It does n’t take a brilliance to agnise thatJames Joyce’snovelUlyssesis a piece of work of wiz — but it might take one to truly understand it . According to a new sight , it ’s one of the top 10 most perplexing books of all time .
Researchers at UK - based online retailerOnBuy.comasked 3205 people to dish on which books puzzled them the most , and compose a listing based on the 10 most common reaction . To rank those titles from most to least confusing , they relied on monthly lookup volume datum from Google . Though deciphering the many layers ofUlyssesdefinitely demand an sedulous lecturer , it really only come in eighth place . The top spot give way to a book whose nonlinear plot and many crisscross narrators truly do make it a doozy : Catch-22by Joseph Heller .
Unsurprisingly , novel prevailing with allegory and/or satire seemed to elicit the highest spirit level of mystification . George Orwell’sAnimal Farmtook 2d place , and William Golding’sLord of the Fliesrounded out the top three . Exceptionally lengthy novels often cause furrowed brows , too;Les MisérablesbyVictor HugoandMoby - DickbyHerman Melvilleboth made the lean . Readers also apparently have bother decoding the deeper meanings behind the pitch relationship in the Brontë sisters ’ novel . Emily Brontë’sWuthering Heightscame in fourth , just forrader ofCharlotte Brontë’sJane Eyre .
OnBuy.com then analyze search terms to see what precisely readers were Googling about each book . patch summaries were a tendency across the board , and masses are also especially concerned in end explanations and overarching meaning . But despite their skillful efforts to understand , it seems that some people do just give up : Catch-22,Ulysses , andMoby - Dickhave all topped a list of most commonlyabandoned novels , too .
