WTF! Modern Library's Reader's list of best books -- !?

[Kablooie]

The board's top 10 is:

ULYSSES - James Joyce
THE GREAT GATSBY - F. Scott Fitzgerald
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN - James Joyce
LOLITA - Vladimir Nabakov
BRAVE NEW WORLD - Aldous Huxley
THE SOUND AND THE FURY - William Faulkner
CATCH-22 - Joseph Heller
DARKNESS AT NOON - Arthur Koestler
SONS AND LOVERS - D.H. Lawrence
THE GRAPES OF WRATH - John Steinbeck

I might not agree with all the choices but they are understandable.
But then here is the reader's list of the top 10:

ATLAS SHRUGGED - Ayn Rand
THE FOUNTAINHEAD - Ayn Rand
BATTLEFIELD EARTH - L. Ron Hubbard
THE LORD OF THE RINGS - J.R.R. Tolkien
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - Harper Lee
1984 - George Orwell
ANTHEM - Ayn Rand
WE THE LIVING - Ayn Rand
MISSION EARTH - L. Ron Hubbard
FEAR - L. Ron Hubbard

Who the hell are these readers?

http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/

[Little Star]

1. You sure that website isn't really called....

www.modernrepublicanlibrary?

[Staph]

2. Perhaps . . .

but modern republican is an oxymoron!

[Curmudgeoness]

3. What are you doing trolling wingnut sites?!?!?!?!

Do you have to ask who these readers are!

It is quite apparent that the next time there is voting for the "readers list", we have to DU that poll.

That list is so pathetic, that if I were Modern Library, I would be ashamed to print it. Besides "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "1984", there is not one book worth reading. (Sorry to all the Tolkien fans, understand that this is just my personal opinion.)

[Goblinmonger]

4. I loves me some Tolkien

but in no world is his work better than either 1984 or Mockingbird.

That Rand and Hubbard are on the same list with those three books tells me all I need to know about the bullshit factor of said list.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. We really do have to DU the next poll they do.

It is quite apparent that the freepers were all over that vote. I think it is embarrassing to all book lovers. And if I were Modern Library, there would not be another "readers choice" poll.

And I knew someone would have to jump to the Tolkien defense....which is fine, I know that there are many fans.

[wet.hen88]

6. wtf indeed!

They got Repub lit and Scientologist lit? Some big fat LIARS did that poll and uh, WHEN? was it taken? And speaking of LRR, I forgot Gandalf in my list of fave book characters... Back to list, what ass or asses put it out?!

[Brainstormy]

7. My bookclub

has been reading the ML Greatest List for years. We just passed our 50th book and it's been a great experience. We're reading from the critic's list, not the reader's, but there's actually a lot of overlap. (Rand, Hubbard, et al, notwithstanding.)