Smash lits
Today's Observer includes a slightly silly Best Novels of the Past 25 Years list, having gathered nominations and votes from 120 'literary luminaries'.
In response to a New York Times exercise in May that determined Toni Morrison's Beloved to be the best work of American fiction from the last quarter century, the Observer poll allowed for the inclusion of British, Irish and Commonwealth books.
I was a bit perturbed by the realisation that I hadn't read any of those voted to the top ten - perhaps an indication that I need to move on from my ongoing fixation with formulaic murder mysteries?
For the record, Disgrace by JM Coetzee came first and Money by Martin Amis second, while Anthony Burgess' Earthly Powers and Ian McEwan's Atonement took joint third.
Intriguingly, one of the authors polled actually voted for himself, though the anonymity they were all assured of prevents the newspaper divulging who... Salman Rushdie, anyone?
In response to a New York Times exercise in May that determined Toni Morrison's Beloved to be the best work of American fiction from the last quarter century, the Observer poll allowed for the inclusion of British, Irish and Commonwealth books.
I was a bit perturbed by the realisation that I hadn't read any of those voted to the top ten - perhaps an indication that I need to move on from my ongoing fixation with formulaic murder mysteries?
For the record, Disgrace by JM Coetzee came first and Money by Martin Amis second, while Anthony Burgess' Earthly Powers and Ian McEwan's Atonement took joint third.
Intriguingly, one of the authors polled actually voted for himself, though the anonymity they were all assured of prevents the newspaper divulging who... Salman Rushdie, anyone?
posted by Kuvera at
15:01
1 Comments:
oh don't get me started on how much these lists leave out - no trace of Douglas Adams and Michael Moorcock, no Ian McDonald or China Meiville
No Andrea Levy
and quite a lot of the list seems to be on the panel - even if they are not voting for themselves directly they would be voting for each other
some are brilliant though - Handmaids tale; Some are just good - midnight's children ; some are average - ian mcewan ; and some are just taking up room - never let me go
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Anonymous, at 10/2/07 15:58
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