Because we love lists…
Here’s something to do while we wait for the Plamegate indictments, ponder Time’s 100 Best Novels List. Add your own suggestions and criticisms in comments. We’re just glad to see Eggers omitted. Too bad Murakami didn’t qualify. (Thanks to catch.com for pointing this out)
I was surprised about Murakami not being on the list too when I first read your post, then I went to the actual list, read the title of the list and thought to myself — that freewilliamsbug.com dude is a fool — it’s the Times’ Best *English Language* Novel list… of course Murakami isn’t on it… especially given that his novels are severely truncated by Knopf after being translated to
English, in order to meet their page-number quota for fiction (this is only something that I’ve read on the internet). They’re not even complete in the english translations.
I’m biting my tongue with my foot in my mouth — they did put Lolita in there, which I believe was first written in Russian. So maybe I’m the fool. haha.
Ok: It said “English Language Novels”. At first, I was about to complain about a ton of novels not listed but they weren’t originally English language ones. Even so, lots of great ones on there. Was very surprised to see “Tropic of Cancer” to tell you the truth. I’m glad it was there. Also “The Sun Also Rises”. “The Big Sleep” was a surprise too—although I much preferred “The Long Goodbye”. Whatever….
I miss Henry James on the list.
I was overjoyed to see Watchmen on the list!
Moni, I love Henry James too, but he died in 1916. This list is 1923 on.
There are a few english language authors I’d also miss were this list to pre-date 1923 (Joyce and Twain, as two obvious examples).
It’s a pretty obvious list, and I’d expect nothing less from Time, but still contains many of my favorite books. Also, Naked Lunch, Watchmen, Neuromancer, and Infinite Jest, were all ever-so vaguely surprising entries.
Lolita was absolutely written in english.
Part of what makes Nabokov so infuriating and awe inspiring is the fact that in his third language he managed to smoke most authors for whom english is the only language they know.
@anonymass
Ok, thanx. I overlooked this.
Yeh, it’s true. Nabokov wrote the novel in english.
There comes a time when we must rise against the tyranny of democracy.