Newsweek's list of Top-100 books ever

http://www.newsweek.com/id/204478

What do you think?

I think the list strikes a nice balance. Most (if not all) genres are represented. I've read 11 of those. My interests lie more in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi realm, and even those were mentioned in the list a little.

Not a bad list at all.

Lord Of The Rings (arguably the Fantasy godfather)

The Grapes of Wrath (Steinbeck nailed it)

Gulliver's Travels (don't remember much of this)

Canterbury Tales ( a high school requirement )

The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (VERY pleased to see C.S. Lewis included)

To Kill A Mockingbird (A simple yet powerful tale )

The Bible (Many times over. If you're a Believer or not, this is fantastic writing)

Frankenstien (SO, SO pleased to see this. It's such a moving/touching story. Really a tear-jerker if you ask me. Nothing like any of the movies)

Animal Farm (scary and thought provoking)

Lord of the Flies (read this as a teenager. Was floored. Amazing)

Charlotte's Web (As a child. Cute tale with nice undercurrents)


I don't care what anyone says, Stephen King deserved at least ONE book on the list. He's a genious.

List could have seen Bradbury, Wells, Verne and a host of others.

BUT, like I said it was a decent list.

Fun, fun, fun!!

A good list IMO, I was glad to see what made #1 & #2 although I could've easily switched the two depending on my mood. Too bad there was no Dean Koontz or Frank Peretti.

akeldama wrote:

A good list IMO, I was glad to see what made #1 & #2 although I could've easily switched the two depending on my mood. Too bad there was no Dean Koontz or Frank Peretti.

Frank Peretti doesn't deserve to be on the list - he's a hack who couldn't cut it as a writer so he started writing "christian" novels.

I was actually suprised at how many of the books I had read. Faulkner's stuff is a weird read - hadn;t read it since college and can;t remember if the books listed used stream of conscience writing

thejokeriv wrote:

I was actually suprised at how many of the books I had read. Faulkner's stuff is a weird read - hadn;t read it since college and can;t remember if the books listed used stream of conscience writing

Best stream of conscience writing...no buts about it is....James joyce.

They have Virginia Woolf rated too high and Jane Austen not high enough also where is Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" is eye opening turn of the century book changed the way food is packaged and processed forever and basically established the FDA!

Lastly rather you agree or not Mein Kempt belongs somewhere in the top 100

I got through the first 4 pages (80 Books) and i'm like where's Tropic of Cancer? And rest assured there it was at 82.

I reckon the list is missing a bit of Dostovesky, Huysmans, Celine, O'Connor, Fante, Plath etc etc etc.

rattpoison wrote:

I got through the first 4 pages (80 Books) and i'm like where's Tropic of Cancer? And rest assured there it was at 82.

I reckon the list is missing a bit of Dostovesky, Huysmans, Celine, O'Connor, Fante, Plath etc etc etc.

Not to mention Bukowski right?

Stender wrote:

rattpoison wrote:

I got through the first 4 pages (80 Books) and i'm like where's Tropic of Cancer? And rest assured there it was at 82.

I reckon the list is missing a bit of Dostovesky, Huysmans, Celine, O'Connor, Fante, Plath etc etc etc.

Not to mention Bukowski right?

That would be correct, sir

Anna Karenina over War And Peace? I'm surprised A.A. Milne made it but he deserve it.

I am surprised that I have read most of the books that make up this list.

Glad to see Brave New World, Clockwork Orange and Slaughterhouse Five on the list.

I've read most of the books on the list but these three are the only ones I read "voluntarily".

Did I miss it, or did they not have "Of Mice and Men"?

Stender wrote:

rattpoison wrote:

I got through the first 4 pages (80 Books) and i'm like where's Tropic of Cancer? And rest assured there it was at 82.

I reckon the list is missing a bit of Dostovesky, Huysmans, Celine, O'Connor, Fante, Plath etc etc etc.

Not to mention Bukowski right?

As much as i love him i don't reckon say Post Office should be in there as one of the 100 greatest books ever (It'd be in mine though!). John Fante's Ask The Dust would be a better inclusion in that style.

Interesting list. I've read a few of these as well (mostly required reading in college) but a few I discovered on my own:

1984
Canterbury Tales (I HATED this one...all I remember about it is that it took for-friggin-ever to get through, and by the end I wanted to go dig up Chaucer so I could punch him in the face. Haha.)

The Catcher in the Rye (one of my favorite "required readings" of my school career)
The Great Gatsby
To Kill a Mockingbird (another excellent book)
A Clockwork Orange (better than the movie, kids)
Hamlet (I took an entire semester of Shakespeare in college. I had to read EVERYTHING.)
King Lear
Othello
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (faaaaaaan-TASTIC book! read it twice!)
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Lord of the Flies

I also remember watching the film versions of "Charlotte's Web" and "Animal Farm" in school but don't remember offhand if we read the books along with it. I assume we must've.

not a bad list, one of the better one's I've seen.

I preferred the sun also rises over whom the bell tolls by Hemmingway

I was forced to read 'Canterbury Tales' back in college, and like Freddy I grew to hate that book!!!! Horrid!!!!

manny wrote:

I was forced to read 'Canterbury Tales' back in college, and like Freddy I grew to hate that book!!!! Horrid!!!!

I think I read it in high school - either Junior or Senior Year English. About all I remember of it was that it took almost an entire marking period to get through about half of it...cuz the teacher would stop to analyze every frickin' other sentence.

The Olde English writing didn't help either. It was all "When aye waken in the Sommer and softe was the Sunne, I kylled a yunge birde and ate it on a bunne"

I've only read 5 or 6 on that list. Does it count if I saw the movie version?