The Most Memorable Literary Scenes of All Time Revealed
The most iconic scenes in literary history have been revealed, with the moment Charlie discovers a golden ticket in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory taking the top spot with a quarter (25 percent) of the votes.
Enjoyed by generations of children around the world, the iconic novel by children’s author Roald Dahl has been on must-read lists for decades and has been adapted several times for the big screen since being first published in 1964.
The study of 2,000 book lovers, was commissioned by the Kindle Storyteller Award, which has today announced its 2024 shortlist of the best self-published stories in the UK, with the winner set to take home a £20,000 prize.
Oliver asking for “more” gruel in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, came in a close second. Originally published as a serial from 1837, Dickens’ second novel exposed the world of poverty and crime in London, not to mention the harsh treatment of orphans who long to escape life in the workhouse.
Completing the top three is Alice falling down the rabbit hole at the beginning of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Scenes from the Harry Potter book series feature twice in the list, with Dobby the house elf’s death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hailed as the series’ most memorable moment at number four, with Voldemort’s shocking resurrection in the fourth Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at eight.
Another fictional wizard, Gandalf, also makes the list for his infamous line “you shall not pass!” when fighting the Balrog during the first Lord of the Rings book, The Fellowship of the Ring.
Other iconic moments from literary history include Juliet crying “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” during Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet which was originally published in 1597, and Matilda going to live with Miss Honey at the end of Roald Dahl’s Matilda.
Covering all manner of genres and eras, the many varied literary scenes in the top 25 prove that creating memorable fictional moments has no bounds. This is the belief of the Kindle Storyteller Award, which celebrates new and established independent writers and their stories. The award today announces its five shortlisted authors for 2024, who have each written their own memorable tales across all genres from regency romance to young adult dystopian fiction. A panel of esteemed judges, including broadcasters Sara Cox and Vick Hope, will be selecting the eighth winner of Amazon’s annual award, who will be announced on 6th November 2024.
Jen Barrett, UK KDP Lead at Amazon.co.uk, said: “From Shakespearean classics like Romeo and Juliet, right through to loveable house elf Dobby in Harry Potter, the research clearly shows how we foster an emotional connection to books, and it’s wonderful to see how many of these iconic works are remembered and revered to this day. It’s clear that we are a nation of booklovers who enjoy escaping everyday pressures through fictional worlds. We all remember where we were when we read these iconic scenes for the first time, and even remember how we felt.
Through the Kindle Storyteller Award, we want to inspire and encourage people from all walks of life to put their own legendary scenes onto paper, and most importantly help them to publish with ease. Yet again, we have been blown away with the quality of the independent authors entering this year’s award and are thrilled to unveil our shortlist – perhaps some will even contain their very own legendary scenes to be celebrated in years to come.”
The study also found that the nation’s passion for literature is so strong that more than three quarters (77 percent) admit they regularly reread their favourite books, thumbing through their go-to novel an average of six times. This might be why a half are confident that they can recite their passages from their favourite books, with one in ten (12 percent) being able to reel them off word-for-word.
One in four (27 percent) say that reading is their passion, with the average Brit spending as many as 35 hours a month with our heads in a book.
Almost two thirds (57 percent) say that burying their head in a book helps them to escape reality, while four in ten (41 percent) view it as an important form of self-care.
It’s no surprise that eight in ten (88 percent) believe that books have the power to change their lives forever, so much so that three quarters (72 percent) have cried while reading one at least once in their life.
A quarter of Brits (24 percent) believe that novels act as a powerful medium for change, with one in three (29 percent) thinking that authors are inspirational. In fact, the same number (29 percent) would love to write a novel of their own one day.
A common thread through the list of memorable scenes is that most have been adapted for stage and screen. However, opinions vary when it comes to big screen adaptations of literary classics, with four in ten (40 percent) insisting they are never as good as the book. A third (30 percent) even go so far as to say they are hugely disappointed when their favourite novel gets adapted for the big screen.
On the contrary, a third (33 percent) love watching films adapted from their favourite novels, as they give a whole new perspective (23 percent).
THE MOST MEMORABLE SCENES IN LITERATURE, ACCORDING TO BRITONS
- Charlie finding a golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl – 25%
- Oliver asking for more gruel in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist – 25%
- Alice going down the Rabbit Hole in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – 21%
- Dobby dying in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling – 20%
- When Juliet calls to Romeo from her balcony in Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet – 19%
- “You shall not pass!” – Gandalf fighting the Balrog, in The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkein – 17%
- Matilda goes to live with Miss Honey at the end of Roald Dahl’s Matilda – 17%
- Voldemort’s resurrection in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling – 16%
- The trial in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – 15%
- The witches scene in Macbeth, by William Shakespeare – 14%
- The prom scene in Stephen King’s Carrie – 13%
- Lucy Pevensie going through the wardrobe to Narnia for the first time in C.S Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – 13%
- The climactic battle between Frodo and Gollum over the One Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings – 12%
- George reassuring Lennie that he is not mad at him before he shoots him in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men – 11%
- Darcy revealing his true character by explaining his actions to Jane in Pride and Prejudice – 10%
- Katniss Everdeen volunteers for her sister Prim in the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – 10%
- Georgie sees Pennywise for the first time, “We all float down here..”, IT by Stephen King – 10%
- Beth dying in Louisa May Alcock’s Little Women – 10%
- Boxer is taken to the glue factory as the other animals try to save him in Animal Farm by George Orwell – 10%
- The Ghost of Cathy in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights – 9%
- The monster’s monologue in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – 8%
- Scout casually encountering her mysterious neighbour Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – 8%
- Jane being punished in the red room in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – 8%
- Winston recalling his childhood and the chocolate bar he denies his little dying sister in George Orwell’s 1984 – 7%
- Fern saving a runt pig from slaughter at the beginning of Charlotte’s Web by E.B White – 7%