Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Novels (100 books)

Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Novels

Time Magazine's All-Time best 100 English language Novels from 1923 to 2005.
http://www.time.com/time/2005/100book...
List Challenge
The average Goodreads member has read 12 out of 100 books on this list — how many have you read?
1

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4.26 avg rating — 6,134,143 ratings
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2

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4.19 avg rating — 4,609,828 ratings
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3

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4.53 avg rating — 676,998 ratings
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4

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3.80 avg rating — 3,528,933 ratings
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5

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3.93 avg rating — 5,248,625 ratings
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6

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4.24 avg rating — 2,803,174 ratings
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7

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3.69 avg rating — 2,908,227 ratings
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8

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3.99 avg rating — 3,892,249 ratings
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9

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3.99 avg rating — 831,896 ratings
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10

by
4.01 avg rating — 907,656 ratings
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11

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4.31 avg rating — 1,208,662 ratings
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12

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4.10 avg rating — 1,371,063 ratings
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13

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4.20 avg rating — 733,143 ratings
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14

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 712,909 ratings
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15

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3.88 avg rating — 851,436 ratings
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16

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3.94 avg rating — 239,915 ratings
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17

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4.38 avg rating — 558,653 ratings
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18

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3.94 avg rating — 520,270 ratings
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19

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3.73 avg rating — 372,529 ratings
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20

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3.85 avg rating — 696,056 ratings
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21

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3.91 avg rating — 188,083 ratings
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22

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3.79 avg rating — 307,186 ratings
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23

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3.95 avg rating — 436,307 ratings
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24

by
3.61 avg rating — 411,688 ratings
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25

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3.79 avg rating — 445,499 ratings
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26

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3.95 avg rating — 155,608 ratings
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27

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3.89 avg rating — 80,271 ratings
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28

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3.68 avg rating — 80,439 ratings
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29

by
4.24 avg rating — 66,701 ratings
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30

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3.98 avg rating — 347,826 ratings
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31

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3.85 avg rating — 182,270 ratings
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32

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4.09 avg rating — 63,550 ratings
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33

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3.96 avg rating — 155,606 ratings
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34

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4.03 avg rating — 99,186 ratings
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35

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3.89 avg rating — 43,791 ratings
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36

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3.94 avg rating — 61,970 ratings
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37

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3.80 avg rating — 183,750 ratings
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38

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3.88 avg rating — 52,997 ratings
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39

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4.08 avg rating — 110,250 ratings
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40

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3.99 avg rating — 110,355 ratings
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41

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4.16 avg rating — 165,257 ratings
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42

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3.46 avg rating — 91,358 ratings
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43

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 113,656 ratings
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44

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3.86 avg rating — 115,322 ratings
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45

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4.26 avg rating — 92,016 ratings
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46

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3.92 avg rating — 88,382 ratings
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47

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4.02 avg rating — 280,379 ratings
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48

by
3.98 avg rating — 123,910 ratings
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49

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3.71 avg rating — 54,819 ratings
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50

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3.96 avg rating — 37,664 ratings
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51

by
3.79 avg rating — 35,159 ratings
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52

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3.94 avg rating — 80,143 ratings
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53

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3.98 avg rating — 39,579 ratings
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54

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3.69 avg rating — 86,930 ratings
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55

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3.71 avg rating — 68,478 ratings
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56

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3.59 avg rating — 93,085 ratings
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57

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3.90 avg rating — 327,506 ratings
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58

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3.95 avg rating — 27,617 ratings
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59

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3.83 avg rating — 182,942 ratings
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60

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 44,179 ratings
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61

by
3.77 avg rating — 25,025 ratings
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62

by
3.91 avg rating — 26,445 ratings
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63

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4.04 avg rating — 68,698 ratings
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64

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3.81 avg rating — 21,113 ratings
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65

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3.92 avg rating — 67,420 ratings
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66

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3.75 avg rating — 29,878 ratings
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67

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4.11 avg rating — 108,265 ratings
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68

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3.58 avg rating — 60,282 ratings
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69

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3.79 avg rating — 157,757 ratings
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70

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3.77 avg rating — 23,037 ratings
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71

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3.97 avg rating — 29,189 ratings
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72

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4.17 avg rating — 50,863 ratings
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73

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3.65 avg rating — 28,789 ratings
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74

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3.96 avg rating — 15,622 ratings
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75

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3.66 avg rating — 72,427 ratings
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76

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3.82 avg rating — 15,458 ratings
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77

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3.69 avg rating — 23,600 ratings
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78

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3.89 avg rating — 32,585 ratings
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79

by
3.71 avg rating — 22,629 ratings
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80

by
3.81 avg rating — 53,536 ratings
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81

by
3.57 avg rating — 4,458 ratings
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82

by
4.11 avg rating — 7,345 ratings
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83

by
3.84 avg rating — 18,138 ratings
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83

by
3.76 avg rating — 21,526 ratings
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85

by
3.86 avg rating — 13,393 ratings
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86

by
3.81 avg rating — 8,610 ratings
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87

by
3.89 avg rating — 28,358 ratings
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88

by
3.90 avg rating — 26,394 ratings
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89

by
4.04 avg rating — 11,975 ratings
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90

by
3.89 avg rating — 16,517 ratings
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91

by
4.20 avg rating — 5,695 ratings
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92

by
3.70 avg rating — 7,062 ratings
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93

by
3.69 avg rating — 19,072 ratings
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94

by
3.90 avg rating — 10,660 ratings
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95

by
3.52 avg rating — 3,677 ratings
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96

by
3.77 avg rating — 15,081 ratings
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97

by
3.94 avg rating — 4,647 ratings
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98

by
3.96 avg rating — 36,871 ratings
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99

by
3.65 avg rating — 8,365 ratings
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100

by
3.65 avg rating — 8,338 ratings
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More voters…


Comments Showing 1-50 of 137 (137 new)


message 1: by Greyweather (new)

Greyweather Removed two books that weren't on Time's list, added two books that were on Time's list which were missing, and changed The Catcher in the Rye to the English language title.


message 2: by Laura (new)

Laura ^ Thanks!


message 3: by jo (new)

jo this list is SO CRAZY. i can't believe it.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed for not being on the Time list:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling
The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The Year of the Hare, by Arto Paasilinna


message 5: by Mike (new)

Mike "all-time best ... from 1923 to 2005"

contradictory, no?


message 6: by Joe (new)

Joe To Kill a Mockingbird is good, but seriously its not the greatest book ever. It's amazing yes, but i think about 50% of these books are better than it. Same with Lord of the Rings. With 1984, i'd say it should be around number 15. Lolita should be number one. Great Gatsby number 2.


message 7: by Laura (new)

Laura These aren't in any order.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads To Kill a Mockingbird and Lord of the Rings both do well because they are very popular and a lot of voters have read and liked them.

Your own votes could, of course, change the specific rankings.

What bothers me is 104 books on a supposedly 100-book list.


message 9: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Oct 21, 2010 12:07PM) (new)

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Removed for not being on the list:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
Girl in Translation, by Jean Kwok
Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom


message 10: by Otis (new)

Otis Chandler This list is now frozen (new list feature).


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads What a great feature, Otis!


message 12: by Pamela(AllHoney) (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) Only read one but I've seen the movie on a bunch of em.


message 13: by K.Z. (last edited Aug 18, 2011 05:22PM) (new)

K.Z. Snow Mike wrote: ""all-time best ... from 1923 to 2005"

contradictory, no?"


My reaction exactly. Either they're the all-time best novels, or they're the best novels from 1923 to 2005. They can't be both.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads I believe the list was made in 2005, commemorating Time's first publication in 1923.


message 15: by David (new)

David Lentz Time somehow missed "Ulysses" and "Finnegan's Wake," which are clearly genius works of the English language. However, this list focuses on great English language novels and, if it drives readers in droves to it, then this list serves a highly valued purpose.


message 16: by Holly (last edited Aug 19, 2011 06:24AM) (new)

Holly David wrote: "Time somehow missed "Ulysses" and "Finnegan's Wake," which are clearly genius works of the English language. However, this list focuses on great English language novels and, if it drives readers in..."

I had wondered that too (It's also missing "Zuleika Dobson" and "Main Street"). Then I realized that the list only included books from 1923 to 2005.


message 17: by David (last edited Aug 19, 2011 07:46AM) (new)

David Lentz These titles all seem to have made the Modern Library's List of the "Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century," another English language list which I very much prefer, at http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/.... Perhaps, Goodreads also will post downstream this enduring and scholarly list for serious readers of literary novels. I certainly value your selections and would much prefer them to several titles that now appear on the useful list: it's wonderful of Goodreads to point readers toward it. I also have posted on my blog a Top 100 List which includes non-English language titles from Proust, Tolstoy, Cervantes, Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Camus, Fuentes, Musil, Saramago and many others at: http://wordsworthgreenwi.hubpages.com...
Thank you for the benefit of your insight and elegant literary taste.


message 18: by Holly (new)

Holly Thanks for the info, David.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads David, there are already lists for both the Readers' and Critics' versions of the Modern Library 100: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/93... and http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/87... .


Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* Odd list


message 21: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Hayes A really strange list - how was it compiled? No Jane Austen, no Charles Dickens, no Joseph Conrad? Really?

Only when you get right to the end do you discover that "all" time does not include any time before 1923, or after 2005. Are the people at Time magazine really stupid enough to believe that before 1923 and after 2005 there was no time? Are we now, post-2005, living in a timeless state?

This must be one of the top 100 all-time stupid lists, from now until forever, in either direction.


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) From the Time Magazine's website (http://www.time.com/time/specials/pac...

"The parameters: English language novels published anywhere in the world since 1923, the year that TIME Magazine began, which, before you ask, means that Ulysses (1922) doesn't make the cut.

[...]

Lists like this one have two purposes. One is to instruct. The other of course is to enrage. We're bracing ourselves for the e-mails that start out: "You moron! You pathetic bourgeoise insect! How could you have left off...(insert title here)." We say Mrs. Dalloway. You say Mrs. Bridge. We say Naked Lunch. You say Breakfast at Tiffanys. Let's call the whole thing off? Just the opposite—bring it on. Sometimes judgment is best formed under fire. But please, no e-mails about Ulysses. Rules are rules."


message 23: by David (new)

David Lentz On behalf of avid readers everywhere I would offer that Goodreads performs a great service in its mission to point multitudes to the hundreds of immortal, literary masterpieces appearing on these thoughtful lists. Well done, Goodreads.


message 24: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Hayes Themis-Athena wrote: "From the Time Magazine's website (http://www.time.com/time/specials/pac...

"The parameters: English language novels published anywhere in the wo..."


But why do they they say "all-time"?


message 25: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Aug 25, 2011 06:27AM) (new)

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Odd choice, true; might possibly just be due to the fact that many comparable lists actually claim (with about the same amount of justification, i.e., none, and with no discernibly set parameters whatever) to represent "so-and-so-publication's list of all time best books/novels/literature." I'm guessing, though -- ultimately only the creators of the list would be able to answer that question. Why don't you drop them a line and ask?


message 26: by Courtney (new)

Courtney Sieloff Ugh, this list is so heavy with male authors, and misses some really great works of fiction by female authors! Sigh.


message 27: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Hayes Well, if it's any consolation, the top author is female.


message 28: by Bryan (last edited Sep 25, 2011 07:56AM) (new)

Bryan Stephen wrote: "But why do they say "all-time"?"

Because it's the name of their magazine, that's all.

People are really taking this list too seriously, it's just two people's opinions and their favorite books from 1923 to 2005; nothing more.

As for the 'top book,' Time never ranked them, they just listed 100 books. On their website, the books appear alphabetically.


message 29: by Dr. Zyllihapping (new)

Dr. Zyllihapping I-Don't-Have-A-Last-Name David wrote: "Time somehow missed "Ulysses" and "Finnegan's Wake," which are clearly genius works of the English language. However, this list focuses on great English language novels and, if it drives readers in..."

Ulysses didn't come out after 1923, and this list is about the books from 1923 to 2005. Agreed on Finnegan's Wake though. Now that was some wicked novel.


message 30: by Natalien (new)

Natalien Urgh, I need to get on those classics finally!


message 31: by David (new)

David Lentz Courtney wrote: "Ugh, this list is so heavy with male authors, and misses some really great works of fiction by female authors! Sigh."

Dear Courtney,
Amen, sister.
You go, girl.
Cordially,
David


message 32: by Lobstergirl (new)

Lobstergirl What use is this list if we can't add to our votes? I don't understand the point of not being able to vote repeatedly....


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads I hate these "frozen" lists.


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Amen, sisters.


message 35: by Megan (new)

Megan I have read exactly 11, like it says! How funny!


message 36: by Kirby (new)

Kirby ha ha, 12! I'm exactly average!


message 37: by Abcdarian (new)

Abcdarian Read 15, really enjoyed 2, never even heard of several. All-time (or even a-little-slice-of-time) best classics? Not in my world. :-)


message 38: by Irma (last edited Jun 13, 2012 12:10AM) (new)

Irma Swart So many books still to read, where will I find the time?


message 39: by Sentimental Surrealist (last edited Sep 22, 2012 03:17PM) (new)

Sentimental Surrealist Like everyone else said, Ulysses definitely belongs here. While it's not my favorite novel, I'm about halfway through it right now, and so far I can hardly think of a stronger candidate for best of the century in terms of sheer scope, audacity, formal innovation, emotional content, depth of character, humor... don't get me wrong, this is a pretty good list on a whole (a lot I've been meaning to read here, and many favorites as well), but it should take the place of the dreary and almost entirely worthless Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads It was probably disqualified by publication date.


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Yes -- see message 22. :)


Sentimental Surrealist Oh, since 1923, okay. That makes a little more sense. I wonder if they made that cutoff date strictly so the default pick for "best novel of the 20th century" wouldn't make it, which would be an interesting perspective...


message 43: by Ben (new)

Ben Chris wrote: "Oh, since 1923, okay. That makes a little more sense. I wonder if they made that cutoff date strictly so the default pick for "best novel of the 20th century" wouldn't make it, which would be an in..."

No, I think 1923 is the year that Time Magazine came out. That's why they do it from 1923.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Yes, that's right; Time was first published in 1923.


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Ben wrote: "I think 1923 is the year that Time Magazine came out. That's why they do it from 1923."

Yep -- in any event, that's the explanation they give.


message 46: by [deleted user] (new)

read 8 of the top 12 (if its based on ranking)...awesome me :)


message 47: by Emma (new)

Emma Avinash wrote: "read 8 of the top 12 (if its based on ranking)...awesome me :)"

Time's list isn't ranked, but it is here on the amount of votes - so technically it is logical that you would've read more of the books at the top of the list as they are the most popular/well known.


message 48: by Paula (new)

Paula I havent even heard of a huge amount of these books...and a lot of the best classic novels are not even on here. Cant say I even come close to agreeing that these are the best of all time


message 49: by Jack (last edited Jun 10, 2013 05:39PM) (new)

Jack I've read 6,7 and 8. The lion the witch and the wardrobe, lord of the flies and animal farm


message 50: by Jordyn (new)

Jordyn Mcintosh I have read: Animal Farm, a bit if To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.


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