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A survey done to mark World Book Day revealed that two out of three Brits claimed to having read a book they actually haven't. George Orwell's 1984 tops the list, with 42% admitting to having lied about reading the book. Here's a list of the top 10 fibbed about books.
1. 1984-George Orwell (42%)
2. War and Peace- Leo Tolstoy (31%)
3. Ulysses- James Joyce (25%)
4. The Bible (24%) (!!!)
5. Madame Bovary- Gustave Flaubert (16%)
6. A Brief History of Time-Stephen Hawking (15%)
7. Midnight's Children- Salman Rushdie (14%)
8. In Remembrance of Things Past- Marcel Proust (9%)
9. Dreams from My Father- Barack Obama (6%)
10. The Selfish Gene- Richard Dawkins (6%)
Read more about the survey here.
Well, there is no such list for India, but according to me, the most fibbed about books would be God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy and Midnight's Children. A lot of people I have met claim to have read the first, but can tell me nothing save "Oh, her writing is very good, but I didn't like it that much". I frankly admit, I haven't read anything out of the above list except 1984 and Brief History of Time, and and an abridged form of the Bible. I started Midnight's Children, but haven't got beyond the grandfather's marriage.
I don't really think there's any point in lying about what books you have read: you'll get caught anyways. You're thinking of impressing the other person, but if all you have to say about the book is that the writing is "great", rest assured, the other person is going to be on to you. Then you'll be in a worse state than you would have been if you had spoken the truth. I won't be high and mighty and say I've never done it, but a couple of awkward experiences( one forgetful one with Anna Karenina: I'll share it sometime) have taught me that it is better to keep my mouth shut than try to appear literary. Yes, I have read more Jeffrey Archer than Leo Tolstoy. If you are going to judge me for that, I'm not really sure I want to talk to you. What say you?
1. 1984-George Orwell (42%)
2. War and Peace- Leo Tolstoy (31%)
3. Ulysses- James Joyce (25%)
4. The Bible (24%) (!!!)
5. Madame Bovary- Gustave Flaubert (16%)
6. A Brief History of Time-Stephen Hawking (15%)
7. Midnight's Children- Salman Rushdie (14%)
8. In Remembrance of Things Past- Marcel Proust (9%)
9. Dreams from My Father- Barack Obama (6%)
10. The Selfish Gene- Richard Dawkins (6%)
Read more about the survey here.
Well, there is no such list for India, but according to me, the most fibbed about books would be God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy and Midnight's Children. A lot of people I have met claim to have read the first, but can tell me nothing save "Oh, her writing is very good, but I didn't like it that much". I frankly admit, I haven't read anything out of the above list except 1984 and Brief History of Time, and and an abridged form of the Bible. I started Midnight's Children, but haven't got beyond the grandfather's marriage.
I don't really think there's any point in lying about what books you have read: you'll get caught anyways. You're thinking of impressing the other person, but if all you have to say about the book is that the writing is "great", rest assured, the other person is going to be on to you. Then you'll be in a worse state than you would have been if you had spoken the truth. I won't be high and mighty and say I've never done it, but a couple of awkward experiences( one forgetful one with Anna Karenina: I'll share it sometime) have taught me that it is better to keep my mouth shut than try to appear literary. Yes, I have read more Jeffrey Archer than Leo Tolstoy. If you are going to judge me for that, I'm not really sure I want to talk to you. What say you?
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