Jane Austen more popular than Jesus in Britain
The BBC reports that Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice topped a survey of more than 2,000 British book lovers as the book they just couldn’t live without, besting The Bible, which was sixth from the top.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings came in second, with Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë in third place. The Harry Potter series and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird were in fourth and fifth respectively.
What does the list say about contemporary society, or at least 2,000 British book lovers? That Christian faith is on the decline? That we prefer to dwell on the past or in fantasy worlds rather than face the messy business of our own world and time? Or just that, as a culture, we are obsessed with silly lists?
