October 18, 2005

Top 100 novels

Time has a list of the all-time 100 novels. I thought I'd check it out and see how many I've read ...

  • Animal Farm
  • Catch-22
  • A Clockwork Orange (never finished it)
  • The Grapes of Wrath
  • The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
  • Lord of the Flies (never finished it)
  • The Lord of the Rings
  • Neuromancer
  • 1984
  • Snow Crash
  • To Kill a Mockingbird

Hmm, 11 of 100. Some of the others I've not even heard of. Some of them I've heard of but haven't got round to reading yet, others I have no real desire to read. I really must finish A Clockwork Orange and Lord of the Flies.

I'm surprised to see Neuromancer and Snow Crash on the list ... I somehow never expect to see modern works of science fiction show up in lists of classic books, even if I list Neuromancer as one of my personal all-time favourites.

Posted by savs at October 18, 2005 1:56 PM
Comments

I second that you must finish Lord of the Flies. It is excellent.

Posted by: Ashley T. Howes at October 18, 2005 5:22 PM

I've read a few more, but I wouldn't count most of those which I have read in my top 100; there is an absence of earlier works, plus some surprising omissions in the Booker-type novels.

William Golding was required reading for A level, so I've read nearly all his novels but not enjoyed them. He's a very effective writer, and his material is rather nasty...

Posted by: sfr at October 18, 2005 6:33 PM