Major bookstore chain Kyobo Book Centre’s podcast Nangman Bookstore disclosed that an analysis of sales records of world classics publisher brands from 2008 to last year found that Hermann Hesse’s “Demian”, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Nikos Kazantzakis’ “Zorba the Greek” topped the most-sold list. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – Major bookstore chain Kyobo Book Centre’s podcast Nangman Bookstore disclosed that an analysis of sales records of world classics publisher brands from 2008 to last year found that Hermann Hesse’s “Demian”, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Nikos Kazantzakis’ “Zorba the Greek” topped the most-sold list.
Readers in their 10s and 20s favored Nobel laureate Hesse’s coming-of-age work, identifying with the story’s narrative of a young boy reaching adulthood. Demian has recently enjoyed an upsurge in popularity among younger groups with K-pop group BTS using Hesse’s book as a motif for their album.
For those in their 30s, “The Great Gatsby” was most popular, while the 40 to 49 age group also primarily purchased Demian. For the latter group, it was discovered that the buyers were parents intending to give the Hesse’s book to their adolescent children rather than read it themselves. Sales of “The Great Gatsby” and “Zorba the Greek” were highest following Demian, and these two books were read more.
The more elderly readers in their 50s and 60s preferred “Zorba the Greek”. For the 60s group, “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro ranked second on the most-purchased chart.
Kazuo Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day” (Image: Kyobo Book Centre)
An employee in the novels department at Kyobo Book Centre said that younger readers identified with the concept of growth in Demian, while the older groups felt a connection with ambition and freedom in The Great Gatsby and Zorba the Greek. In addition, this individual mentioned that the fact that the protagonists in the stories are roughly similar in age to the readers was also a point of interest.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
