all night and my mom stayed up with me and we watched Anne of Green Gables all night.
I don't think they added Anne of the Green Gables because it's considered a children's novella. They need to make a separate video for children's novels...and I have my own separate list for that which includes the Green Gables.
Series of Unfortunate Events is my favorite childhood series! The writer took the recycled plot of orphaned children and created fantasy with it. Villain that is both terrifying and hilarious, side characters that are quirky and unique, outstanding and complex man characters... the writing is terribly smooth and eloquent, and perfectly paced. The series is the embodiment of perfect literature for children.
Top 10 once upon a time moments please!!!!
Yessssssss!!!
Yess plsss
Top 10 evil queen's outfits!
ughhh yessss number 1 would be all captian swan moments 😂😂
YES!
Dracula, Sherlock Holmes Series, Lord of the Rings, Devil in the White City, Night, Great Gatsby, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest... there are plenty of books that should have at least gotten honorable mentions. I mean Sherlock Holmes is the most famous literary character of all time and Tolkien has had a huge influence on literature. I would have rather seen Lord of the Rings on the list then Catcher in the Rye, which is probably the WORST book I've ever read. You can call it a classic all you want but that book was terrible.
I honestly loved Catcher in the Rye and absolutely hated Lord of the Rings. It's all subjective.
Sherlock Holmes over Harry Potter.
No way.
I also hated Catcher in the Rye but I may be one of the phonies he's trying to protect children from.
I hated Catcher in The Rye as well. Literature like any art is subjective so what resonates with one person might not with another. I would add Jane Eyre, Stranger in a Strange Land and Animal Farm to many of the books you listed as books that had a serious influence on how I thought about the world in general. I would rather die than have to read Moby Dick again, two of the worst months of my entire life trying to get through that snooze fest. Only book I strongly agree with from this list is To Kill a Mockingbird, that is one of the greatest books of all time.
No The Great Gatsby or The Lord of the Rings or Anna Karenina...
East of Eden?
I'd add another Steinbeck novel - of mice and men
AGREE a definite top ten and The Old Man and the Sea for another genius short novel.
Of mice and men is one of my least favorite books of all time. Perhaps it was just because of the age and time at which I read it but it really rubbed me the wrong way. At the same time though I understand a lot of it’s message
Totally agree with you. Though I never read the book, but saw the movie I was very curious about it.
Why is this on Ms Mojo? Why not on watch mojo?
I know right it's not like books are only for women
Why are all the books somewhat cliche and predictable, as per usual for WatchMojo, ought to be the question, surely....
+chatanwarrior to the point
Thank goodness this channel wasn't hacked like watchmojo
How was watchmojo hacked what happened
You can die without Harry Potter, but you cant without reading Dostoevskiy!!!
Tatiana Terza Yes!
FINALY
Tatiana Terza Funny you mention, I was watching these trying to find a new book to read after reading the count of Monte Cristo and people suggest the brothers Karamazov.. googled the author you mentioned and he wrote that, so it is meant to be...
I don't think so
According to LITERARY CRITICS, the best novels are either:---1.) WAR & PEACE by Leo Tolstoy; 2.) DON QUIXOTE by Miguel De Cervantes; 3.) ULYSSES by James Joyce....
No one has ever honestly read from front to back War and Peace or Ulysses unless they are doing it as part of a Doctoral thesis in literature. or are full of crap..Boring is what they are
So glad to hear you value the opinion of the elite over your own. Sounds like living in the totalitarian state of 1984.
I read Ulysses up to page 300. I have read tons of books & always completed them until-- Ulysses. Yes it changed my life. It took forever for me to want to read a book again. Ulysses is the most overrated novel of all time. I believe Joyce must have checked into rehab after writing it.
With regard to Tolstoy and Cervantes, their original texts were not written in english. When works of fiction are translated into other languages they are altered, and a different translator will always interpret the text in subtlety different ways. It is difficult to compare translated works of fiction.
Had to study Wuthering Heights when I was at uni. Every time I tried to read it sat down or on my bed I fell asleep. So I tried to read it stood up. I still have the scars from the coffee table. Great for insomnia, but nothing else.
What about Lord of the rings, Jules Verne's novels, Jane Eyre, and The hunger games?
Ikr
The Hunger Games does not belong on a top 10
+Madeline Salehi Sure it does. I bet you haven't ever read the series.
I love Jane Eyre and did enjoy hunger games but I'm not sure its so great I would have to read it before I die. it was an enthralling series but not on my top ten, top 100 maybe
Jane Eyre was my favorite book growing up. I read it over 10 times. So I thought I might like Wuthering Heights as well. Not so much.
Harry Potter? Seriously? What about Les Misérables? War and Peace? Don Quijote?
*GAH*, I absolutely detest The Catcher In The Rye!
From the bottom of my heart, I cannot see, what should be so world changingly brilliant about that boring and plotless novel!
i was bored of holden 20 pages in. there are so many better coming of age stories that are not about some whiny brat
***** What?
What are your favorite books?
omg I agree completely I hated having to read that
Memoire de Majora I would have to say The Daylight War and Words of Radiance.
I know, I know
"Eeeeew fantasy!"
"Schame on you!"
"No wonder you can't appreciate a masterwork like Catcher in the Rye if you just read stupid things like that!"
"NEEEEEEEEEEEERD!"
etc.
But honsetly, I don't think I've ever read a book that was quite as gripping and well written as those two....
A few of my favs are: A Christmas Carol, All's Quiet on the Western Front, and Frankenstein
Frankie G All Quiet on the Western Front! I forgot about that book, fantastic! It changed my life when I read it, such a powerful novel!
I read All Quiet on the Western Front and To Hell and Back when I was a kid, left me with a lifelong distaste for war and fighting.
I read All's Quiet On The Western Front this year and I think this book should be a must read all around the world. The in-depth look into what war really is like would change our political debates completely!
How about including "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"? Taught me to see everything differently; is still influencing my choices to this day.
I feel like you missed a huge part of the hp books. racism and prejudice. the wizards (generally, but not all) see themselves as some master race, and anything/one else is below them. not only is it story about a boy who defeats an immortal dark lord, it is also a book about a bunch of kids showing up full grown adults with their heads in the sand. a story that shows equality is a better way to go rather than jumping to the conclusion that you are born better. it shows that kids and teens are to be valued for their insight, even if it seems ignorant. that kids and teens can defend and save a world. it is a story about a terrified kid walked to his death to take care of the one true home he has ever had. I understand that the video has a limit, but with all its undertones and side plots, hp needs to be higher.
agreed. I don't get how people are hating on HP in the comments
"It is a story" you said it yourself so chill out. Now fantasy books are getting picked apart because they don't include the things you see fit & include things you could do without? You do know those books aren't real, right? Get over it dear 😉
@@CrystalRose333 23 year old me completely agrees with you. 18 year old me made this comment. As a teenager I was avoiding reality, opting to seek the true values of life in books. Justifying my obsessions with the "adult themes" because people kept telling me to grow up and grow out of the things that being me joy. I still love the Harry Potter books and movies, and I still love all the "kids" things I did back then, but now I go to them for brief escapes, not diving head first to completely avoid reality. And honestly, now I find it exhausting to come home and watch a kids show to turn off my brain for a bit and it's all political and preachy.
There are too many amazing books in history it's hard to do a list like this.
Lord of the Flies is more than an honorable mention it should be their instead of Harry Potter.
I read Lord of flies excellent book
Ah Harry Potter. I think you're really missing out if you haven't read those books. I'm still of the opinion these books influenced many gifted new YA authors, just look at the new books now versus before 10 or 15 years ago and there are so many currently with high fantasy elements in them now.
rc_kunoichi I would miss nothing if I don't read Harry Potter books. If I have to choose books based on fantasy genre, I would choose Lord of the Rings, anyday
“The Grapes of Wrath” is my all-time favorite book. I highly recommend anything Steinbeck wrote. “In Dubious Battle” is one of his lesser known works, but I almost like it as much as “Grapes.” Superb reading, and oh, so timely!
This list is from an extreme American-centric perspective. The books that aren't written by Americans are written by Brits. There's a multitude of life changing publications that had to first be translated into English. Do not those great works surpass the significance of some listed here?
I was so hoping "To Kill a Mockingbird" was on the list. I'm so glad to see it's # 1. I love all the characters. Gregory Peck's portrayal was brilliant, & he is how I will always picture Atticus.
What about A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Tis a far far better book I've read...
The incipit alone should have made the list.
They did include another by Dickens so I suppose you could say it was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
My question exactly.
Bleak House is a classic. Jarndyce v. Jarndyce is a classic case of the law gone amok. A scathing indictment of the law.
The fact that Harry Potter made into this list but masterpieces like “The Hobbit”, “War and Peace”, “Les Miserables”, “The name of the Rose”, “Crime and Punishment”, “Notre Dame de Paris”, “The Master and Margherita”, “The Betrothed”, “If this is a man” (I could go on forever) didn’t honestly makes me question what kind of criteria were used to create it.
Harry Potter is NOT a life changing book, let alone one of the best books of all time.
Also, only English books are life changing, according to this video. What a discover. *Sarcasm intensifies*
I don't care that 2 years have passed, but don't you dare disrespecting Harry Potter like that. That book means a lot to me
When I was fifteen and had read my way though all the children´s books, teen/young adult books and crime novels in my home and the local library my mum was not sure what should come next but eventually handed me a book the book that would change and shape my life, a book that would change every time I would pick it up one part or a character would speak to me in a profound way but the next time it would have changed because I have changed between readings. It is book that grows with you and changes, it will make you sad, happy, confused and angry, sometimes all at once and every time you are finished reading it you feel a emptiness and sadness in your soul but you also feel fulfilled and happy and sometimes you will just turn it round and read it again and sometimes you will just throw it way and make a silent wow (that you know you will never keep) to never read it again.
The book I am speaking off is One Hundred Years of Solitude, Cien años de soledad or in my language Hundrað ára einsemd.
I see that a lot of people are mad that some books were mentioned and some were not and came here to the comment section to do the same but then I realised that is my opinion but the people that made the list obviously have a different taste and opinion than I do. So in stead of arguing about it I am just going to recommend One Hundred Years of Solitude to all of you and hope that you could all recommend a book to me that I have to read before I die.....
And this is on MS Mojo because men don't read right? Oh! Thanks god I'm gay..........
Yeah, I still don't get why there are two channels now lol Men don't read... women don't play video games... it's a good thing we have these separate channels to teach us our gender roles xD
oh my god, how much did you have to lurk to find a dumb reason to be offended?
Yeesh... some people really don't understand humour.
Kitty O'Neill oh was OP's comment supposed to be funny? I mean if it was then I'm sorry, since there so many true assholes in youtube it's hard to tell the sarcasm apart anymore
I can't speak for the OP, but I read it as sarcasm and replied in kind xD
what about Anna Karenina, les miserables, madame Bovary, war and peace, doctor Ghivago, the name of the rose? Oh right if it's not written in english then it doesn't count.
again with the videos that were better off in the Watchmojo channel
Msmojo=watchmojo
#1: The Lord of the Rings
#2: A Tale of Two Cities
#3: The Screwtape Letters
#4: The Scarlet Pimpernel
So many more great books....
It seems to me the books covered American history more than anything affecting humanity in general. Better title would be “10 books every American should read“.
I really like the books listed, but the list wasn't too great. It's like the producers never really heared about authors from some other countries...
It's impossible to do a Top 10 of books to read before dying. It's difficult enough to do a top hundred, or thousand. This list is painfully anglo-centric as well #tryharder
I already want another top 10 of this
Okay, wow! Not even an honorable mention for Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray," or Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend." Nothing for any of those true classics genuinely *worth* reading?? Really..... An exciting and powerful novel about Man's failures and desires to play God (which by the way is nothing like the classic movie featuring Boris Karloff.) Wilde's novel which is truly dangerous and disturbing, even in this modern age. One of the incredibly few novels that is genuinely dangerous if read by an immature mind. And last, a novel that deals with just what it means to be human, in comparison to the new dominant race of creatures on Earth. None of those even got an honorable mention?! You know what?.... Thumbs down for a video list made from an obvious google search.
I have read both Frankenstein and Dorian Grey, and I was not impressed with either. The former failed to raise any sympathy from me as the Doctor was an idiot and the monster was truly that--a monster--Who was deserving of all of the hate thrown his way. While the latter promised sensuality and wanton behavior but delivered only mild mischievous manner.
I have not read I am Legend.
Juonithz Ramos
I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing you actually read "Frankenstein." The monster wasn't a monster at the beginning. It was a hopeful creature who was abandoned by his father/god. A gentle soul. A truly kind-hearted creature who was horribly mistreated by everyone he came in contact with. He was turned into a monster because everyone treated him as though he was one..... simply based on his looks. Nurture won out over Nature. At least for a while. Ultimately, the creature regretted the evil it had done. Wishing to atone, it accepted its fate.
What makes Dorian Gray dangerous is that it doesn't just highlight Man's baser instincts. But presents them for all to see. Problem is, it does so in an all too honest light. Pointing out the fact that deep down, carnal pleasures, violence, even perversion not only hold fascination as things to be experienced; but also bring pleasure to those causing them. Nothing is hidden. Ultimately there's a moral lesson. But the "other side" is presented in all its glory! That's what makes the book so genuinely dangerous to younger minds. Such a reader, just as Gray himself does, might also wish to indulge. To experience those pleasurable baser aspects of humanity.
None of these could be in the top 10 before you die. The Picture of Dorian Gray is utter drivel (a lot of Oscar Wilde is drivel) and I am Legend is a good novel but not a great one.
I appreciate your passion for these books, but I tell you I've read and disliked them. The creature Prometheus is abandoned, yes, but he then rages against innocent life in form of the child he killed and the woman he framed for the murder. Yes people were cruel to him and he was horribly mistreated, but that does not give him leave to do the horrendous things he did. I felt no sympathy for the monster. I call him that because that's what he was in my eyes. (My mother, however, shares your POV and sympathizes with him immensely)
Dorian Gray did show me all of those things you mentioned, but it failed to have me feel them. A good book gives you the phantom experiences of its protagonist, but I found that this book did not do that for me.
The Picture of Dorian Gray... a drivel? What are you on?
Top 10:
Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller
The Idiot - Feodor Dostoevsky
Henry and June - Anais Nin
The Vampire Lestat -Ann Rice
Portrait of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
Steppenwolf - Herman Hess
Pan - Knute Hamson
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Wolf
My fav :-
1. Gone with the wind
2. Other side of the nidnight
3. Me before you
4. The fountainhead
5. Greatest salesman of the world
6. Endless night
7. Maximum city
8. The kite runner
9.Night
10. Ego is the enemy
11. How to win friends and influence people
Thumbs down just because you put Ayn Rand on your list. That woman is poison.
I would put His Dark Materials series as life changing since it speaks of the soul, religion, god and ones connection to parallel worlds.
And for those who said Harry Potter was a dumb pick, it wasn't. The books were life changing because the series grew up with so many people and spoke about many issues if you dared to look a little more into it. The issues of birth, class, race, the opposing government who says all is well when it isn't, the educational system made to brain wash children into lambs for slaughter. It is very powerful. Not to mention the frustration of a teenager growing up. This series grew up with me. I adored it and it gave me a friend in a way. Not to mention it connected many friendships with other children who were reading it with me. This book encouraged me to read more! Because of Harry Potter I would had never read any of those books listened on this video and I'm glad for it.
It is really american/british litterature focused. There are a lot of novels written in other parts of the world that have influenced society and culture all over the world. But I can understand that those lists have been made by americans for americans so no wonder you are less familiar with Umberto Eco's "the name of the rose" or Leon Tolstoï's "War and Peace".
Nice topic. I'd like to see more book list.
Things Fall Apart was an absolutely fantastic book. The author was Nigerian, I loved that book, I even read it out loud to my children. Great, just great.
Don't forget the Outsiders by S.E Hinton
My Favorite Book😍
Stay golden Ponyboy
The Green Mile..The V.C. Andrews series Flowers in the Attic
flowers in the attic was heart wrenching
The Cutler Family series was really good
YES!! flowers in the attic crushed my heart
I've watched all the movies as well but as usual, not as good as the books
The Green Mile is awesome
Brave New World...I really don't understand why Harry Potter was on the list. Good story I just don't think it deserved to be on this list.
Really???? only English authors in 200 years??? Please!
I loved Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Jane Austen "Persuasion" and "Pride and Prejudice" are several books I fell in love with. Another that grabbed me - "Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck - incredible story that taught me about family- mind blowing!
Harry Potter
The Mortal Instruments
Percy Jackson
The Maze Runner
The Hunger Games
Crazy Rich Asians
The Heroes of Olympus
I could not put any of those books down they were so amazing!
This list is top 10 books written in English by British and American writers written in the modern era.
Even in its niche perspective, the list is disappointing at best. The books picked are overrated that aren't top anything.
There are no biggest writers and novels ever on this list like Thomas Mann,Tolstoy,Dostoyevski,Servantes,Markes...What a stupid list
yay my favorite books hit the list. my favorite is to kill a mockingbird. Atticus is the best male figure I've read in a book. I like pride and prejudice Jane Austens other novels are wonderful to. I think little women should have made the list but that's okay.
100% agree! To Kill a Mockingbird is my all time favorite book, & Atticus is a wonderful character! Before I read it Little Women was one of my favorites.
+lincolneagle Of course I was in middle school when Little Women was a favorite.
Fantastic book! I agree that Aticus is a great character! I love Boo Radley too, mostly because it was based on Truman Capote, the author's childhood friend!
oh yay, Little women was the first book I read when I was 6, it was such great !
Though at that time, I really didn't get everything right ;)
+Cami Castle I believe Truman Capote inspired the character Dill. Not Boo Radley.
A book people should read is Whisper. It grabbed my heart, broke it, and put it back together. It opened my eyes to a lot.
Oddly enough, I really love the book "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster. Its a children's book that doesn't cover huge social controversy, but it does give you a different perspective of day to day things.
No Jules Verne?
Crime and punishment
Harry Potter teaches you.
Harry Potter teaches you love.
Harry Potter teaches you friendship.
Harry Potter teaches you difference between evil and good.
Harry Potter teaches you what leads us to choose evil and why being good is better.
Harry Potter teaches you a tale of success (of JK Rowling)
Harry Potter entertains you.
And you illitrates fuckin say that it shouldn't be on this list.
Some of my favourite books: 1984 - Orwell. The Life of Pi - Martel. The White Tiger -Adiga. Wuthering Heights - Bronte. Frankenstein - Shelly (Have to admit I needed to read notes on it first). The Rachel Papers - Amis. Staying On - Scott. Barney's Version - Richler. The Princess Bride - Goldman (also The Marathon Man). The Catcher in the Rye - Sallinger.
John Steinbeck writes this book honestly, without blinking. Yes, it did change how I thought about rural agricultural people. Dignity comes to mind.
Really? No Don Quixote? Really?
William Mcguinness Dom Quixote is good, but missing Frankeinstein? Dracula? Mysterious Island? It's ridiculoua
The Color Purple...?
What about The Lord of the Rings? Or Sherlock Holmes?
Sherlock Holmes is awesome. But life-changing?
As a series, it is good, but most are short stories. The best novel is Hound of the Baskervilles, but it's not a "Top 10"
Lord of the Rings is crap. The modern fantasy genre may owe Tolkien, but it far surpasses anything he wrote (although The Hobbit is a lovely book).
Has Mojo heard of Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Kant, Camus, Agatha Christie, Shakespeare, Rousseau, Stendhal? These are great authors and thinkers. People should read them(all of their works)
Have a small list of books that I personally reccomend that you read before you start to push up daisies.
Trainspotting- Irvine Welsh
Gone With The Wind- Magaret Mitchell
Les Miserables- Victor Hugo
The Master And Margarita- Mikhail Bulgakov
Skagboys- Irvine Welsh
Dune- Frank Herbert
The Foundation Trillogy- Issac Asimov
Frankenstein- Mary Shelley
The Bell Jar- Sylvia Plath
A Confederacy Of Dunces- John Kennedy Toole
Fight Club- Chuck Palahniuk
No Bible?
If you're doing a video like this you are really only considering books that have been made into films so you have visuals, which limits the options. My personal list would include "Frankenstein" (though it's one of the worst books I've every read), "Doctor Faustus," "The Brothers Karamazov," "A Suitable Boy", and "Hotel Paradise". I would have added Proust's great work -- however you want to translate the title -- but that has to be read at least twice which is asking too much of the average person.
Remembrance of Things Past would have been great for visual clips of one of Anthony Hopkin's best portrayals ever, IMHO.
The Brothers Karamazov is an amazing book.
Yeah I like Frankenstein. It was good.
Of course, just for the record, I'd like to say that it just might be a bit more difficult to read 'em AFTER one's death.
I see that this video is strongly bias to English/North American Literature. It has left key novels of a more global literature, like Cervantes' Don Quixote, Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and many other of similar prestige. It would have been great if the list would have picked the best book(s) of many cultural literature, for example: a book from Hispanic-american lit, lit from the Orient, European lit., or some pattern like this.
I loved For Whom The Bell Tolls, Gone With The Wind, Little Women, The Hounds of Baskerville, Are You There God It's Me Margaret, The Velvet Room, and The Oz series of books.