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NY Times: Best Works of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years

C

Concetta

New Member
Have you seen the list? What are your thoughts?

My first thought wasn't whether I agreed or disagreed with the list but that out of the 27 books listed (winner, runner-ups and multiple votes), 13 are from the same 3 authors. Not that these authors aren't good, but I was surprised not to see more variety on the list.

Here is a link to the page, but I am not sure if it will work - you might have to register on the site.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/b...ml?ex=1150344000&en=22dca41a5d611db3&ei=5087
 
I'm with you on the lack of variety. My next thought was to note how few of thes books I've read. All I've read is The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth. I do have the first two books in the Border trilogy and Beloved waiting on the shelves here. Whenever I see lists like these, I have to wonder who they polled to come up with their list. Then I wonder what titles I would have offered to skew their results;)
 
Grouch that I am, I generally begin by crossing titles off lists like that and then looking to see if there are any left. Kid you not! :eek:
 
Concetta
I had not seen the list, but I can see I didn't miss anything that I'd be bothered about. The NYT is a bit, shall we say.....clannish. As you seem to imply.
So I'd have to agree with Peder in saying cross those off of "The List" first, and go from there.

One man's list is another man's cross-off. :cool:
 
I have to say that I thought the list was rather boring. I read the article a week or two ago when it was first published and I was so disinterested that I didn't bother to post about it. I was bothered by the fact that half the books came from a few authors. I find it hard to believe that each one of Updike's books received enough books on its own to be on the list. Of course, this obviously leads to the all important discussion of the state of modern American literature. Is there something wrong that a few hundred people couldn't come up with more than fifteen authors?
 
mehastings said:
Is there something wrong that a few hundred people couldn't come up with more than fifteen authors?
Click to expand...

YES!

And I think it is the selection process more than the books, just as a wild guess.

This reader has four others right off the bat!

And there is one book on the list that I would never read even if it were the last book on Earth. Plus Harry Angstrom just never grabbed me either, from day one. However, that's all just personal quirkiness in reading.
So it ends up that there is only one book on the list that I have and that I gladly plan to read. The rest I will easily forget about.
Peder
 
One of the bookshops in Glasgow currently has an American fiction table setup and, while it contains the usual suspects (Updike, Delillo, Roth) it also contains a series of others who I have heard of (Yates, being one) and others who I am now curious to try (James Wilcox).

As for Marilynne Robinson being on that list, what's that book about it? If it's as beautifully dull as Gilead I'll give it a swerve.
 
Stewart said:
One of the bookshops in Glasgow currently has an American fiction table setup and, while it contains the usual suspects (Updike, Delillo, Roth) it also contains a series of others who I have heard of (Yates, being one) and others who I am now curious to try (James Wilcox).

As for Marilynne Robinson being on that list, what's that book about it? If it's as beautifully dull as Gilead I'll give it a swerve.
Click to expand...
Stewart,
You are amazing!
How did you just manage to pick the one book that intrigues me out of all of them? The "dull" I'll grant, except I don't mind it, and the "beautifully" and Gilead are enough for me.
I don't claim my books are better than those on the list, or even great, just different. Which is why those lists tend to pass me by.
But congratulations for the morning! You have pulled the plum out of the pie. :)
If you want to knock Housekeeping off, I'll knock Plot Against America off.
What would you add back? I'd add back Cloud Atlas.
Peder
 
I'm not surprised by the Philip Roth selections. I've read The Plot Against America and enjoyed it very much. I don't know much about the other works, now I have to add more books to my "to read" list. Thanks a lot Concetta!.:rolleyes: :)
 
I have read all of the Cormac McCarthy books listed and thoroughly enjoyed them. Too bad Rowling wasn't a "U.S. author", I could have added all of hers to my list of books enjoyed.:p

Blood Meridian
Cormac McCarthy
(1985)

Border Trilogy
Cormac McCarthy

(1999)

Review: 'Cities of the Plain'(1998)

Review: 'The Crossing'(1994)

Review: 'All the Pretty Horses'(1992)

I haven't read any of the Philip Roth books but may give them a try as SFG75 sometimes gives me some pretty good recommendations.
 
As Philip Roth is actually my favorite author (and my two favorite books of his, The Counterlife and Operation Shylock, both appear on the list, I was actually quite happy. The list also encouraged me to pick up The Known World and look into some of the authors of whom I'd never heard. Now I just need to pick up some DeLillo and McCormac... I know I'll love them...
 
What was on the list? I clicked on the link and the site said I had to create an account just to look at the content. Doesn't seem worth the effort just to look at a list.
 
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