The British have a long standing tradition as a literary nation including a whole range of works which are internationally known: Shakespeare´s plays, novels by Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy, poems by Byron and Shelley and popular fiction by writers such as Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But what do British people actually read? You might think that this strong literary heritage makes British people spend a lot of time and money on classic literature. But this is not necessarily the case. Do you wanto to find it out? Please continue reading ...
A lot of British people would say reading is one of their hobbies but this does not mean that they always read books. For a lot people, the only print they read in a day is the newspaper. Many of the tabloid readers are more interested in sports news and gossip about the stars than reading articles or editorials. Many people belong to book clubs where they can choose the titles want from a catalogue and then get them through the post. A lot of these clubs specialise in books about hobbies and pastimes, such as cookery, fishing, gardening, etc. or in reference books such as maps, encyclopaedias, dictionaries and manuals.
The following lists are from a 2001 survey showing the most popular types of books bought by men and women.
Women Men
1. Romance/love stories 1. Crime/thrillers
2. Cookery books 2. Specialist reference/text books
3. Puzzle/quiz books 3. Car repair manuals
4. Crime/thrillers 4. War/adventure stories
5. Gardening/plants 5. Road atlases
6. Food/drink 6. Sports/games books
7. Historical novels 7. Local street guides
8. Road atlases 8. Cookery books
9. Diet/health/beauty 9. Sports/games instruction books
10. 20th century novels 10. Science fiction
These lists obviously reflect the differences between men´s and women´s interests, but it is also interesting to see that no classic literature is included in each list. Similarly, a list of the top ten hardback books for the beginning of July 2002 includes three cookery books and the second part of the memoirs of Margaret Thatcher. People often wait and buy fiction in paperback, so the list may not give a true picture of the popularity of novels. But as the viewers of satellite and cable TV increase, is there still a place for books in Britain?
