Germany's most favorite books

[Haltickling]

This evening, German TV presented Germany's 50 top favorite books in a 4 hours' prime time show. Several surprises among them, but I won't bore you with details.

The top 3 of the list were:

3) The Pillars of Earth (Ken Follett)
2) The Bible
1) Lord of the Rings (J.R. Tolkien)

Harry Potter ranked 9th (The Philosopher's Stone) and 21st (The Order of Phoenix). My own favorite book was not on the list: Tai Pan (James Clavell).

I find it quite amazing that the Bible achieved 2nd place, considering Germany is a rather secular country. Even more amazing is that the Bible was topped by LOTR!

The best-ranked book by a German author was "The Buddenbrooks" by Thomas Mann on 6th place.

 

[milagros317]

Interesting that the most popular book by a German author is Thomas Mann's "Buddenbrooks". (I am using the title without the definite article because that's the way the English translation, which I read, is sold. I will never forget the description of the visit to the dentist, leading to the death of Thomas Buddenbrooks, in that era before painkillers.)

Here, "Buddenbrooks" is virtually unknown, and Mann's most popular books are "Death in Venice", "The Magic Mountain", and "Dr. Faustus".

 

[Haltickling]

Buddenbrooks is a very German novel about a thoroughly German family, so it's probably not really interesting for non-Germans. We had to read a chapter of it at school, and it mortally bored me. Thomas Mann's Dr. Faustus is less well-known here, because most Germans had to read Goethe's "Faust" at school, and only the most avidly literary types liked it. Goethe is anathema to German students, therefore many Germans tend to avoid books with names even remotely similar to Goethe's works... 😛

 

[Azrael]

LotR is the most-read book of the century in general. The Bible's #2. That's worldwide, I think, not just in Germany... unless it's just Germany, and Britain, and America, and Canada. I think the Bible is the most purchased, with LotR in second place.

 

[Strider]

I know LOTR got voted greatest novel of the century in the US.Not sure if it ranked that high elsewhere,but it wouldn't surprise me.

But I can't believe anyone would place Order of the Phoenix above Goblet of Fire.

 

[the_Baron]

i like Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbevilles!