Random Observation

[unforth]

It vaguely horrifies me to notice that 4 times as many LibraryThing users own "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" than own "Hamlet."

Comments

[kniedzw.livejournal.com]

Yep. Riverside accounts for another 3000, bringing it up to about half the HPatSC numbers. ...but when you look at the other likely "complete works" (including the Norton Shakespeare and the Norton Anthology of English Literature), I'd estimate only another 1000 copies at most. ...which means that we're still in the 2:1 ratio of Harry to Hamlet.

That said, LibraryThing may not be representative of most readers. Unfortunately, I think they're skewed toward Shakespeare.

I must admit to be vaguely horrified as well. :)

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Even if you toss in volumes of all the tragedies, or the mini anthologies that include Hamlet, a scan of the list only adds another couple hundred.