Best novel Quote by Dale Peck
““People who shop at Barnes and Noble voted Ulysses the best novel of the last century, and who's to tell them different? There was a point when I would have liked to, but apparently that's just because I'm a bitch.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, Dale Peck, 2012
People often claim literary superiority based on popular polls, but personal taste and bias shape those judgments.
In simple terms: Literary rankings are subjective.
Key Takeaway
Question authority of popular opinion.
Themes
subjectivity
literary criticism
pop culture
Mood
critical
conversational
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- writing workshops
- media reviews
Key Concepts
aesthetic judgment
media influence
personal bias
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes a novel truly great?
- How do personal biases shape taste?
A Different Perspective
May dismiss genuine merit in favor of contrarianism.
![“James Joyce is a cul-de-sac. [Ulysses is] ... an example how literature branched out and went into, lost itself in nowhere, no man's land.” quote by Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/21d/werner-herzog-964_books_james-joyce-is-a-cul-de-sac-ulysses-is-a_176588.jpg)
