Literary Phenomenon Quotes

'The Da Vinci Code' is the most popular book of our times.

There's always these giant baffling books, like 'The Da Vinci Code.' People say it's not as well written as 'Midnight's Children.' Why aren't people reading 'Midnight's Children?' Nobody knows why these phenomenons happen but they're great.

'Harry Potter' achieved a very special act of actual magic: it made it completely acceptable for an adult to carry around, read and enjoy a children's book.

'Twilight' passed like a fever through the sophisticated reader and the unsophisticated reader alike. People devoured those books in single sittings, over weekends, with a kind of raw intensity that is rare.

There was a time when Stefan Zweig was the most widely read author in the world. He was lionized everywhere, translated into every language. For the first four decades of the 20th century, his novellas and biographies were devoured by rich and poor, young and old, well read or less so.

It's amazing how, age after age, in country after country, and in all languages, Shakespeare emerges as incomparable.

Long story short: E. L. James is a hero.

I can't keep up with Stephen King's output.

This book, 'Stupid White Men,' has sold now over four million copies worldwide. Probably about half of that may be in the U.S. and Canada, and the rest, overseas.

Everyone's clamoring for the fourth book in the 'Fifty Shades' trilogy, which makes me laugh. Just the part of 'a fourth book in trilogy' that makes me laugh, not the clamoring for the next book.

Everyone's waiting for the seventh book, and looking at each other saying, 'Oh, I wonder will I be in the running?

In the 1990s, from the estates of Scotland came the phenomenon of Irvine Welsh. 'Trainspotting' demanded its place not only in the high ranks of contemporary fiction but as a describer of a Britain that literally and metaphorically was in a deep mess.

It's not really possible to open 'The Casual Vacancy' without a lot of expectations both high and low crashing around in your brain and distorting your vision. There's no point pretending they're not there.

J. K. Rowling has already got a whole generation reading.

With 'Machine of Death,' we became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon in a single day.

'Harry Potter' made it cool to read children's fiction, and 'Twilight' did the same for a slightly older age group. What I'm seeing is mothers and daughters who love to read the same books.

Publishers are looking for blockbusters - all the world loves a megaseller.

Whatever was said about Ralph Ellison, 'Invisible Man' was considered untouchable.

Unless any book is selling 30 million copies, like 'Fifty Shades of Grey' did, the big studios are not going to make movies out of them because the cost is too high.

I feel like I'm the only person - or woman, at least - who hasn't read 'Fifty Shades of Grey.'

I'm horrified to admit that I just love Salinger. I was devastated to find out that other people feel the same way.

A John Updike is a once-in-a-generation phenomenon, if that generation is lucky: so comfortable in so many genres, the same lively, generous intelligence suffusing all he did.

As a teacher, I've never seen anything like 'Harry Potter.' That's why I smart when people talk about the 'next' 'Harry Potter.' There is no 'next' 'Harry Potter.'

A best-seller was a book which somehow sold well because it was selling well.

Nobody sells books like J.K. Rowling. We have a rule in publishing: Never compare anything to 'Harry Potter' because it's like lightning in a bottle.