Big Read a boon for books, DVDs

By Mark Rice-Oxley
The Christian Science Monitor

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LONDON — It was billed as an eight-month-long national "read-athon." But the Big Read, a quest to find the favorite novel and encourage reading in the land of Shakespeare, had a somewhat counterproductive effect.

The BBC-sponsored event definitely spurred book sales in Great Britain. But in this visual age, it also generated a huge spike in purchases of DVD film and television versions of the favorites.

Take Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" (No. 2 behind the winner: J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings"). The 19th-century tale of courtship and conceit saw a 73 percent jump in book sales over the period — and a 977 percent rise in DVD sales of a television series based on the book, according to data from Amazon.com, the online vendor.

"In today's busy society, it is very difficult to find the time to sit down and read a book," says Ray Johnson, professor of film heritage at Staffordshire University. "People with jobs and children often find themselves dipping in and out of books and it takes them weeks to reach the end."

The film-to-book purchase ratio was mirrored across most of the top vote-getters, which included Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" (No. 6), A.A. Milne's "Winnie The Pooh" (No. 7) and George Orwell's "1984" (No. 8).

Britain's list of favorite novels was based on more than 750,000 votes cast. The top 100 were selected in April through the nominations of 140,000 members of the public. Participation built, and further balloting produced the final 21 in October.

Of the novels on that short list, DVD sales rose 1,500 percent, more than three times the increase in book sales.

Official data show that illiteracy in Britain hovers around 15 percent. More than 1 in 10 Britons are unable to understand instructions on a packet of seeds, according to the National Literacy Trust.

Given such data, publishing executives, critics and experts say the Big Read was a worthwhile endeavor.

Schools set up special reading groups and events. Book clubs — a growing phenomenon — took up the challenge, incorporating works from the top 100 into their reading schedule. David Wray, an expert in literacy and education at Warwick University, said that coming to literature through films is a more sociable way of getting to know about cultural heritage.

"In some ways there are pluses," he said. "We are always hearing about the need to be sociable, to discuss our experiences, and yet there is nothing more solitary than getting lost in a book."

In any case, experts say, books are not about to be eclipsed by more cutting-edge media and art forms.

The volume of books borrowed from libraries in Britain has grown steadily over the past two decades, and books continue to make headlines and provide a steady stream of news stories. Publishing-industry executives are always quick to note that despite all the diverse competing pastimes, the most successful cultural phenomenon ever in children's entertainment remains a book. Or rather a series of books.

"The Harry Potter books are bigger than the films, so it shows the effect a book can have," said Nicholas Clee, editor of the Bookseller. "Books are as prominent in people's attention as they have ever been."

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company