Popular Now, Classic Maybe

As we discussed in class today, we aren't 100% certain as to which books will be classics in the future. For all we know we could end up in a society like in the book Matched by Ally Condie where there are the 100 poems and the 100 paintings. It would be hard to live in the society created in Matched: everyone knows how to read, but the only readings are the 100 stories or poems picked out by the government. The characters don't know how to write however, and no one writes their own thoughts. The book is reminiscent of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which could be considered a classic of now. Here is the list we created in class:

Popular Now/Classic in the Future

Harry Potter

Stephen King: Carrie

The Alchemist

The Hunger Games/Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic novels

Not Popular/Classic in the Future

Piers Anthony

Ayn Rand

Eragon 

Pillars of the Earth

Life of Pi

The Kite Runner/A Thousand Splendid Suns

Ann Brashares

Popular Now/Not Classic in the Future

Twilight

Fifty Shades of Gray

Stephen King

Game of Thrones

Classic Now/Classic still in the Future

The Great Gatsby

Jane Austen

The Bronte Sisters

1984

Ferdinand the Bull

Sherlock Holmes

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit

The Chronicles of Narnia

Many of these books are revered by our society today. It is kind of hard to believe that Harry Potter might not make the classics list when it is called the "series that got a generation to read (myself included)." At the same time however, Eragon isn't the most mainstream book series and it is possible that someday it may be considered a classic as well (which I really hope it won't be cause as far as main characters go, Eragon isn't the brightest...I would even go so far as to say that his dragon is a thousand or more times smarter than he is. Then again people who aren't me seem to enjoy the books more than I do.) I really do think that books like Lord of the Rings and Sherlock Holmes will continue to persist (hey, it has had a following since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first started the series which makes it one of the longest running fan bases ever). Over all I mostly agree with our placement of these novels. Sure we missed a few like Fahrenheit 451 and Lord of the Flies, but I am sure those books will continue to persist through out time. Heck, if our society does become like the one in Matched, maybe they will be lucky enough to be included in the 100 works that are kept while everything else is burned.