Discussion » Questions » Books and Literature » What have been the most widely read books in history? No two lists seem to agree.
Benedict Arnold

What have been the most widely read books in history? No two lists seem to agree.

While virtually all lists place The Bible in the top position there is little agreement after that. The Qur'an is often placed second but the rest of the list will be a shambles. 

Books like Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code and Lord of the Rings score very highly but that's because, with a world population of 7.4 billion, mass advertising/promotion has secured sales that earlier, greater books could never have achieved. Even rubbish like Fifty Shades of Grey has made the cut on some lists.

What would be your choice for a top-ranking list. (Choose your own number.)

Posted - March 7, 2017
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Responses


  • I would agree that the Bible tops the list. I would definitely place Lord of The Rings next on the list. Harry Potter also rates highly. I personally think the Chronicles of Narnia rate fairly high as well. I can't for the life of me understand how 50 Shades of Grey is so popular though. It's essentially pornography with a back story.
      March 7, 2017 11:26 PM MST
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  • Thanks, Corey. It's surprising how many of the great books failed to make the cut but main be explained by mass producing for a larger readership these days. 
      March 7, 2017 11:39 PM MST
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  • Didge... Going to be pedantic here ... Your question isn't clear on what I think is the best book or the most read book .. I'm going to use the latter interpretation ... Personally I'd place the Bible, Quran at the top... Next I'd be thinking about uncle Mao's little red one ... Possibly a contentious entry but if love to hear your thoughts This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at March 8, 2017 8:52 AM MST
      March 8, 2017 3:12 AM MST
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  • Those three are either on top, or near the top of quite a few lists. 

    Yeah, my question was definitely vague. I asked a question about the Guinness Book of Records and one reply said that one JW book was second to the Bible in the list of the world's "most circulated" books. I checked out a few lists and, although I didn't find that one, found a lot of surprising entries -- including rubbish like Fifty Shades of Grey. It was clear that with a larger market created by the population explosion, modern marketing was pushing books to the top of the list that probably weren't there on merit. Hence the question.
      March 8, 2017 8:56 AM MST
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  • A bit of research has shown me the Qu'ran isn't even top ten. It is after all an oral tradition.  
    Mao's Quotations were "required" reading in China during his reign by anyone there who could read. It is second. 
    Fantasy tripe like Twilight and Harry Potter are also in there with classics Gone With the Wind, LOTR, and the Diary of Anne Frank. Sad that poor Annie didn't live to see the royalties.
    I was surprised not to find Mein Kampf, though it has recently been authorized for reprint. 
    On my own list, I'd include some version of Websters Dictionary. 
    What is shocking overall is what literary crap makes the official lists. Consensus is a poor standard.
    But take heart, Kim Kardashian's selfie book just came out; The Bible should be shaking in its sandals. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at March 8, 2017 9:57 AM MST
      March 8, 2017 5:26 AM MST
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  • The "most popular" lists were nothing like I expected. I also wondered about Mein Kampf although it had a relatively limited market. Webster's also has some limitation since it's a dictionary of American English. Loved your last sentence! :D
      March 8, 2017 9:02 AM MST
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  • 34276
    The Bible is number one.
      March 8, 2017 6:14 AM MST
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  • Without a doubt. It's the long time champion. Even so, you should read the final sentence in Z's answer. :)
      March 8, 2017 9:04 AM MST
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  • Which raises another question... the Bible is probably the most bought book... but read?
      March 8, 2017 11:24 AM MST
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  • It probably depends on which branch of the religion they belong to. The evangelicals tend to read it every day. The Catholics recommend it but I doubt if it's kept up as much. When the world was about 60 years younger I read the preface to the Douay version (which was then the Catholic recommendation) and while it encouraged Catholics to read the Bible every day, for which they would receive time off Purgatory, it warned against truing to interpret it because "only the church can do that". 
      March 8, 2017 11:41 AM MST
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  • 7280
    A few comments from this Catholic---

    One of my college electives was the Pentateuch.  We read it of course, but it became perfectly clear to me that I would have probably gotten very little out of it (or received "enlightenment") without the additional information about the time, place, culture, etc. that was part of the course.

    (And it turns out that theology in general is not really the best subject for self-study without some direction when you first start.)

    Catholics receive a lot of information about the bible over the course of their education.  (Sunday school, if not parochial school.)

    And the proper interpretation of what one is reading can be quite useful---imagine this:  Most of us humans use the phrase "the sun sets in the West," and most of us know that phrase is an inaccurate description of what we know about our solar system.  And a person reading that phrase without the appropriate additional information would drawn erroneous conclusions (interpret incorrectly) what he saw in writing.

    So how do I as a Catholic read the bible?---by asking the Holy Spirit to inform my reading so that I learn what I am meant to learn from whatever reading session I undertake.

    And what I read is for my benefit, and it involves others only as it helps me to be a better Christian.
    This post was edited by tom jackson at March 8, 2017 2:55 PM MST
      March 8, 2017 1:51 PM MST
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  • Tom, I'd have been surprised if you hadn't been able to comment intelligently on that. As a young man I was astonished to read that cautionary remark. Do you know if Douay is still the official version, or if more recent versions carry the same warning? 
      March 8, 2017 2:56 PM MST
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  • 7280
    I haven't bought a bible in about 50 years.

    And I remember at the time checking that I did in fact buy an approved version---made much easier by having access to a monastery and a priory full of priests who had a minimum of one Ph.D each.

    I also have a Ryrie Study Bible---which I use like I use the 2 volume Syntopicon of the Great Books of the Western World.

    If I wanted to get the "latest, best" translation available of the Catholic bible for reading at home, I would simply seek out a Catholic book store.  (50 years is a long time.)
      March 9, 2017 10:36 AM MST
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  • That sounds like am exceptional monastery. I've been even less supportive of the Bible publishing industry than yourself. It's gotta be nearly 60 years for me. 
      March 9, 2017 12:37 PM MST
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  • 7280
    Well, the original edition has no updates---I guess god already has said what he meant.

    You only need one bible in your lifetime. This post was edited by tom jackson at March 9, 2017 6:10 PM MST
      March 9, 2017 4:12 PM MST
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  • I think the general opinion is that while the original is sacrosanct the translations have improved. 

    Personally I prefer the King James version and whenever I quote Scripture on one of these sites, that's the only I always use. 
      March 9, 2017 6:11 PM MST
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  • 7280
    Oh, I agree, I just put out a one liner there.

    Of course the King James version is not approved by the Catholic Church---after all, it is the official bible of the Church of England.
      March 10, 2017 12:47 PM MST
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  • 5835
    I am told (without reference) that the bible is also the most shoplifted book.
      March 9, 2017 11:50 AM MST
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  • 34276
    Yes. It is the most read, bought and stolen book every year.
      March 11, 2017 4:26 PM MST
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  • 5835
    There are big differences between most read, most sold, and most published. Euclid's "Elements Of Geometry" is right up there with the bible, but you would have a hard time counting all the versions and publishers.
      March 8, 2017 6:20 AM MST
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  • Thanks, Jewels. You certainly surprised me with that one. I know it's the most published textbook ever but wouldn't have placed it so close to the top of the list. 
      March 8, 2017 9:09 AM MST
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  • 22891
    the bible probably
      March 8, 2017 10:40 AM MST
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  • Yes, Pearl. That's unarguably #1. 
      March 8, 2017 2:57 PM MST
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