Luck Jim is finished, number sixteen on The List. Good progress has been made after taking so long to finish To The Lighthouse over the summer months. As much a humour novel as a character study, Kingsley Amis is able to combine laughs with a great story, making Lucky Jim a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Amis' first novel follows a regular guy, a college professor, as he struggles with social gaffes, awkward situations and for the most part failure in every aspect of his life, be it socially or professionally. Jim Dixon is described as an unlucky man. Of course, like everybody who considers themselves to be "unlucky", he puts himself in these situations everyday. Most of Jim's shortcomings arise from his childish behaviours or his yearning for strong drink. Not really a matter of luck, but what makes Jim different is he doesn't seem to care.
Part of a post-war class of Britons who weren't as concerned with upward mobility or more precisely nobility, as previous generations, Jim Dixon doesn't aspire to be anything he isn't. He is content having a job at a middle of the road college in rural England. He doesn't strive to become a department head, and he doesn't aspire to move up to a college in London. He just wants to be able to earn a steady paycheck with minimum effort, that allows him to enjoy a few pints every night from the local pub. Maybe he isn't so unlucky after all, maybe he's actually quite lucky. How many people are fortunate enough to know their place int he world, and not get caught up in trying to reach unreachable goals?
The book won the Somerset Maugham award for fiction in 1955, which is handed out each year to an author under the age of thirty-five. Almost fittingly, both the novel's protagonist and author disgusted the award's namesake, Somerset Maugham. Part of the old guard and a grand pupa of inter-war British literature, Maugham described both the book, it's characters and it's author as 'scum.' He hated the change they represented in the post-war period, a move from nobility to equality, complaining about people on 'government loans' being able to attend college, and only for the purpose of 'getting a job', not for cultural enlightenment. The horrors! I think it's safe to say this probably gave young Amis lot of satisfaction and accomplished exactly what he set out to do in his writing.
Notes:
Kingsley Amis' son Martin Amis also has a book on The List, Money.
Evelyn Waugh is mentioned in Lucky Jim. So far, there's been one mention of one book from The List in another (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in The Corrections) and now a mention of an author from The List in a book from The List.
You can read Time Magazine's orginial review from May 27, 1957 right here.
Showing posts with label Narnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Narnia. Show all posts
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
#5 - "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis
Hello from London! We just landed at Heathrow Airport from Cairo, and now have a five hour layover before boarding our flight to Calgary. I was able to finish The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on the five and a half hour flight, marking what I'm sure will be the fastest I read a book from the list.
I'll admit that I'm surprised to find the book on the list in the first place. Sure its enjoyable, and it makes for a good read, but it's more of a children's book and is quite 'simple' as far as great novels go. Following four English children, sent to the countryside during World War II, the book takes place in the magical world of Narnia, a world who's entrance is found in the back of an old wardrobe, and who's inhabitants are talking animals.
The book is part of seven book series, The Chronicles of Narnia, which details this fictional land, from it's discovery by 'man' to it's eventual rule by the children who find it. For the most part it follows a very standard storyline used in children's books. Good fights Evil, trying to rescue the medieval-style kingdom and its people from their plight. Although not overtly religious, the book is basically a Christian morality tale. The animals of the kingdom refer to the children as 'Sons of Adam' and 'Daughters of Eve,' with the God-like figure of Aslan guiding them to victory over the evil White Witch.
It's quite an easy read because it was written for children. There aren't any 'big words,' there aren't and deep themes explored, and the story is pretty straight forward. It sure doesn't contain any Faulkner-like time shifts. This was in fact the first novel I ever remember reading on my own, when I was nine or ten years old. I also read the entire series again when I was in University, and found it enjoyable then as well. I guess the appeal for adults is the way Lewis crafts the story, exploring some of the inner emotions of the human soul, such as greed, envy, anger and bravery. The simple story line makes it's easy to get lost in the land of Narnia while reading this book, and allows anybody to feel like a kid again. Unlike many books, there's no need to doubt whether everything will work out for the land of Narnia.
Whether or not I would include this on my own list of the 100 best novels is uncertain, but it does make for an entertaining read, and I'm sure I'll end up reading it again sometime in the future, to capture the magic of being a kid again.
I'm going to start my next book on my flight to Calgary, The Great Gatsby. Yes, that will be two books in a row that I'd previously read, but I don't have anything else with me, and I don't want to go through a nine hour flight without anything to read.
I'll admit that I'm surprised to find the book on the list in the first place. Sure its enjoyable, and it makes for a good read, but it's more of a children's book and is quite 'simple' as far as great novels go. Following four English children, sent to the countryside during World War II, the book takes place in the magical world of Narnia, a world who's entrance is found in the back of an old wardrobe, and who's inhabitants are talking animals.
The book is part of seven book series, The Chronicles of Narnia, which details this fictional land, from it's discovery by 'man' to it's eventual rule by the children who find it. For the most part it follows a very standard storyline used in children's books. Good fights Evil, trying to rescue the medieval-style kingdom and its people from their plight. Although not overtly religious, the book is basically a Christian morality tale. The animals of the kingdom refer to the children as 'Sons of Adam' and 'Daughters of Eve,' with the God-like figure of Aslan guiding them to victory over the evil White Witch.
It's quite an easy read because it was written for children. There aren't any 'big words,' there aren't and deep themes explored, and the story is pretty straight forward. It sure doesn't contain any Faulkner-like time shifts. This was in fact the first novel I ever remember reading on my own, when I was nine or ten years old. I also read the entire series again when I was in University, and found it enjoyable then as well. I guess the appeal for adults is the way Lewis crafts the story, exploring some of the inner emotions of the human soul, such as greed, envy, anger and bravery. The simple story line makes it's easy to get lost in the land of Narnia while reading this book, and allows anybody to feel like a kid again. Unlike many books, there's no need to doubt whether everything will work out for the land of Narnia.
Whether or not I would include this on my own list of the 100 best novels is uncertain, but it does make for an entertaining read, and I'm sure I'll end up reading it again sometime in the future, to capture the magic of being a kid again.
I'm going to start my next book on my flight to Calgary, The Great Gatsby. Yes, that will be two books in a row that I'd previously read, but I don't have anything else with me, and I don't want to go through a nine hour flight without anything to read.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
#4 - "Light in August" by William Faulkner
I've finished my fourth book from the list; finally. I'm currently in my hotel room in Cairo and the city is alive following what seems to be a pretty big win for the Egyptian soccer team over rival Algeria. The game was the semi-final of the Africa Cup, and is taken quite seriously by the locals. Walking the streets earlier this evening, every shop with a TV had a small crown of men around watching the game on the edge of their seats; or I guess the edge of their...feet.
Near the end of the first half, Egypt scored the game's first goal, sending the people in the streets into a frenzy. There was screaming, hugging, honking, and flashing lights. When I would stop at a shop and watch some of the game, I'd receive a series of confused looks, and then get asked who I was pulling for. Not caring one way or another, I'd of course answer Egypt, and then receive a pat on the back and invitation to get closer to the TV.
I suppose the atmosphere is much the same as during a hockey game in Canada, except without alcohol. Seems a little weird. People in Canada don't usually get so wound up about a sporting event without the help of a few drinks! Now that the game is over, and Egypt prevailed 4-0, the honking and cheering can be heard throughout the city.
Back to the book, I did finish Light in August earlier in the day, fulfilling my vow to do so before I returned to Canada, which I do tomorrow. I'm still not sure what I t
hink about this book. On the one hand the story is interesting, and the themes Faulkner explores are relevant even today, but I still found it so confusing and slow at times, that I don't know what to think.
The story takes place in the racially divided South in the 1920's and follows a couple of different story lines which naturally become intertwined in the end. Lena Grove is a
Now that I've finished the book, I do find the constant time shifts used throughout less confusing, as I can piece together the entire story and put it into a more linear context. But the jumping from different times and different places, what Time magazine describes as "outside the zone of normal chronology," was just too confusing for me, and often distracted from the excellent story. I wonder if I am alone in this thought, and am simply "not getting it." Faulkner is considered to be one of the great American writers of the last century and his books are critically acclaimed, but maybe I prefer the fluffier reads like The Da Vinci Code. Hopefully reading through this list allows me to expand my literary understanding, and through time I will learn to love a book like this, having a greater appreciation for it's brilliance.
You can read Time Magazine's original review from October 17, 1932, here:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744655-1,00.html
Leaving for Canada tomorrow morning, I'm going to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Hopefully I'm able to finish it on the plane. It's pretty short and I'm familiar with the story, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Near the end of the first half, Egypt scored the game's first goal, sending the people in the streets into a frenzy. There was screaming, hugging, honking, and flashing lights. When I would stop at a shop and watch some of the game, I'd receive a series of confused looks, and then get asked who I was pulling for. Not caring one way or another, I'd of course answer Egypt, and then receive a pat on the back and invitation to get closer to the TV.
I suppose the atmosphere is much the same as during a hockey game in Canada, except without alcohol. Seems a little weird. People in Canada don't usually get so wound up about a sporting event without the help of a few drinks! Now that the game is over, and Egypt prevailed 4-0, the honking and cheering can be heard throughout the city.
Back to the book, I did finish Light in August earlier in the day, fulfilling my vow to do so before I returned to Canada, which I do tomorrow. I'm still not sure what I t
The story takes place in the racially divided South in the 1920's and follows a couple of different story lines which naturally become intertwined in the end. Lena Grove is a
poor white girl, searching for the father of her soon to be born child. Joe Christmas is man of uncertain heritage (he's of mixed blood), searching for his place in the world; a world that doesn't look kindly upon people who are different. Neither one of them fit into the Southern society, and both are in a way, outcasts. As the story evolves, the deeply ingrained prejudice of the South rears its ugly head, leading to the destruction of several people within the small town that serves as the setting for the story.
Now that I've finished the book, I do find the constant time shifts used throughout less confusing, as I can piece together the entire story and put it into a more linear context. But the jumping from different times and different places, what Time magazine describes as "outside the zone of normal chronology," was just too confusing for me, and often distracted from the excellent story. I wonder if I am alone in this thought, and am simply "not getting it." Faulkner is considered to be one of the great American writers of the last century and his books are critically acclaimed, but maybe I prefer the fluffier reads like The Da Vinci Code. Hopefully reading through this list allows me to expand my literary understanding, and through time I will learn to love a book like this, having a greater appreciation for it's brilliance.
You can read Time Magazine's original review from October 17, 1932, here:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744655-1,00.html
Leaving for Canada tomorrow morning, I'm going to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Hopefully I'm able to finish it on the plane. It's pretty short and I'm familiar with the story, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Yes; 'tis the list
I don’t read as much as I used to. And when I do, it tends to be non-fiction, usually books about World War II, or baseball, or politics. I've never really made a point of reading any 'great' novels, and when I do pick up a novel, it tends to be on the fluffier side. I think the last novel I read was The Da Vinci Code. It was fun and enjoyed it, but let’s face it, it isn't very deep.
I recently cam across a list from Time Magazine, of their “100 All TIME Novels.” The list, selected by two of Time’s book reviewers, selected the 100 best English novels, which were written from 1923 to present. In the case of this list, 'present' was 2005, and 1923 is the year Time began publishing. When I first read through the list, something struck me; I haven’t read very many of the books that were on it. I’d heard of most of them. Actually, make that I’d heard of quite a few of them, and I’d heard of some of the authors on them, but I hadn’t necessarily heard of their books. Then there were quite a few that I’d heard of or seen the movies, but either hadn’t read the book or was unaware that it was originally a book. The plain and simple fact was that I’d read six of the novels on the list. Six out of one hundred, critically acclaimed books. I’ve been to six hockey games in the last month. I’ve probably seen all 160 episodes of Seinfeld six times each. I guess it’s fair to say, I haven't been the literary type for the past few...decades.
I’ve decided to do something about this though, and as you might have guessed, I’m going to read all 100 novels, and see how it goes. Some of them, I can’t wait to read; while others the idea of reading them fills me with ennui that one generally experiences at an insurance seminar. I’m sure none of the books on this list will be bad per se, but I’m sure that I’m going to like some more than others; make that much more than others. Only time will tell I guess.
The list itself is only in alphabetical order. The 100 books are not ranked or grouped by genre or anything else. It is just a list of 100 great books. Since they aren’t in any order, I’m not going to read them in any order either. I think I’ll just read them as I come across them or as I think of them. I don’t know.
So far, the six I’ve read are:
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
You can probably deduce from this short list how I ended up reading these books; in school as part of some mandatory reading. This was the case for Gatsby (Grade 12), Mockingbird (Grade 11) and Lord of the Flies (Grade 8). I read the Narnia book when I was about 10 years old, and it was possibly the first novel I ever read on my own. The last two books, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Catcher in the Rye , I read out of my own volition. And this is what kind of confuses me; I thoroughly enjoyed both of them, so much that I've read Nineteen Eighty-Four several times, but haven't read much fiction since then, over ten years ago.
For the purpose of this experiment, for lack of a better word, I’ve decided to read all the books on the list, including the six I’ve already read. I’ll admit that, although I enjoyed Gatsby, I don’t remember much about it. I only remember that I enjoyed it. So, here, without further ado, are the 100 All TIME Novels, according to Time Magazine.
The List:
1. The Adventures of Augie March (1953), by Saul Bellow
2. All the King's Men (1946), by Robert Penn Warren
3. American Pastoral (1997), by Philip Roth
4. An American Tragedy (1925), by Theodore Dreiser
5. Animal Farm (1946), by George Orwell
6. Appointment in Samarra (1934), by John O'Hara
7. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (1970), by Judy Blume
8. The Assistant (1957), by Bernard Malamud
9. At Swim-Two-Birds (1938), by Flann O'Brien
10. Atonement (2002), by Ian McEwan
11. Beloved (1987), by Toni Morrison
12. The Berlin Stories (1946), by Christopher Isherwood
13. The Big Sleep (1939), by Raymond Chandler
14. The Blind Assassin (2000), by Margaret Atwood
15. Blood Meridian (1986), by Cormac McCarthy
16. Brideshead Revisited (1946), by Evelyn Waugh
17. The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927), by Thornton Wilder
18. Call It Sleep (1935), by Henry Roth
19. Catch-22 (1961), by Joseph Heller
20. The Catcher in the Rye (1951), by J.D. Salinger
21. A Clockwork Orange (1963), by Anthony Burgess
22. The Confessions of Nat Turner (1967), by William Styron
23. The Corrections (2001), by Jonathan Franzen
24. The Crying of Lot 49 (1966), by Thomas Pynchon
25. A Dance to the Music of Time (1951), by Anthony Powell
26. The Day of the Locust (1939), by Nathanael West
27. Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927), by Willa Cather
28. A Death in the Family (1958), by James Agee
29. The Death of the Heart (1958), by Elizabeth Bowen
30. Deliverance (1970), by James Dickey
31. Dog Soldiers (1974), by Robert Stone
32. Falconer (1977), by John Cheever
33. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1969), by John Fowles
34. The Golden Notebook (1962), by Doris Lessing
35. Go Tell it on the Mountain (1953), by James Baldwin
36. Gone With the Wind (1936), by Margaret Mitchell
37. The Grapes of Wrath (1939), by John Steinbeck
38. Gravity's Rainbow (1973), by Thomas Pynchon
39. The Great Gatsby (1925), by F. Scott Fitzgerald
40. A Handful of Dust (1934), by Evelyn Waugh
41. The Heart is A Lonely Hunter (1940), by Carson McCullers
42. The Heart of the Matter (1948), by Graham Greene
43. Herzog (1964), by Saul Bellow
44. Housekeeping (1981), by Marilynne Robinson
45. A House for Mr. Biswas (1962), by V.S. Naipaul
46. I, Claudius (1934), by Robert Graves
47. Infinite Jest (1996), by David Foster Wallace
48. Invisible Man (1952), by Ralph Ellison
49. Light in August (1932), by William Faulkner
50. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), by C.S. Lewis
51. Lolita (1955), by Vladimir Nabokov
52. Lord of the Flies (1955), by William Golding
53. The Lord of the Rings (1954), by J.R.R. Tolkien
54. Loving (1945), by Henry Green
55. Lucky Jim (1954), by Kingsley Amis
56. The Man Who Loved Children (1940), by Christina Stead
57. Midnight's Children (1981), by Salman Rushdie
58. Money (1984), by Martin Amis
59. The Moviegoer (1961), by Walker Percy
60. Mrs. Dalloway (1925), by Virginia Woolf
61. Naked Lunch (1959), by William Burroughs
62. Native Son (1940), by Richard Wright
63. Neuromancer (1984), by William Gibson
64. Never Let Me Go (2005), by Kazuo Ishiguro
65. 1984 (1948), by George Orwell
66. On the Road (1957), by Jack Kerouac
67. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962), by Ken Kesey
68. The Painted Bird (1965), by Jerzy Kosinski
69. Pale Fire (1962), by Vladimir Nabokov
70. A Passage to India (1924), by E.M. Forster
71. Play It As It Lays (1970), by Joan Didion
72. Portnoy's Complaint (1969), by Philip Roth
73. Possession (1990), by A.S. Byatt
74. The Power and the Glory (1939), by Graham Greene
75. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), by Muriel Spark
76. Rabbit, Run (1960), by John Updike
77. Ragtime (1975), by E.L. Doctorow
78. The Recognitions (1955), by William Gaddis
79. Red Harvest (1929), by Dashiell Hammett
80. Revolutionary Road (1961), by Richard Yates
81. The Sheltering Sky (1949), by Paul Bowles
82. Slaughterhouse Five (1969), by Kurt Vonnegut
83. Snow Crash (1992), by Neal Stephenson
84. The Sot-Weed Factor (1960), by John Barth
85. The Sound and the Fury (1929), by William Faulkner
86. The Sportswriter (1986), by Richard Ford
87. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1964), by John le Carre
88. The Sun Also Rises (1926), by Ernest Hemingway
89. Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), by Zora Neale Hurston
90. Things Fall Apart (1959), by Chinua Achebe
91. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), by Harper Lee
92. To the Lighthouse (1927), by Virginia Woolf
93. Tropic of Cancer (1934), by Henry Miller
94. Ubik (1969), by Philip K. Dick
95. Under the Net (1954), by Iris Murdoch
96. Under the Volcano (1947), by Malcolm Lowry
97. Watchmen (1986), by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
98. White Noise (1985), by Don DeLillo
99. White Teeth (2000), by Zadie Smith
100. Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), by Jean Rhys
I recently cam across a list from Time Magazine, of their “100 All TIME Novels.” The list, selected by two of Time’s book reviewers, selected the 100 best English novels, which were written from 1923 to present. In the case of this list, 'present' was 2005, and 1923 is the year Time began publishing. When I first read through the list, something struck me; I haven’t read very many of the books that were on it. I’d heard of most of them. Actually, make that I’d heard of quite a few of them, and I’d heard of some of the authors on them, but I hadn’t necessarily heard of their books. Then there were quite a few that I’d heard of or seen the movies, but either hadn’t read the book or was unaware that it was originally a book. The plain and simple fact was that I’d read six of the novels on the list. Six out of one hundred, critically acclaimed books. I’ve been to six hockey games in the last month. I’ve probably seen all 160 episodes of Seinfeld six times each. I guess it’s fair to say, I haven't been the literary type for the past few...decades.
I’ve decided to do something about this though, and as you might have guessed, I’m going to read all 100 novels, and see how it goes. Some of them, I can’t wait to read; while others the idea of reading them fills me with ennui that one generally experiences at an insurance seminar. I’m sure none of the books on this list will be bad per se, but I’m sure that I’m going to like some more than others; make that much more than others. Only time will tell I guess.
The list itself is only in alphabetical order. The 100 books are not ranked or grouped by genre or anything else. It is just a list of 100 great books. Since they aren’t in any order, I’m not going to read them in any order either. I think I’ll just read them as I come across them or as I think of them. I don’t know.
So far, the six I’ve read are:
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
You can probably deduce from this short list how I ended up reading these books; in school as part of some mandatory reading. This was the case for Gatsby (Grade 12), Mockingbird (Grade 11) and Lord of the Flies (Grade 8). I read the Narnia book when I was about 10 years old, and it was possibly the first novel I ever read on my own. The last two books, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Catcher in the Rye , I read out of my own volition. And this is what kind of confuses me; I thoroughly enjoyed both of them, so much that I've read Nineteen Eighty-Four several times, but haven't read much fiction since then, over ten years ago.
For the purpose of this experiment, for lack of a better word, I’ve decided to read all the books on the list, including the six I’ve already read. I’ll admit that, although I enjoyed Gatsby, I don’t remember much about it. I only remember that I enjoyed it. So, here, without further ado, are the 100 All TIME Novels, according to Time Magazine.
The List:
1. The Adventures of Augie March (1953), by Saul Bellow
2. All the King's Men (1946), by Robert Penn Warren
3. American Pastoral (1997), by Philip Roth
4. An American Tragedy (1925), by Theodore Dreiser
5. Animal Farm (1946), by George Orwell
6. Appointment in Samarra (1934), by John O'Hara
7. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (1970), by Judy Blume
8. The Assistant (1957), by Bernard Malamud
9. At Swim-Two-Birds (1938), by Flann O'Brien
10. Atonement (2002), by Ian McEwan
11. Beloved (1987), by Toni Morrison
12. The Berlin Stories (1946), by Christopher Isherwood
13. The Big Sleep (1939), by Raymond Chandler
14. The Blind Assassin (2000), by Margaret Atwood
15. Blood Meridian (1986), by Cormac McCarthy
16. Brideshead Revisited (1946), by Evelyn Waugh
17. The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927), by Thornton Wilder
18. Call It Sleep (1935), by Henry Roth
19. Catch-22 (1961), by Joseph Heller
20. The Catcher in the Rye (1951), by J.D. Salinger
21. A Clockwork Orange (1963), by Anthony Burgess
22. The Confessions of Nat Turner (1967), by William Styron
23. The Corrections (2001), by Jonathan Franzen
24. The Crying of Lot 49 (1966), by Thomas Pynchon
25. A Dance to the Music of Time (1951), by Anthony Powell
26. The Day of the Locust (1939), by Nathanael West
27. Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927), by Willa Cather
28. A Death in the Family (1958), by James Agee
29. The Death of the Heart (1958), by Elizabeth Bowen
30. Deliverance (1970), by James Dickey
31. Dog Soldiers (1974), by Robert Stone
32. Falconer (1977), by John Cheever
33. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1969), by John Fowles
34. The Golden Notebook (1962), by Doris Lessing
35. Go Tell it on the Mountain (1953), by James Baldwin
36. Gone With the Wind (1936), by Margaret Mitchell
37. The Grapes of Wrath (1939), by John Steinbeck
38. Gravity's Rainbow (1973), by Thomas Pynchon
39. The Great Gatsby (1925), by F. Scott Fitzgerald
40. A Handful of Dust (1934), by Evelyn Waugh
41. The Heart is A Lonely Hunter (1940), by Carson McCullers
42. The Heart of the Matter (1948), by Graham Greene
43. Herzog (1964), by Saul Bellow
44. Housekeeping (1981), by Marilynne Robinson
45. A House for Mr. Biswas (1962), by V.S. Naipaul
46. I, Claudius (1934), by Robert Graves
47. Infinite Jest (1996), by David Foster Wallace
48. Invisible Man (1952), by Ralph Ellison
49. Light in August (1932), by William Faulkner
50. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), by C.S. Lewis
51. Lolita (1955), by Vladimir Nabokov
52. Lord of the Flies (1955), by William Golding
53. The Lord of the Rings (1954), by J.R.R. Tolkien
54. Loving (1945), by Henry Green
55. Lucky Jim (1954), by Kingsley Amis
56. The Man Who Loved Children (1940), by Christina Stead
57. Midnight's Children (1981), by Salman Rushdie
58. Money (1984), by Martin Amis
59. The Moviegoer (1961), by Walker Percy
60. Mrs. Dalloway (1925), by Virginia Woolf
61. Naked Lunch (1959), by William Burroughs
62. Native Son (1940), by Richard Wright
63. Neuromancer (1984), by William Gibson
64. Never Let Me Go (2005), by Kazuo Ishiguro
65. 1984 (1948), by George Orwell
66. On the Road (1957), by Jack Kerouac
67. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962), by Ken Kesey
68. The Painted Bird (1965), by Jerzy Kosinski
69. Pale Fire (1962), by Vladimir Nabokov
70. A Passage to India (1924), by E.M. Forster
71. Play It As It Lays (1970), by Joan Didion
72. Portnoy's Complaint (1969), by Philip Roth
73. Possession (1990), by A.S. Byatt
74. The Power and the Glory (1939), by Graham Greene
75. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), by Muriel Spark
76. Rabbit, Run (1960), by John Updike
77. Ragtime (1975), by E.L. Doctorow
78. The Recognitions (1955), by William Gaddis
79. Red Harvest (1929), by Dashiell Hammett
80. Revolutionary Road (1961), by Richard Yates
81. The Sheltering Sky (1949), by Paul Bowles
82. Slaughterhouse Five (1969), by Kurt Vonnegut
83. Snow Crash (1992), by Neal Stephenson
84. The Sot-Weed Factor (1960), by John Barth
85. The Sound and the Fury (1929), by William Faulkner
86. The Sportswriter (1986), by Richard Ford
87. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1964), by John le Carre
88. The Sun Also Rises (1926), by Ernest Hemingway
89. Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), by Zora Neale Hurston
90. Things Fall Apart (1959), by Chinua Achebe
91. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), by Harper Lee
92. To the Lighthouse (1927), by Virginia Woolf
93. Tropic of Cancer (1934), by Henry Miller
94. Ubik (1969), by Philip K. Dick
95. Under the Net (1954), by Iris Murdoch
96. Under the Volcano (1947), by Malcolm Lowry
97. Watchmen (1986), by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
98. White Noise (1985), by Don DeLillo
99. White Teeth (2000), by Zadie Smith
100. Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), by Jean Rhys
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