Booking Through Previous Best Sellers - 1956

Booking Through Thursday

UPDATED: June 2, 2006

Jeanne came across this list of previous years' best sellers, and thought it might be fun to base some of our questions on them.

1. In 1956, these were the top ten best sellers for the year. Have you read any of them?
   
   
   
   1. Don't Go Near the Water, William Brinkley
      
   2. The Last Hurrah, Edwin O'Connor
      
   3. Peyton Place, Grace Metalious
      
   4. Auntie Mame, Patrick Dennis
      
   5. Eloise, Kay Thompson
      
   6. Andersonville, MacKinlay Kantor
      
   7. A Certain Smile, Françoise Sagan
      
   8. The Tribe That Lost Its Head, Nicholas Monsarrat
      
   9. The Mandarins, Simone de Beauvoir
      
   10. Boon Island, Kenneth Roberts
       
   
   


2. Which ones have you read? Did you like them? I haven't read any of them but I have watched the movie versions of Don't Go Near the Water, The Last Hurrah, Peyton Place and Auntie Mame. The only one I remember well enough to say if I liked it or not is Peyton Place. It is really not a very good movie but was quite scandalous at the time. It is pretty funny to watch the stilted acting and all the soap opera silliness that goes on. (Update: Duh, I have heard of Eloise, I just didn't realize that it was the same character.)
   


3. If you're like me and haven't read a single one, which ones have you heard of? Other than the ones I've watched as movies, I think I have heard of the Mandarins. Maybe. It is a very vague recognition.


4. Will you be putting any of these books in your reading list? Possibly: The Last Hurrah and The Mandarins