British writers scoring highly in huge US poll to find ‘Great American Read’

Nationwide contest that has drawn millions of votes enters closing stages, with Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë and JK Rowling ranking high

From Jane Eyre to Pride and Prejudice, a clutch of very British books have emerged as frontrunners for the title of the US’s best-loved novel, as a public poll that has seen millions cast their votes draws to a close.

US public service broadcaster PBS launched the nationwide vote in April, laying out 100 novels chosen through a combination of YouGov poll and expert opinion. Ranging from EL James’s erotic romance Fifty Shades of Grey to Mario Puzo’s thriller The Godfather, and from JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye to Toni Morrison’s Beloved, the list of 100 books was then opened up to the American public. More than 3.8m votes have been cast to date.

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