Skip navigation.

Kitty's Corner

World Book and Copyright Day 2009

Thursday, 23. April 2009, 13:09:28

, ,

World Book and Copyright Day, also known as International Day of the Book or World Book Days, is a yearly event on 23 April, organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright. The Day was first celebrated in 1995.

The connection between 23 April and books was first made in 1923 by booksellers in Spain as a way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes who died on that day. This became a part of the celebrations of the Saint George's Day (also 23 April) in the region, where it has been traditional since the medieval era for men to give roses to their lovers and since 1925 for the woman to give a book in exchange. Half the yearly sales of books in Catalonia are at this time with over 400,000 sold and exchanged for over 4 million roses.


Two thirds of people have claimed to read a book they haven’t

• 65% of people have lied about reading a book they haven’t, with 1984 being the most popular book to pretend to have read
• 41% of respondents confess to having turned to the last page to find out what happens before finishing a book
• 96% of people admit to staying up late to finish a book

George Orwell’s 1984 tops the list of books that people pretend they have read, in a survey carried out for World Book Day 2009 to uncover the nation’s guilty reading secrets. Of the 65% who claimed to have read a book which in truth they haven’t 42% admit to having said they had read modern classic 1984.

Those who lied have claimed to have read:

1. 1984 by George Orwell (42%)
2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (31%)
3. Ulysses by James Joyce (25%)
4. The Bible (24%)
5. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (16%)
6. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (15%)
7. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie (14%)
8. In Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust (9%)
9. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama (6%)
10. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (6%)

Rules for catsMore shootings in Copenhagen

Comments

Moesring 23. April 2009, 13:15

65% of people have lied about reading a book they haven’t

They obviously didn't survey me - the statistic would be lower because I never tell lies. :angel:

1984 being the most popular book to pretend to have read

Actually, I have read that one twice. :happy:
:sst: I borrowed it from the school library a very long time ago and read about five pages before I got bored of it - but I never returned it. :o:
When I discovered it buried in the bottom of a box a few years ago, I decided to read it. I'd always intended to read it and now that I was no longer at school, I couldn't return it anyway.
I actually finished it this time :yes: (but not all the editor's notes, which were almost as long as the book itself :faint:).

I haven't read any of the other books on the list though. awww

Kitty 23. April 2009, 13:34

I don't understand why people would lie about having read a book. :rolleyes:

I am not afraid to admit that I haven't read one single one of the ones on the list, except for some phrases in the Bible back in school.

Oh - I've read 1984 as a comic book once. :yes:

Moesring 23. April 2009, 13:41

If you don't want to waste time reading War And Peace from cover to cover, you can read the 1-minute version. :D
I presume there are equally short versions of the others on the list. :yes:

I think people lie about the books they have read to appear knowledgeable to their peers. :rolleyes:

Hermitess 23. April 2009, 14:01

Not to sound dumb, but I've not heard of 1984. What's it about? :o:

Kitty 23. April 2009, 14:03

That's the shortest book I've ever read. :D

I think you're right about people's reason to lie. It's kind of sad really, I mean what if the one they're talking with asks for details about the book... embarrassing, right?! :rolleyes:

Moesring 23. April 2009, 14:06

Hermitess: 1984 :up:

:Zaphira::

what if the one they're talking with asks for details about the book... embarrassing, right?! :rolleyes:

They'll cover up lies with more lies.

Things like

I can't remember, it was a long time ago...

or

I would tell you but it would spoil the story

:rolleyes:

Hermitess 23. April 2009, 14:19

Thanks for the link!
I appreciate it

The Dark Furie 23. April 2009, 14:46

I loved 1984. Especially the part where 1984 reveals who the murderer is in the drawing room. :left:

Kitty 23. April 2009, 14:50

Was it... the driver? :left:

The Dark Furie 23. April 2009, 14:57

On a serious note, I know someone from high school who only reads the study notes for books. His excuse is that he gets the meaning without wasting his time, but I've seen him using that knowledge at dinner parties so he looks smart.

The Dark Furie 23. April 2009, 14:58

You've read it too! :yes:

Kitty 23. April 2009, 15:27

I love reading, it's great to relax with a book and I like to read when a good author plays with the language. :up: I haven't read many books in English though, but perhaps I should start on that.

As for why I knew it was the driver: I'm just one of the 41 % who have turned to the last page to find out what happens. :D

r♡se 23. April 2009, 15:41

I started reading 1984 on a boring summer job once, but I only got through the first pages :o:.
I would actually have thought that Ulysses is the book most people claim to have read. From what I hear, it's really tough to get through.

I don't turn to the last page to find out what happens, but I often read late at night :D.

Kimmie 23. April 2009, 15:44

I've only read the bible. As a kid :lol: . Why would people lie about having read a book? That seems, well... Stupid!

Kitty 23. April 2009, 15:47

@ Rose ~ I read late at night too, especially if it is well written, so I want to know what's going to happen. :D

@ Kimmie ~ I think it's silly too. I mean, it's not because people are stupid when they haven't read those listed book. :rolleyes:

Carol 23. April 2009, 16:36

:yikes: 24% Lied about reading the Bible. :faint:
:D

Kimmie 23. April 2009, 16:43

I think some people associate a certain level of intelligence with reading what they consider to be "intelligent" books... I don't care what people think. I won't read something or lie about it just because people think I should. People are stupid :mad:

Kitty 23. April 2009, 17:07

@ Carol ~ I think there's a lot of people who haven't read it. It worse lying about it, right!? :smile:

@ Kimmie ~ Obviously I agree. I mean, imagine how embarrassing it must be to be caught in a ridiculous lie like that! *shakes head*

dbshadow(Deacon Blue) 23. April 2009, 17:53

1. Once
2. tried but kept falling asleep
3. Looked at it but decided to find another torture
4. A number of times
5. no
6. yes-the man just impresses me with his stamina
7 thru 10 no..no..no..no....

Kitty 23. April 2009, 17:55

I think it's kind of funny that Tolstoy made you fall asleep several times. :D

Carol 23. April 2009, 20:44

I think so too, worse to lie about it.

dbshadow(Deacon Blue) 23. April 2009, 20:58

It was during my school days and I probably got frightened by the volume of reading in that book and a lot of late nights. I played in a band 4 nights a week.:zzz:

Suntana 23. April 2009, 21:10

Only two thirds? Is there such a thing as partly claiming to have read a book you haven't? I sorta did that back towards the end of my Senior year in High School. Hey, it's not that I wanted to. I had no choice. It was time to start writing my last book report ever. It was supposed to be on the book - Treasure Island. The trouble was, I had not finished reading the book and I just had no more time left to do so. I did the only thing I could do. I wrote a meticulously awesome book report on the 3/4 or 4/5 of the book that I had read. Then I fabricated an ending. :eyes: :o: Surprisingly, the English teacher didn't ask me "WTF?" And I got an "A" I believe. Maybe he didn't even read my book report and just gave me an "A" since my book reports were usually fabulous. p:

Moesring 23. April 2009, 21:19

:sst: Maybe he hadn't read it either and your ending was so plausible that he believed it? :lol:

flamingo-rinse 23. April 2009, 21:38

I love books - but have only read 3 of those listed (and got to admit, found Ulysses impossible to finish...so that's 2 and half...) :smile:

Some books are just so good, that reading is like leaving this world and entering the author's. I like that (not that I particularly wish to escape this world, but other ones are nice too) :smile: Annie Proulx is good like that....:smile:

dɹɐzılpǝkɔıw ɐʞɐ ɹǝɥgɐllɐg lǝbɐsı 23. April 2009, 22:21

I've read Animal Farm and 1984. Never read War and Peace, but have another book by Leo Tolstoy. Ulysses never read, but read another one by James Joyce. Read the bible, to find the flaws in organized religion. :left: Read Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, but not that one. As for the other titles, Stephen Hawking's interests me, but I wonder about his writing style and whether it would be an enjoyable read. :left:

So technically, I only read two titles from your list, although read other titles a few of the authors. :D

Suntana 23. April 2009, 23:12

Moe, the teacher recommended the book. So, he had read it. I didn't remember about that detail until after the fact. After I had already pulled my ending fabrication stunt, it dawned on me, "Oh Shit! What did I do? He's READ the book. :yikes: For sure he's going to know my ending is Crap." But, I got away with it.

glenno 24. April 2009, 04:20

There are some books that I would never admit that I had read...does that count?

The Dark Furie 24. April 2009, 04:30

What ending did you make up?

There's books none of us would never admit to reading yet some bugger still buys them.

glenno 24. April 2009, 04:33

I will happily admit to not reading that...:yuck:

flamingo-rinse 24. April 2009, 04:34

@Mik :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

The Dark Furie 24. April 2009, 04:41

Just remember, it can always get worse. :devil:

glenno 24. April 2009, 04:44

Mills and Boon... top that :lol:

The Dark Furie 24. April 2009, 04:58

You want something worse than Mills And Boon? I'm sure that the worst book in the history of mankind beats them. :whistle:

glenno 24. April 2009, 04:59

Thats almost as bad as Vogon poetry

The Dark Furie 24. April 2009, 05:01

In case you're wondering, I read books in one sitting usually. The longest I've read in one sitting is well over a thousand pages long.

The linked book put me to sleep before I'd finished the third chapter and I couldn't remember enough the next day so had to start again. This happened five nights in a row before I gave up on it. His normally stilted writing style is even more so in this book and makes the reader want to tear his own eyes out and stamp on them just to stop the pain.

glenno 24. April 2009, 05:06

My best mammoth reading effort was lord of the rings, all three in one book, didnt get much sleep at all... The Rushdie stuff sounded like pure hype to me so never tried it. I tend to read several books at once and have them placed strategically round the hous so I can just pick em up when no one is watching :left: :right:

The Dark Furie 24. April 2009, 06:31

Took me ages to track down the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I kept finding parts 2 and 3 but not the first book. Now that I think on it I can't remember actually reading them. :confused:

Kitty 24. April 2009, 06:33

I haven't read the Lord of the Rings. I read the Hobbit though - but that's not the first part, is it? It's more like a pre-Lord of the Rings. It's been years since I read it so I don't really remember it. :left:

The Dark Furie 24. April 2009, 06:39

I read that in high school. The Hobbit is the first thing that scared me of spiders. :cry: Great book ruined by a rushed Deus Ex Machina ending.

Kitty 24. April 2009, 06:50

I can hear that I have to read it again some times.

Not now though - I have a lot of other things to read & listen to, so there's no time for books these days. :up:

flamingo-rinse 24. April 2009, 07:40

Originally posted by Pussy Cat:

Not now though

- Yeah, same here - like Glenno I usually have 2 or 3 books on the go, but there's other stuff occupying that time these days - so I know what you mean :smile:

Got a favourite book?

r♡se 24. April 2009, 08:06

Originally posted by Mik:

I read books in one sitting usually. The longest I've read in one sitting is well over a thousand pages long.

:lol: :lol: I read that as "in one shitting" and wondered if you'd perhaps grown together with the toilet seat!

Kitty 24. April 2009, 08:44

Originally posted by Mr. Rinse:

Got a favourite book?

Oh wow, that was truly a tough question. No, I don't have one favourite book, really. But I like Stephen King, some of his books anyway - the ones that aren't too weird. :lol:
I'll take a look at my bookshelf when I get home today and see if I can come up with a better answer than that. :up:

@ Rose ~ It wouldn't have been weird at all. We know he's already blogging from out there. :left: :lol:

Cois 24. April 2009, 09:51

I haven't read any of those books :left:

Mit 24. April 2009, 15:28

War and Peace is the only book on the list I've read but haven't finished, maybe I'll never finish it :o: I only could read some pages of it per day then I stopped when I read 3/4 of it :D

The Dark Furie 24. April 2009, 15:52

Obama's books only came out here when he made President. :irked:

Kitty 24. April 2009, 16:28

You mean that he wrote it before he was predident? :eek:

The Dark Furie 24. April 2009, 16:32

He's been a best selling author for quite a while, but most places it was impossible to find his books. He became president and suddenly they're in bookshop windows everywhere. :rolleyes:

Kitty 24. April 2009, 16:33

@ Mr. Rinse ~ I just took at look at my book shelf to see if I was able to pick one as my favourite book. I have a lot of favourite writers: John Grisham, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, John Irving, and a number of Scandinavian writers. If I should pick one as my favourite, it would be "Ciderhouse Rules" by John Irving. I don't know how many times I've read it, but it's many. :smile:

How about you? Do you have a favourite book?

1 2 Next »

Showing comments 1 - 50 of 82.

How to use Quote function:

  1. Select some text
  2. Click on the Quote link

Write a comment

Comment
(BBcode and HTML is turned off for anonymous user comments.)

If you can't read the words, press the small reload icon.


Smilies

Photos

asshole tshirt.jpgFuckforcake.jpgpornstar.jpgFuckoff.jpglactose intolerance.jpgdick tshirt.jpglovemyfriend.jpgTshirtTalk_Nerdy.jpgDoesnt_Follow_Directions.jpglove my geek.jpg