Elizabeth Heffernan | Copy Co-Editor
So many books, so little time. On Friday, Feb. 7, the Amazon book editors released a list of the top 100 books to read in a lifetime, a list that was meant to span and enrich all stages of life from childhood to adulthood. But with so many options to choose from, how did these editors really do?
“I was impressed,” Professor of English Dr. Annamaria Formichella-Elsden said. “In the past when these ‘100 books you have to read’ kind of lists come out, they tend to be very traditional, kind of repeat the same old titles. But this list I can see a lot of different stories, different ages…different genres, different ethnic background, different genders, it just looks like a really good representative list.”
The list includes children’s books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and young adult novels such as The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Next to these books, there are classics like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which are two books from the list junior English major Hannah Puderbaugh would recommend to readers.
“I definitely recommend To Kill a Mockingbird. It says a lot about the story and the time it’s talking about and the real issues of that time,” Puderbaugh said.
What is it about these books that qualify them to be the top 100? Is it the writing, the subject matter, the themes? Sometimes the books hailed by some are not receive as well by others. The stories people bond with are not universal.
“It’s hard to write a list of 100 books that each person is going to feel a meaningful connection to,” Elsden said. “I can imagine for some people this list wouldn’t really resonate for them, depending on where they grew up and on what kind of issues interest them. I think that’s the point too, sometimes we learn from reading things we don’t like, or they make you think.”
“I would definitely add Jane Eyre,” Puderbaugh said. “I would add some Shakespeare. And Gone With the Wind was not on there, and that’s by far the best novel ever.”
Despite the difficulty of choosing a select few from the mass of options, what this list really shows is that books and reading will continue to be a significant and enriching part of life for many people.
“For me [books] are definitely going to continue, and for my children, and for my grandchildren if I have anything to say about it. There is just something about reading a book and having a book in your hand. The book smell is amazing, and you can’t get over the feel of a book,” Puderbaugh said. “It opens up whole new worlds to people. You can go anywhere in a book. It’s the most amazing form of adventure without having to pay for a plane ticket.”
“I think people will always want to read stories,” Elsden said. “Reading can make you a more empathetic person, because it almost puts you in different subject positions and the more times that you do that I think the more understanding you can be about people and about life.”
So, for the lover of classics, the science fiction buff, or the contemporary reader, the Amazon top 100 book list is a great place to start, or continue, the reading adventure.
Graphic by Justice Gage
