I listed them out for you: 1. Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird 2. Orwell, George - 1984 3. Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Lord of the Rings 4. Salinger, J. D. - The Catcher in the Rye 5. Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby 6. Lewis, C.S. - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 7. Golding, William - Lord of the Flies 8. Orwell, George - Animal Farm 9. Heller, Joseph - Catch-22 10. Steinbeck, John - The Grapes of Wrath 11. Mitchell, Margaret - Gone with the wind 12. Vonnegut, Kurt - Slaughterhouse-Five 13. Kesey, Ken - One flew over the Cuckoo's nest 14. Burgess, Anthony - A Clockwork Orange 15. Nabokov, Vladimir - Lolita 16. Blume, Judy - Are you there God? Its me, Margaret 17. Moore, Alan - Watchman 18. McEwan, Ian - Atonement 19. Achebe, Chinua - Things Fall Apart 20. Ishiguro, Kazuo - Never let me go 21. Ellison, Ralph - Invisible man 22. Woolf, Virginia - Mrs. Dalloway 23. Morrison, Toni - Beloved 24. Kerouac, Jack - On The Road 25. Hemingway, Ernest - The Sun also Rises 26. Chandler, Raymond - The Big Sleep 27. Byatt, A.S. - Possession 28. Forster, E.M. - A Passage to India 29. Graves, Robert - I, Claudius 30. Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God 31. Faulkner, William - The Sound of Fury 32. Warren, Robert Penn - All the King's Men 33. Atwood, Margaret - Blind Assassin 34. Wright, Richard - Native Son 35. Doctorow, E.L. - Ragtime 36. Faulkner, William - Light in August 37. Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse 38. Fowles, John - The French Lieutenant's Woman 39. le Carre, John - The Spy Who Came in From the Cold 40. McCullers, Carson - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 41. McCarthy, Cormac - Blood Meridian 42. Burroughs, William S. - Naked Lunch 43. Waugh, Evelyn - Brideshead Revisited 44. DeLillo, Don - White Noise 45. Wallace, David Foster - Infinite Jest 46. Yates, Richard - Revolutionary Road 47. Stephenson, Neal - Snow Crash 48. Rushdie, Salman - Midnight's Children 49. Spark, Muriel - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie 50. Cather, Willa - Death comes for the Archbishop
My tbr is just every book I see or hear of and "decide to read" which could be now, in 30 years, or never before I die, but even if I don't read it before I die, "I was getting to it". And it's not at all written down. I have so many to read that I can just pick one each time I need a new book and it's almost easier for my brain to not be stuck to a list or an order. I might pick a top 5 of all time classic, or a random Warhammer 40K novel for a book club thing, or some random interesting covered book I saw at a store and thought sounded good.
William Faulkner on Ernest Hemingway: “He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” Ernest Hemingway on William Faulkner: “Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?”
I dig this guy. Mesmerizing diction, great hair, passionate about books and absolutely brilliant. Hell yeah. Thank you Benjamin. A list of all-time favorites is so difficult. Some books I’ve read recently that I adore are Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer, The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis, Good as Gold by Joseph Heller, House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski and The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy.
48:03 I was cleaning my room as I listened to this and my jaw dropped and I turned my back as if I heard someone break into my house, love to see Watchmen get mentioned on here. I haven’t finished the comic but I loved the pages I read and Rorschach is a very interesting character. 49:32 OH YOUR A JOJO FAN TOO?!
Hey Benjamin, I did not know how to reach you out, and this by any means is no exaggeration but for me you are actually the best thing to have happened on the internet! Thank you for everything. You are the most delightful engagement I have on the internet - from your blogs to youtube to podcast - simply anything you touch becomes gold! Thank you so much!
Yeah. It's a heavily American list but Time is an American magazine so understandable. Nonetheless these lists are fun and Benjamin's take is always entertaining.
Hi Ben, your videos are always the highlight of my day, thanks for putting so much work into them. You really helped me get into the classics and I’ll be forever grateful for that. I just finished Les miserables and it was worth every minute.
Aw, thank you so much! That fills me with so much joy to hear. You have completely made my day! A huge congratulations on finishing Victor Hugo's masterpiece. I'm so happy you loved it! ☺️
Hi Ben just wanted to thank you, I started watching your content a few years ago now and it was honestly pivotal in me finding my passion for literature and the humanities, and just this week I secured my place for French at Oxford and I seriously doubt it would’ve ever happened had I never stumbled across your channel so thanks for everything you do
Hi Ben -- I am so excited for this video, especially as a Virginia Woolf fan! This is TMI, but I have been dealing with some health problems recently. Literature and discussing/listening to others discuss literature has been crucial in helping me feel hopeful and connected to others rather than isolated. Thank you for all the effort you put into all you do. (P.S. I am slowly but steadily working through Samuel Richardson's Clarissa. Your video on that was lovely and is helping me make the most out of my reading.)
Why is there never much love for Philip Roth. He writes beautifully while being understandable and plays with form and perspective while still creating great narratives. He has a hilarious cynical outlook while still writing with so much empathy for all his characters. His American trilogy is truly one of the best runs of books in the 20th century.
Thank you so much for the wonderful video, Benjamin 🌹 10:46 Revolutionary Road is such a fantastic, underappreciated masterpiece, and I'm glad it made it to the list. I highly recommend it, and you can also enjoy the movie adaptation of the novel, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Doctrow and Warren are great historical novelists, a genre that should get more respect. I would have included: A Portrait of the Lady - Henry James The Custom of the Country -Edith Wharton Nostromo - Joseph Conrad Women in Love - D. H. Lawrence The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett Lucky Jim - Kingsley Amis The Crystal World - J. G. Ballard Butcher's Crossing - John Williams Switch out Catcher in the Rye with Nine Stories Also, put in the story collection Going to Meet the Man for all of Baldwin's novels. I think Baldwin was at his best when he wrote short (stories and essays).
Hello, Good morning from Michigan. After viewing your inspiring podcasts I have started reading the classics. I am starting Don Quixote, thrifting one day I happened upon two paper mache sculptures which I bought and they are traveling through the mountains and valleys of my library.
Ben, I would love a video from you about graphic novels! I’ve only recently started getting a few, and some insight would be most welcome, as well as all the discussion that will come from others.
I'm so happy you would want that, Tena! It's been something I've wanted to do for a very long time now as I absolutely adore the medium! I'll put something together ☺️
Thank you so much for your amazing bookish content. I appreciate your take on these great works, and I was curious about you making a personal top 100 books. I would love that. Keep up the great content!
I will be reading The Grapes of Wrath with my juniors this year - in a few weeks. So excited to push my juniors :) I also love - As I Lay Dying! Thank you for being such an inspiration to drop into a great book!
Great video! I would enjoy a video about books you’ve not read yet, started and not finished or works that have just evaded you over the years and the stories behind why that’s the case. Your knowledge of literature is immense but it would be interesting to hear about the ones that got away 😊
Thank you so much, Craig! I really appreciate that. And that's a really amazing idea for a video. I'd definitely be up for talking about the ones that got away :)
I am such a fan of you, Ben. Years ago I picked up this list and finished it. I have notes on them and, thanks to you, reread those notes for the first time in years. It is strange to hear you haven’t read a few because often I feel like you have read everything!!! Since finishing this list I found your podcast and UA-cam channel and expanded my reading and began reading the French, Russian, and pre 1900 english writers you recommended. While I can’t afford your Patreon channel, I thank you so much for expanding my reading list - and egotistically thank you for letting me think I have read at least one great novel you haven’t. --- I smiled at one in particular when you said you hadn’t read it!!!
Thanks Ben for doing the countdown. I was very happy to see that Catcher in the Rye was there (was getting worried!). And thanks for giving me some more reading tips ❤. Keep up the good work!
You should read Fowles, _The French Lieutenant's Woman_. Also the short story collection _The Ebony Tower_. Fowles deliberately intrudes. He will not let the reader forget that the author is there. It's an interesting technique.
I don't remember the French Lieutenant's Woman having that complex narrative structure, but I was pretty young when I read it and it might have gone right over my head. Sounds like it's worth another try!
@@PatMcAnn Did you also see the movie? I did not, but I heard about it. The movie (so I heard), had a parallel story about the (invented) lives of the (purported) actors. Analogous, somewhat, to Pirandello's "Six characters in search of an Author". Maybe your memory has tricked you into mixing the movie with the book.
Thanks for another great video, Benjamin. Many of the books on this list have such a ubiquitous influence that I haven't considered them as books I *need* to read, but hearing you talk about them is making me reconsider. Due to the criteria of novels written in english most of my favourite modern novels were ineligible for the list. I would like to recommend some books but since I am not comfortable passing judgements on canons I'm unfamiliar with I will just recommend one great, modern novels from my corner of the world: Shyness and Dignity by norwegian author Dag Solstad. The intelligence, humor and historical existentialism of Solstad's œuvre is like no other, but what puts Shyness and Dignity above the rest for me is how brilliantly it captures the experience of living in the scandinavian welfare state.
This would be my list of top ten modern novels. #1. Catch-22. Joe Heller. Certainly the most significant American Novel of the modern era. Humorous satire is one of the most difficult genres to write in. Not only did Heller invent a phrase that is now widely used in the modern vernacular. He also invented a phrase that easily describes a circular reasoning logical fallacy. To write a coherent novel that is consistently spot on in its satirical observations while also writing the plot in a non-linear circular fashion while he pokes fun at circular reasoning of large hierarchical institutions is hilarious while at the same time deeply disturbing in its consequences for individuals. It is this relevancy to our modern world in which “what is good for these large institutions is what’s good for everyone” mentality these institutions seem to breed so regularly that makes this the best English language novel of the modern era. #2. A Brave New World. Aldous Huxley. A parallel Novel to Orwell’s 1984 it bumps 1984 as Huxely’s prediction of decline via mass apathy has been a more accurate prediction of societal decline than Orwell’s prediction of decline via authoritarianism. #3. The Grapes of Wrath- John Steinbeck. With maybe the exception of Uncle Toms Cabin no novel has impacted the consciousness of an entire large nation like Steinbeck’s masterpiece. Steineck certainly achieved his goal of “putting a tag of shame on the greedy bastards who “caused the Great Depression and its catastrophic effects”. #5. Aztec - Gary Jennings. One of the best historical novels ever written. Far better than I Claudius and I don’t say that lightly as I Claudius is without a doubt a great classic. This is also a genre, like humor, academics tend to ignore. Jennings genius is his lengthy and meticulously researched understanding of the Nahuatl language and pre-Columbian culture and history of the Aztecs and their stranger than fiction and highly improbable downfall makes for a fascinating, can’t put the book down read. #6. Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the sea. Damn the critics this is one of Hemingways best works. The academic post modernist analysis of this work are simply divorced from reality and should be completely ignored. The symbolism that this story evokes of one man against the world is timeless and compelling. #7. On The Road. Jack Kerouac. This is an uplifting story of two men searching for God and goodness in America and finding them. A truly inspirational and uplifting novel. 7:09 #8. The Catcher in the Rye. J.D. Salinger. This frank and brutally honest analysis of teenage male angst and identity crises is just so spot on relevant and relatable on growing up in modern society. #9. A Canticle for Liebowitz. Walter Miller, Jr. The best post apocalyptic sci-fi novel I’ve ever read. Even better than Philip K. Dicks “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.”. To all of the dedicated people of science let us pray. Blessed Saint Lebowitz, keep them guessing down here. #10. A Confederacy of Dunces. John Kennedy Toole. Only in the American South could you find a character like Ignatious J. Riley. Right up there with Catch-22 for its humor and cast of characters not to mention its depiction of New Orleans. Black humor at its finest. This should have been made into a movie a long time ago.
LOL I missed #4. To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch is a character of aspirational integrity. A man who solidly understands what is right from wrong and lives by those principles regardless of what the times and social circumstances are. His primary principle being a passionate believer in justice and fairness. Atticus is a man we could all stand up for.
Interesribg list, but a bit too much post modern writers for me. Why no one mentions Thomas Wolfe still saddens me immensely. LOOK HOMEWARD ANGEL, OF TIME AND THE RIVER, THE WEB AND THE ROCK and others are some of the greatest American novels ever written and should have made this list. Thanks for sharing Benjamin
Some thoughts on a few of these titles/authors. I would definitely recommend The French Lieutenant's Woman. For those who think that a meta-novel, a Victorian pastiche may not be for them, I would say don't worry. At its heart it's a cracking yarn, beautifully written and at its crux there is an event that causes you to reassess everything you have read. I've read most of Fowles' books and he is worth your time and even his flaws make him more interesting than most other writers. The movie attempted to find a cinematic equivalent for the meta-fiction and while an honourable effort it was somewhat forced. Still worth seeing, but read the book first! You can't go wrong with any Willa Cather book. Of the number that I have read, the one that spoke to me most directly was The Professor's House. A retired professor evaluates his life, it being compared to the life of an ill fated young man, Tom Outland. A.S. Byatt (whose Possession I didn't much care for) considered it to be Cather's masterpiece. The Blind Assassin is a great book, in my opinion more fully realised than The Handmaid's Tale which I found somewhat schematic. I would also recommend Alias Grace, Attwood at the height of her powers. I'm a little indifferent to Brideshead Revisited, but one thing that increased my interest was a visit to the house that inspired the novel (NOT Castle Howard where the series was set). That is Madresfield Court in Worcestershire, my home county, and very close to the Malvern Hills (pronounced mol-vun). It is only open on certain days and conducted tours are the only option. An Evelyn Waugh literary group was in the party for my visit. Of great interest is the chapel which is exactly as described in the novel. I'm a bit sad that there are no Patrick White novels included. It may be that because his style is a bit Jamesian that he has fallen out of favour, but Voss or The Tree of Man would not be out of place in this list.
Hey Ben! I’m excited to see this list. I was wondering if you’d make a reaction video to it. I’m glad you have! A list I’d like to see you react to is the New York Times list of the 100 greatest novels of the 21st century. I hope your reading is doing well. I’m about to begin my headfirst dive into the Bradbury Trio, as you have coined it. (A video will be forthcoming). Happy reading, Ben!
Hey Canton!! Thank you so much :) That's such an amazing idea for a reaction. I'd totally be up for doing one for the NYT list - some absolutely phenomenal works on there! And I'm so thrilled to hear you're diving into the Bradbury Trio. Truly such a rewarding reading routine. I'm very excited to hear your thoughts in your video, my friend!
Hi Benjamin I always try and return to your channel as I have a busy life style. But this particular video was really excellent. The list of 50 best modern novels was intriguing. As I several of these books in my collection and have not actually read as yet. You have rekindled my pursuit to find time to read these works of literature. Great selection Benjamin.
Clarice Lispector I have only just learned about. With the amount of good things I hear about her I wonder if shes in the top 100. I've only read one book and it was lovely. I've heard some say she should be considered one of the best writers ever. Maybe a bit of a stretch for me at this point but I will be reading more soon. I just purchased a Hemingway so that is on my to read.
Hi Ben!!! Love your videos! I've e gone back and viewed some of your previous ones. And taken notes and enjoy your recommendations.,content and reviews!!!,keep up the great work, thank you
Oh, please read McCullers and report back asap 😊 Also, where was Wise Blood on this list?! I am a librarian living in Texas and I am always enchanted to see people loving Southern Gothic who didn’t grow up here.
It’s nice to see a respectable person such as yourself speak so highly of American literature. We have produced some excellent authors over the years. East of Eden is without question my favorite novel of all time.
Just got done deep reading “V.”, currently reading “The Crying of Lot 49” and about to get to “Gravity’s Rainbow”. Have taken it upon myself to read the Georgia Press Companions for each book as well. Once I get to GR, I will most definitely use your lecture series, Ben. Thank you for everything you do. And thank you for this vid today!
I'm not sure what the parameters are for this list, since I couldn't find it online, but it appears to go back a ways into the early 20th Century and it is confined to English language novels as near as I can tell. Perhaps the last 100 years? Which would explain the exclusion of Ulysses, I suppose. A few of these are on my list of greatest novels I've read, including Atonement, Blood Meridian, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, Slaughterhouse-Five, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Lolita, On the Road, and The Sun Also Rises. Others I would definitely consider are Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig; The Fixer, The Assistant, and The Natural by Bernard Malamud; Stoner by John Williams; Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; The Quiet American by Graham Greene; The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms, and For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway; Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Some lesser known but still great "modern" novels include The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles; The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark; and The Book of Ebenezer Le Page by G. B. Edwards.
Ben, absolutely entertaining! I once took guitar lessons from the great Jim Mesi and I always left his place really excited about guitar, he did that by being himself, he really believed... to me you do this in the world of literature, the love of reading, and books! Thank you...
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry absolutely needs to be there! I love to reread it every few years and you have reminded me it's time for another reading! Thank you, Alice :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Next time read it from my Texas woman's pov. McMurtry characters were predominantly innocent teenage boys who would cry at the drop of a hat and the women were not innocent, passed around like meat, except for Clara who was a large cake-eating horsewoman who used men to help with the horses. They saw more death on that cattle drive than most will see in a lifetime, yet none of them had any depth of spirituality to dive into meaning of life (much like McMurtry himself) - unless your first trip to a prostitute counts for your big dream in life. Gus was a great father figure...loved him and also Call with his big flaws. Readers would be better off watching the movie though. McMurtry's huge talent falls short of authenticity. When great talent meets shallow heart... On another note, you are my absolute favorite Book Tuber! Never miss your posts.
Lonesome Dove. One of the great works of the 20th century. And one of the few comic masterpieces of any era that stands comparison to, say, Don Quixote in terms of laughs per page.
Ben, I would just like to say that you always have very insightful things to say, and is particularly very helpful for me since I’ll be taking a college-level Literature class for my senior year in high school. I truly enjoy your discourse on Russian lit. Currently reading Anna Karenina, and I’m enjoying it. Thank you for all that you do, appreciate you :)
I’m partial to modern satire and have pretty much finished off Nathaniel West, Tom Wolfe, Joseph Heller and Evelyn Waugh. My college bookstore used to stock Al Capp (Li’l Abner) and Walt Kelly (Pogo) in with the great literary satirists because they were “too good to bury in the cartooning section.” I completely agreed.
Brilliant video Ben; I just love these list type of videos! Glad to see Orwell twice in the top 10. I just love him. His Down and Out in Paris and London has been a favourite of mine for 40 yrs! Would have preferred to see East of Eden there instead of The Grapes of Wrath, but love Steinbeck and happy to see him in the Top 10. Earlier in the year I read along with EofE over at THCLC in Jan. Just great. Blood Meridian should have been top 10. Phenomenal piece of writing. Your lectures over on THCLC got me through it last year. Thanks so much for that. It was a very different experience than trying to make sense of it on my own! Plenty on that list I need to read and others to re-read. Hope you enjoy the books new to you, from the list. 👏 🥰 📚
Thank you so much, Ruth!! I'm so happy you love these videos. I have so much fun putting these ones together :) Down and Out in Paris and London is amazing, isn't it? East of Eden's definitely my personal favourite Steinbeck. It was so rewarding reading through that with you at the club! I'm so thrilled that the Blood Meridian lectures helped you through McCarthy's masterpiece. What an incredible work! The ideas from the book still haunt me!!
Solid list over all! I'd personally add House Of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. In terms of creativity, and the way the page itself is used as a vehicle for communicating the psychological horror experience of the story... There's nothing like it! Always a pleasure listening to you talk about books 😍📚🙏
I saw Agee’s A Death in the Family near the end of the list - have you read it? I think this and his Let Us Now Praise Famous Men are tremendous. I always wonder what would have been his oeuvre had he lived longer.
On Neal Stephenson: I love his Baroque Cycle trilogy - Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World - but I never hear anyone talk about them. Every once in a while, when I notice those three books sitting on my shelves, it occurs to me to wonder why not.
I read the blind assassin three years ago, it’s a very good novel, a novel within a novel, some fascinating characters, the vision of an era as well. It’s also what I would call a ”page turner ”.
The Sun Also Rises was my favourite novel for a long time, nowadays I have a long long list of favourites that I can’t choose between. Definitely recommend The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, and second the poster who recommended Alias Grace, both preferable to The Handmaid’s Tale in my opinion. Great video, new subscriber here!
POLDARK series is never on the lists of great lit. However, the prose is comparable to many authors on this list. The character development and plots of each book in the series is so very well done. The characters are believable, and the historic times in which they live is brought to life (Cornwall 1780 - 1800s). THE RESEARCH INVOLVED in bringing to life these characters with the Napoleonic Wars in the background is obvious. If you like historical fiction, the Poldark series is a must read!
Awesome video, Mr. McEvoy! I always enjoy hearing your perspective whenever a list like this comes about. I hope you will release your own Greatest Novels List one day 😁
I had the great pleasure of spending an evening with Anthony Burgess at his room at the Ritz in Boston, one auspicious day in the 1980s, and he personally felt that Earthly Powers was his own best work at the time. But was it on the list? He should have had several up there. Way ass up there. At one time the Encyclopedia Brittanica cited him as the best living writer in the English language, I believe I recall, though it has been many decades. Earthly Powers, which he was originally going to call "Prince with the Power of the Air", would be a good one for the Bookclub. Also missing is Hermann Broch, Robert Musil, Flann O'Brien, William Gaddis, Alexander Theroux, Milan Kundera, and Mishima. Fun list. Some new ones to check out.
I absolutely love Carson McCullers. She has a distinct voice and tells stories about outcast, socially rejected people. Since you love Southern Gothic, you will probably enjoy her work.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter sucks you in even though you cannot seem to relate to characters. I found myself thinking about them long after I finished reading it. Also, I wanted to recommend a 1961's Nobel prize winner, The Bridge on Drina by Ivo Andric. It is a story about a bridge and 400 years of Balkan history passing it by. We read it in secondary school and even now after 20+ years I still remember one particular scene which haunts me. ( Sorry for bad English. )
Several of these I hadn't even heard of yet! Snow Crash sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for including the synopses of the books. I'd only read four of the books on the list, not including the Fellowship of the Ring which I have read (grew up with the extended films). I feel better knowing the books I have read are ones much closer to the top of the list--although part of this could be related to how often these books were fed to people in school. Most of the books that I read on this list (all except Narnia) are books that I read for school.
I always enjoy hearing what you have to say about the individual books on these type lists, so thank you for sharing your thoughts. Am looking forward to what you have to say about Lolita.
The only complaint that I have about the "Time Magazine" list of the best books is that some authors are going to be neglected in the selection process. My english professor spoke highly of the American author Joan Didion's literary works at my english department. Thanks for making this tuff video.
Yes, you should definitely put Possession very high on your "to read" list. In fact, it has been so long since I’ve read it, I may have to do the same. 😊
What a treat Ben -- thanks as always for sharing your literary fire ❤Appreciate your honoring of American literature -- saw the continuous roll of 'On the Road' when it was on a museum tour, a living artifact of 20th century literature [I think periodically of Truman Capote's comment that it wasn't 'writing' but 'typewriting,' no way to quantify all the writers (much less all the human beings) in whom the novel continues to live).
I'm glad to see a lot of my favourites on the top. I was 19 when LOTR gained popularity in my country because the movie just came out. Sadly, I didn't read the books nor watched the movie for some reason. I kept on putting it off. Here we are, 23 years later and I finally read it and watched the movies. Now I understand why they're beloved (both the movies and the books).
I'd add Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor Ubik by Philip K. Dick Ice by Anna Kavan Neuromancer by William Gibson The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin And perhaps some J.G. Ballard
I’ll throw in a recommendation for Ragtime. I love period novels that really bring you into an era of history, and that’s something Ragtime succeeds spectacularly with in taking the reader into the early years of the 20th century. I love the way Doctorow has the historical figures interact with the fictional characters. And Ragtime was a major influence on my favorite book of the last decade, Jess Walter’s The Cold Millions.
Oh, how I love your videos! I have always liked literature but I don’t believe as much as now, upon my discovery of classics, say a year or two ago. They have really rekindled my love of literature, which flame had died down temporarily in the erstwhile years. Literature is wondrous; the way words can bring such joy to the beholder; evoke such a visceral reaction; cause laughter, tears, joy. It is wonderful. Sadly, few around me share the same love of literature, being in a school of rowdy, pubertal teens, to such a heightened extent, but this channel is such a brilliant way of being able to communicate with those whose fiery flame for literature is as strong as mine, if not stronger; and with more experience to assist that flame. Recently I have been interested in getting into difficult literature but wonder whether, I am capable to do so or too lacking in understanding; and, age (being at the puerile age of 14), and I wonder what you would recommend? I look, for reference, to the lofty heights of Joyce (esp. Ulysses), Faulkner etc., but wonder what could serve as good stepping stones to such a mountain. My favourite classics so far, are probably Jane Eyre, A Tale of Two Cities, The Age of Innocence and 100 Years of Solitude, the latter two more recent but absolutely stunning, Wharton has such a mastery over character and prose, and upon the dénouement of the story I was left close to tears; Márquez has such a magical way with words, making the novel play out like a dream, causing the reader fall under a hallucinatory stupor, and come out enchanted by the ethereality of Márquez exquisite realm. I could just go on and on about literature, its powers so great, its words so evocative, a temporary antidote for the disease of misfortune which often stalks one; catching you at your most jubilant. I adore literature for its escapist powers; for its stirring nature; its incredible potency; its encapsulation of all the joys and sorrows and mankind. Funny how a particular arrangement of pure words, can fill one with such heightened elation; such ineffable bliss that penetrates all the way to the perforations of the soul. Literature is wonderful. Literature is beauty.
The French Lieutenant’s Woman is one of the first “modern” novels I ever read and I fell absolutely in love with it. It is a stunning meditation on Victorian values, modernity and evolution but it is also a fantastic look at the relationship between an author and his characters and how, sometimes they write their own story. It is an extremely well written interesting novel and Fowles does something interesting with narrative and point of view. This is lush metafiction and I can recommend it very highly.
Just read Blood Meridian, thanks! and agree it should be higher. Many interesting parallel topics for a book club to discuss. The epilogue seems to try to capture the essence of the whole book, not a story line. The girl cranking the organ handle, giving enkindlement and principle to the bears dance. The man enkindles the fire of the rock, giving force and principle to the escapement and pallet of the gatherers. Causality in quantum.
What, no Saul Bellow? Herzog and Henderson the Rain King are two of the finest post war American novels. Bellow is one of the giants of 20th century American literature.
I agree with your opinion on graphic novels so much. It's a complete seperate art form which needs it's own list. And even if you put graphic novels and novels together just putting one is kind of frustrating. And I have always seen it's either Watchmen or Persepolis as if they are the only great and respectable comics. There are so many other great comics out there. Sandman,Phonogram,Maus etc. which deserves to be on this list if you are putting graphic novels.
Co-incidentally I have been tearing through Iris Murdoch as well. Finished ‘Under the Net’, ‘The Sacred and Profane Love Machine’, ‘The Bell’, and ‘The Sea The Sea’ in that order. Quite simply one of the best novelists I’ve read so far. I read ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ after ‘The Sea The Sea’ and had tremendous fun comparing Charles’ obsession with Hartley to Mitya’s obsession with Grushenka.
If you ever have the itch for some complex deep fantasy, i can only recommend Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is very distinct in the fantasy genre and can almost be seen as a postmodern critique of the whole genre. But its also so much more than that with it being incredibly deep thematically, exploring the meaning of compassion and hope, while being exquisitely dark and sorrowful. Also, the author Steven Erikson was/is an archeologist and it shows beautifully in his writing.
That was great, thank you so much for the top 50. It felt like I was travelling back to my school years. Of course there were plenty of books that are new to me. So many choices, where to go from here? ☕📘
There's nothing like a 'book list' video for those of us at the computer, working from home. For me, The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath would be at the top of the list, but there is a lot on that list that I haven't read. I'm knee deep in Proust (now on Volume 3), plus a short DeLillo (Mao II) so time is limited. Anyway, thank you for the video - I'm hoping to rejoin in September for the Inferno, as I have my shiny new copy of La Divina Commedia especially purchased last time I was in Italy. 🤩
If you ever plan to do a list of your favourite 21st century novels, I'll totally be obsessed with it. I recently read Lincoln in the Bardo and it spoke to me in magical ways. I'm currently in a contemporary fiction mood!
That's a fantastic idea for a list! I'm totally up for that. I'll give it some thought :) And I'm so happy you loved Lincoln in the Bardo. Absolute masterpiece!
I listed them out for you:
1. Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird
2. Orwell, George - 1984
3. Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Lord of the Rings
4. Salinger, J. D. - The Catcher in the Rye
5. Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby
6. Lewis, C.S. - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
7. Golding, William - Lord of the Flies
8. Orwell, George - Animal Farm
9. Heller, Joseph - Catch-22
10. Steinbeck, John - The Grapes of Wrath
11. Mitchell, Margaret - Gone with the wind
12. Vonnegut, Kurt - Slaughterhouse-Five
13. Kesey, Ken - One flew over the Cuckoo's nest
14. Burgess, Anthony - A Clockwork Orange
15. Nabokov, Vladimir - Lolita
16. Blume, Judy - Are you there God? Its me, Margaret
17. Moore, Alan - Watchman
18. McEwan, Ian - Atonement
19. Achebe, Chinua - Things Fall Apart
20. Ishiguro, Kazuo - Never let me go
21. Ellison, Ralph - Invisible man
22. Woolf, Virginia - Mrs. Dalloway
23. Morrison, Toni - Beloved
24. Kerouac, Jack - On The Road
25. Hemingway, Ernest - The Sun also Rises
26. Chandler, Raymond - The Big Sleep
27. Byatt, A.S. - Possession
28. Forster, E.M. - A Passage to India
29. Graves, Robert - I, Claudius
30. Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God
31. Faulkner, William - The Sound of Fury
32. Warren, Robert Penn - All the King's Men
33. Atwood, Margaret - Blind Assassin
34. Wright, Richard - Native Son
35. Doctorow, E.L. - Ragtime
36. Faulkner, William - Light in August
37. Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse
38. Fowles, John - The French Lieutenant's Woman
39. le Carre, John - The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
40. McCullers, Carson - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
41. McCarthy, Cormac - Blood Meridian
42. Burroughs, William S. - Naked Lunch
43. Waugh, Evelyn - Brideshead Revisited
44. DeLillo, Don - White Noise
45. Wallace, David Foster - Infinite Jest
46. Yates, Richard - Revolutionary Road
47. Stephenson, Neal - Snow Crash
48. Rushdie, Salman - Midnight's Children
49. Spark, Muriel - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
50. Cather, Willa - Death comes for the Archbishop
Thanks a lot
I was so glad to NOT see most of these on the list. Especially. Mockingbird andGone with the Wind.
Blood Meridian that many spots behind To Kill a Mockingbird is wiiiiiiiild
Thank you so much. Greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
“I don’t really have a tbr, I just have books all around me” ❤
I love having books and music and cannot clear out either category. ❤❤
My tbr is just every book I see or hear of and "decide to read" which could be now, in 30 years, or never before I die, but even if I don't read it before I die, "I was getting to it". And it's not at all written down. I have so many to read that I can just pick one each time I need a new book and it's almost easier for my brain to not be stuck to a list or an order. I might pick a top 5 of all time classic, or a random Warhammer 40K novel for a book club thing, or some random interesting covered book I saw at a store and thought sounded good.
I noticed after 4th book mentioned that list of "reading at the moment" is growing like crazy to the point it cant be tbr
William Faulkner on Ernest Hemingway: “He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”
Ernest Hemingway on William Faulkner: “Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?”
Can you imagine Ernest Hemingway and Henry James being asked to critique each other’s books?
I dig this guy. Mesmerizing diction, great hair, passionate about books and absolutely brilliant. Hell yeah. Thank you Benjamin.
A list of all-time favorites is so difficult. Some books I’ve read recently that I adore are Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer, The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis, Good as Gold by Joseph Heller, House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski and The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy.
I just read Mailer's Castle in the Forest and liked it a lot. It's an explanation of Hitler and it ended too soon.
@@marypladsen5231 I read that soon after Mailer died, in Spring ‘08, and I remember liking it a lot. A certainly twisted origin story for Adolph.
Perfect timing!! The place to myself, feet up, single malt in hand, Let's get this show on the road!.
Thank you! That's awesome :) There are few things better than a fine single malt and a chat about great books! Cheers! 🥃
Blood Meridian should be way higher in the list. I have read many modern classics and this is the one that sticks with me most. Great video as always.
Thank you so much, Chris! I completely agree. I'd definitely be putting Blood Meridian incredibly high up too. Absolute masterpiece!
...great book, but it disturbed me...for months.
When considering Steinbeck, CAANNERY ROW is a must read.
48:03 I was cleaning my room as I listened to this and my jaw dropped and I turned my back as if I heard someone break into my house, love to see Watchmen get mentioned on here. I haven’t finished the comic but I loved the pages I read and Rorschach is a very interesting character.
49:32 OH YOUR A JOJO FAN TOO?!
Hey Benjamin, I did not know how to reach you out, and this by any means is no exaggeration but for me you are actually the best thing to have happened on the internet! Thank you for everything. You are the most delightful engagement I have on the internet - from your blogs to youtube to podcast - simply anything you touch becomes gold! Thank you so much!
Wish Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall made it to the list. One of the most astonishing, moving, intimate pieces of fiction I've read in years.
I completely agree! Absolutely needed to be on the list!!
You have my vote!
Yeah. It's a heavily American list but Time is an American magazine so understandable. Nonetheless these lists are fun and Benjamin's take is always entertaining.
Came to the comments thinking the same thing
Hi Ben, your videos are always the highlight of my day, thanks for putting so much work into them. You really helped me get into the classics and I’ll be forever grateful for that.
I just finished Les miserables and it was worth every minute.
Aw, thank you so much! That fills me with so much joy to hear. You have completely made my day! A huge congratulations on finishing Victor Hugo's masterpiece. I'm so happy you loved it! ☺️
I love your lists
Hi Ben just wanted to thank you, I started watching your content a few years ago now and it was honestly pivotal in me finding my passion for literature and the humanities, and just this week I secured my place for French at Oxford and I seriously doubt it would’ve ever happened had I never stumbled across your channel so thanks for everything you do
Hi Ben -- I am so excited for this video, especially as a Virginia Woolf fan! This is TMI, but I have been dealing with some health problems recently. Literature and discussing/listening to others discuss literature has been crucial in helping me feel hopeful and connected to others rather than isolated. Thank you for all the effort you put into all you do. (P.S. I am slowly but steadily working through Samuel Richardson's Clarissa. Your video on that was lovely and is helping me make the most out of my reading.)
Why is there never much love for Philip Roth. He writes beautifully while being understandable and plays with form and perspective while still creating great narratives. He has a hilarious cynical outlook while still writing with so much empathy for all his characters. His American trilogy is truly one of the best runs of books in the 20th century.
Agreed on all counts. I suspect part of the reluctance to include him on these kind of lists is his obsession with sex.
@@andrewfarmer1127 Bingo! Enough already. As Freud's influence has faded, so has interest in Roth. They're linked in an odd way.
wake up babe new Benjamin McEvoy ranking vid just dropped
Great video. Suggestion for a followup video: review all literature nobel winners. Perhaps even rank them!
Thank you! I've been wanting to do that video for a very long time. That would be a lot of fun :)
Thank you so much for the wonderful video, Benjamin 🌹
10:46 Revolutionary Road is such a fantastic, underappreciated masterpiece, and I'm glad it made it to the list.
I highly recommend it, and you can also enjoy the movie adaptation of the novel, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Doctrow and Warren are great historical novelists, a genre that should get more respect.
I would have included:
A Portrait of the Lady - Henry James
The Custom of the Country -Edith Wharton
Nostromo - Joseph Conrad
Women in Love - D. H. Lawrence
The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett
Lucky Jim - Kingsley Amis
The Crystal World - J. G. Ballard
Butcher's Crossing - John Williams
Switch out Catcher in the Rye with Nine Stories
Also, put in the story collection Going to Meet the Man for all of Baldwin's novels. I think Baldwin was at his best when he wrote short (stories and essays).
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was the first book I fell in love with
True! I never thought of it that way. I love The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
That is such an incredible description. I'm so excited to read it now! :)
I get exactly what you mean! You couldn't have compared it better!
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe is a quick memorable read of hers.
She just left me cold. Trying too hard.
Hello, Good morning from Michigan. After viewing your inspiring podcasts I have started reading the classics. I am starting Don Quixote, thrifting one day I happened upon two paper mache sculptures which I bought and they are traveling through the mountains and valleys of my library.
Ben, I would love a video from you about graphic novels! I’ve only recently started getting a few, and some insight would be most welcome, as well as all the discussion that will come from others.
I'm so happy you would want that, Tena! It's been something I've wanted to do for a very long time now as I absolutely adore the medium! I'll put something together ☺️
Thank you so much for your amazing bookish content. I appreciate your take on these great works, and I was curious about you making a personal top 100 books. I would love that. Keep up the great content!
I love Revolutionary Road! I've read it multiple times, certainly worth your time to read, Ben. Hope you discuss it at some point
Wow! Thank you, Carla :) You have made me incredibly excited to read it now!!
I will be reading The Grapes of Wrath with my juniors this year - in a few weeks. So excited to push my juniors :) I also love - As I Lay Dying! Thank you for being such an inspiration to drop into a great book!
Great video! I would enjoy a video about books you’ve not read yet, started and not finished or works that have just evaded you over the years and the stories behind why that’s the case. Your knowledge of literature is immense but it would be interesting to hear about the ones that got away 😊
Thank you so much, Craig! I really appreciate that. And that's a really amazing idea for a video. I'd definitely be up for talking about the ones that got away :)
My Antonia is my favorite book of all time, so glad you're discovering Willa Cather!
I am such a fan of you, Ben. Years ago I picked up this list and finished it. I have notes on them and, thanks to you, reread those notes for the first time in years. It is strange to hear you haven’t read a few because often I feel like you have read everything!!! Since finishing this list I found your podcast and UA-cam channel and expanded my reading and began reading the French, Russian, and pre 1900 english writers you recommended. While I can’t afford your Patreon channel, I thank you so much for expanding my reading list - and egotistically thank you for letting me think I have read at least one great novel you haven’t. --- I smiled at one in particular when you said you hadn’t read it!!!
So glad to hear you again! 🔥💛🌟
Thank you, Natalia!! ☺️
Thanks Ben for doing the countdown. I was very happy to see that Catcher in the Rye was there (was getting worried!). And thanks for giving me some more reading tips ❤. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much, Patrick!! I really appreciate that ☺️🙏
You should read Fowles, _The French Lieutenant's Woman_. Also the short story collection _The Ebony Tower_. Fowles deliberately intrudes. He will not let the reader forget that the author is there. It's an interesting technique.
I don't remember the French Lieutenant's Woman having that complex narrative structure, but I was pretty young when I read it and it might have gone right over my head. Sounds like it's worth another try!
@@PatMcAnn Did you also see the movie? I did not, but I heard about it. The movie (so I heard), had a parallel story about the (invented) lives of the (purported) actors. Analogous, somewhat, to Pirandello's "Six characters in search of an Author". Maybe your memory has tricked you into mixing the movie with the book.
Thanks for another great video, Benjamin. Many of the books on this list have such a ubiquitous influence that I haven't considered them as books I *need* to read, but hearing you talk about them is making me reconsider. Due to the criteria of novels written in english most of my favourite modern novels were ineligible for the list. I would like to recommend some books but since I am not comfortable passing judgements on canons I'm unfamiliar with I will just recommend one great, modern novels from my corner of the world: Shyness and Dignity by norwegian author Dag Solstad. The intelligence, humor and historical existentialism of Solstad's œuvre is like no other, but what puts Shyness and Dignity above the rest for me is how brilliantly it captures the experience of living in the scandinavian welfare state.
This would be my list of top ten modern novels.
#1. Catch-22. Joe Heller. Certainly the most significant American Novel of the modern era. Humorous satire is one of the most difficult genres to write in. Not only did Heller invent a phrase that is now widely used in the modern vernacular. He also invented a phrase that easily describes a circular reasoning logical fallacy. To write a coherent novel that is consistently spot on in its satirical observations while also writing the plot in a non-linear circular fashion while he pokes fun at circular reasoning of large hierarchical institutions is hilarious while at the same time deeply disturbing in its consequences for individuals. It is this relevancy to our modern world in which “what is good for these large institutions is what’s good for everyone” mentality these institutions seem to breed so regularly that makes this the best English language novel of the modern era.
#2. A Brave New World. Aldous Huxley. A parallel Novel to Orwell’s 1984 it bumps 1984 as Huxely’s prediction of decline via mass apathy has been a more accurate prediction of societal decline than Orwell’s prediction of decline via authoritarianism.
#3. The Grapes of Wrath- John Steinbeck. With maybe the exception of Uncle Toms Cabin no novel has impacted the consciousness of an entire large nation like Steinbeck’s masterpiece. Steineck certainly achieved his goal of “putting a tag of shame on the greedy bastards who “caused the Great Depression and its catastrophic effects”.
#5. Aztec - Gary Jennings. One of the best historical novels ever written. Far better than I Claudius and I don’t say that lightly as I Claudius is without a doubt a great classic. This is also a genre, like humor, academics tend to ignore. Jennings genius is his lengthy and meticulously researched understanding of the Nahuatl language and pre-Columbian culture and history of the Aztecs and their stranger than fiction and highly improbable downfall makes for a fascinating, can’t put the book down read.
#6. Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the sea. Damn the critics this is one of Hemingways best works. The academic post modernist analysis of this work are simply divorced from reality and should be completely ignored. The symbolism that this story evokes of one man against the world is timeless and compelling.
#7. On The Road. Jack Kerouac. This is an uplifting story of two men searching for God and goodness in America and finding them. A truly inspirational and uplifting novel. 7:09
#8. The Catcher in the Rye. J.D. Salinger. This frank and brutally honest analysis of teenage male angst and identity crises is just so spot on relevant and relatable on growing up in modern society.
#9. A Canticle for Liebowitz. Walter Miller, Jr. The best post apocalyptic sci-fi novel I’ve ever read. Even better than Philip K. Dicks “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.”. To all of the dedicated people of science let us pray. Blessed Saint Lebowitz, keep them guessing down here.
#10. A Confederacy of Dunces. John Kennedy Toole. Only in the American South could you find a character like Ignatious J. Riley. Right up there with Catch-22 for its humor and cast of characters not to mention its depiction of New Orleans. Black humor at its finest. This should have been made into a movie a long time ago.
LOL I missed #4. To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch is a character of aspirational integrity. A man who solidly understands what is right from wrong and lives by those principles regardless of what the times and social circumstances are. His primary principle being a passionate believer in justice and fairness. Atticus is a man we could all stand up for.
Interesribg list, but a bit too much post modern writers for me. Why no one mentions Thomas Wolfe still saddens me immensely. LOOK HOMEWARD ANGEL, OF TIME AND THE RIVER, THE WEB AND THE ROCK and others are some of the greatest American novels ever written and should have made this list. Thanks for sharing Benjamin
My favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird. I'm glad to see it topped this list.
Some thoughts on a few of these titles/authors.
I would definitely recommend The French Lieutenant's Woman. For those who think that a meta-novel, a Victorian pastiche may not be for them, I would say don't worry. At its heart it's a cracking yarn, beautifully written and at its crux there is an event that causes you to reassess everything you have read. I've read most of Fowles' books and he is worth your time and even his flaws make him more interesting than most other writers. The movie attempted to find a cinematic equivalent for the meta-fiction and while an honourable effort it was somewhat forced. Still worth seeing, but read the book first!
You can't go wrong with any Willa Cather book. Of the number that I have read, the one that spoke to me most directly was The Professor's House. A retired professor evaluates his life, it being compared to the life of an ill fated young man, Tom Outland. A.S. Byatt (whose Possession I didn't much care for) considered it to be Cather's masterpiece.
The Blind Assassin is a great book, in my opinion more fully realised than The Handmaid's Tale which I found somewhat schematic. I would also recommend Alias Grace, Attwood at the height of her powers.
I'm a little indifferent to Brideshead Revisited, but one thing that increased my interest was a visit to the house that inspired the novel (NOT Castle Howard where the series was set). That is Madresfield Court in Worcestershire, my home county, and very close to the Malvern Hills (pronounced mol-vun). It is only open on certain days and conducted tours are the only option. An Evelyn Waugh literary group was in the party for my visit. Of great interest is the chapel which is exactly as described in the novel.
I'm a bit sad that there are no Patrick White novels included. It may be that because his style is a bit Jamesian that he has fallen out of favour, but Voss or The Tree of Man would not be out of place in this list.
Voss is one of my favorite books.
Hey Ben!
I’m excited to see this list. I was wondering if you’d make a reaction video to it. I’m glad you have! A list I’d like to see you react to is the New York Times list of the 100 greatest novels of the 21st century.
I hope your reading is doing well. I’m about to begin my headfirst dive into the Bradbury Trio, as you have coined it. (A video will be forthcoming).
Happy reading, Ben!
Hey Canton!! Thank you so much :) That's such an amazing idea for a reaction. I'd totally be up for doing one for the NYT list - some absolutely phenomenal works on there! And I'm so thrilled to hear you're diving into the Bradbury Trio. Truly such a rewarding reading routine. I'm very excited to hear your thoughts in your video, my friend!
Reviewing books with Benjamin is an excellent Saturday night...:) East of Eden!!!
Aw, thank you, my friend :) I totally agree! East of Eden should be there!
Hi Benjamin I always try and return to your channel as I have a busy life style. But this particular video was really excellent. The list of 50 best modern novels was intriguing. As I several of these books in my collection and have not actually read as yet. You have rekindled my pursuit to find time to read these works of literature. Great selection Benjamin.
Anthony Powell's Dance To The Music Of Time is excellent!
Bravo. I love the way you inserted B&W portraits into your discourse.
Thank you so much!! 😀
Clarice Lispector I have only just learned about. With the amount of good things I hear about her I wonder if shes in the top 100. I've only read one book and it was lovely. I've heard some say she should be considered one of the best writers ever. Maybe a bit of a stretch for me at this point but I will be reading more soon. I just purchased a Hemingway so that is on my to read.
Hi Ben!!! Love your videos! I've e gone back and viewed some of your previous ones. And taken notes and enjoy your recommendations.,content and reviews!!!,keep up the great work, thank you
Wow!! Thank you so much, Kay! You have completely made my day ☺️
Oh, please read McCullers and report back asap 😊
Also, where was Wise Blood on this list?!
I am a librarian living in Texas and I am always enchanted to see people loving Southern Gothic who didn’t grow up here.
I definitely will! I'm so excited to read her now!! And thank you so much for watching over in beautiful Texas! ☺️
@@AJ-hz3tx I was thinking of WB too, but FO was mainly a short story writer. Guess we'll have to wait for the short story list video. 😆
It’s nice to see a respectable person such as yourself speak so highly of American literature. We have produced some excellent authors over the years. East of Eden is without question my favorite novel of all time.
Just got done deep reading “V.”, currently reading “The Crying of Lot 49” and about to get to “Gravity’s Rainbow”. Have taken it upon myself to read the Georgia Press Companions for each book as well.
Once I get to GR, I will most definitely use your lecture series, Ben. Thank you for everything you do. And thank you for this vid today!
I'm not sure what the parameters are for this list, since I couldn't find it online, but it appears to go back a ways into the early 20th Century and it is confined to English language novels as near as I can tell. Perhaps the last 100 years? Which would explain the exclusion of Ulysses, I suppose. A few of these are on my list of greatest novels I've read, including Atonement, Blood Meridian, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, Slaughterhouse-Five, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Lolita, On the Road, and The Sun Also Rises. Others I would definitely consider are Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig; The Fixer, The Assistant, and The Natural by Bernard Malamud; Stoner by John Williams; Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; The Quiet American by Graham Greene; The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms, and For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway; Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Some lesser known but still great "modern" novels include The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles; The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark; and The Book of Ebenezer Le Page by G. B. Edwards.
Ben, absolutely entertaining! I once took guitar lessons from the great Jim Mesi and I always left his place really excited about guitar, he did that by being himself, he really believed... to me you do this in the world of literature, the love of reading, and books! Thank you...
I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying Iris Murdock. Being an older person, I've been reading and collecting her novels for some time!
My favorite novel is the great American classic Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.
I don't know why this novel is so often neglected in lists. It's wonderful, totally engrossing , amusing, moving.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry absolutely needs to be there! I love to reread it every few years and you have reminded me it's time for another reading! Thank you, Alice :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Next time read it from my Texas woman's pov. McMurtry characters were predominantly innocent teenage boys who would cry at the drop of a hat and the women were not innocent, passed around like meat, except for Clara who was a large cake-eating horsewoman who used men to help with the horses. They saw more death on that cattle drive than most will see in a lifetime, yet none of them had any depth of spirituality to dive into meaning of life (much like McMurtry himself) - unless your first trip to a prostitute counts for your big dream in life. Gus was a great father figure...loved him and also Call with his big flaws. Readers would be better off watching the movie though. McMurtry's huge talent falls short of authenticity. When great talent meets shallow heart...
On another note, you are my absolute favorite Book Tuber! Never miss your posts.
Do I ever agree. You will never forget the characters. But why are the sequels not as good! They don't have that mysterious x factor.
Lonesome Dove. One of the great works of the 20th century. And one of the few comic masterpieces of any era that stands comparison to, say, Don Quixote in terms of laughs per page.
Ben, I would just like to say that you always have very insightful things to say, and is particularly very helpful for me since I’ll be taking a college-level Literature class for my senior year in high school. I truly enjoy your discourse on Russian lit. Currently reading Anna Karenina, and I’m enjoying it. Thank you for all that you do, appreciate you :)
Aw, thank you so much, Sarah!! That makes me so happy to hear! I appreciate you being here and sharing your love of these great books with me ☺️
I’m partial to modern satire and have pretty much finished off Nathaniel West, Tom Wolfe, Joseph Heller and Evelyn Waugh.
My college bookstore used to stock Al Capp (Li’l Abner) and Walt Kelly (Pogo) in with the great literary satirists because they were “too good to bury in the cartooning section.” I completely agreed.
enjoyable as always ....a huge thank you 💌 have read just thirteen in the list ...'miles to go before I sleep'..
God of Small Things - top novel I have ever taught in Cambridge A-levels.
Brilliant video Ben; I just love these list type of videos!
Glad to see Orwell twice in the top 10. I just love him. His Down and Out in Paris and London has been a favourite of mine for 40 yrs!
Would have preferred to see East of Eden there instead of The Grapes of Wrath, but love Steinbeck and happy to see him in the Top 10. Earlier in the year I read along with EofE over at THCLC in Jan. Just great.
Blood Meridian should have been top 10. Phenomenal piece of writing. Your lectures over on THCLC got me through it last year. Thanks so much for that. It was a very different experience than trying to make sense of it on my own!
Plenty on that list I need to read and others to re-read.
Hope you enjoy the books new to you, from the list. 👏 🥰 📚
Thank you so much, Ruth!! I'm so happy you love these videos. I have so much fun putting these ones together :) Down and Out in Paris and London is amazing, isn't it? East of Eden's definitely my personal favourite Steinbeck. It was so rewarding reading through that with you at the club! I'm so thrilled that the Blood Meridian lectures helped you through McCarthy's masterpiece. What an incredible work! The ideas from the book still haunt me!!
Solid list over all! I'd personally add House Of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. In terms of creativity, and the way the page itself is used as a vehicle for communicating the psychological horror experience of the story... There's nothing like it! Always a pleasure listening to you talk about books 😍📚🙏
I saw Agee’s A Death in the Family near the end of the list - have you read it? I think this and his Let Us Now Praise Famous Men are tremendous. I always wonder what would have been his oeuvre had he lived longer.
On Neal Stephenson: I love his Baroque Cycle trilogy - Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World - but I never hear anyone talk about them. Every once in a while, when I notice those three books sitting on my shelves, it occurs to me to wonder why not.
Read Cryptonomicon and didn’t like it much. I may try the Baroque Cycle but I worry it’ll be Cryptonomicon all over again.
Yes! A weekend book chat. Perfect Saturday afternoon treat.
Yay, thank you, Jessica! ☺️
I loved the Cryptonomican! I recently bought the ebooks for a reread. I've read 23 of the 50. I've read books by 33 of the authors though.
I read the blind assassin three years ago, it’s a very good novel, a novel within a novel, some fascinating characters, the vision of an era as well. It’s also what I would call a ”page turner ”.
Amazing!! I'll grab myself a copy :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy It's my town's librarian's favorite book.
This is a great video to get me inspired to read before the new semester!
Thank you, my friend!
The Sun Also Rises was my favourite novel for a long time, nowadays I have a long long list of favourites that I can’t choose between.
Definitely recommend The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, and second the poster who recommended Alias Grace, both preferable to The Handmaid’s Tale in my opinion.
Great video, new subscriber here!
I just love listening to you talk about books all day long🖤
Aw, thank you so much. I appreciate you, my friend 🙏☺️
@@BenjaminMcEvoy The pleasure is mine. You are indeed like a complete volume of an encyclopedia🙃
I binged through all of le carre again recently, very worthwhile all the way through from the beginning
That's so cool! I'm seriously going to do that and can't wait :)
POLDARK series is never on the lists of great lit. However, the prose is comparable to many authors on this list. The character development and plots of each book in the series is so very well done. The characters are believable, and the historic times in which they live is brought to life (Cornwall 1780 - 1800s). THE RESEARCH INVOLVED in bringing to life these characters with the Napoleonic Wars in the background is obvious. If you like historical fiction, the Poldark series is a must read!
Awesome video, Mr. McEvoy! I always enjoy hearing your perspective whenever a list like this comes about. I hope you will release your own Greatest Novels List one day 😁
I had the great pleasure of spending an evening with Anthony Burgess at his room at the Ritz in Boston, one auspicious day in the 1980s, and he personally felt that Earthly Powers was his own best work at the time. But was it on the list? He should have had several up there. Way ass up there. At one time the Encyclopedia Brittanica cited him as the best living writer in the English language, I believe I recall, though it has been many decades. Earthly Powers, which he was originally going to call "Prince with the Power of the Air", would be a good one for the Bookclub. Also missing is Hermann Broch, Robert Musil, Flann O'Brien, William Gaddis, Alexander Theroux, Milan Kundera, and Mishima. Fun list. Some new ones to check out.
Hearing Benjamin mention Jojo felt a bit like I had entered a slightly different world hehe
A couple of years ago, Kenneth C. Davis published, Great Short Books: A Year of Reading --Briefly. It's book that lists his 58 favorite novellas.
I absolutely love Carson McCullers.
She has a distinct voice and tells stories about outcast, socially rejected people.
Since you love Southern Gothic, you will probably enjoy her work.
Her work sounds amazing!! I've just ordered some of her books and am very excited to read them :)
I haven't read her .... which one would you recommend starting with
@@angelop9332 Either The Heart is a Lonely Hunter or Ballad of the Sad Cafe
Ballad Of The Sad Cafe was impactful in my younger years
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter sucks you in even though you cannot seem to relate to characters. I found myself thinking about them long after I finished reading it. Also, I wanted to recommend a 1961's Nobel prize winner, The Bridge on Drina by Ivo Andric. It is a story about a bridge and 400 years of Balkan history passing it by. We read it in secondary school and even now after 20+ years I still remember one particular scene which haunts me. ( Sorry for bad English. )
Several of these I hadn't even heard of yet! Snow Crash sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for including the synopses of the books.
I'd only read four of the books on the list, not including the Fellowship of the Ring which I have read (grew up with the extended films). I feel better knowing the books I have read are ones much closer to the top of the list--although part of this could be related to how often these books were fed to people in school. Most of the books that I read on this list (all except Narnia) are books that I read for school.
I always enjoy hearing what you have to say about the individual books on these type lists, so thank you for sharing your thoughts. Am looking forward to what you have to say about Lolita.
Revolutionary Road is fantastic.A wonderful evocation of the delusion of the American dream. Where is Saul Bellow? He should be in the top 50.
The only complaint that I have about the "Time Magazine" list of the best books is that some authors are going to be neglected in the selection process. My english professor spoke highly of the American author Joan Didion's literary works at my english department. Thanks for making this tuff video.
Philip K. Dick is sui generis, and in his own categoy he's number one hehe....Ubik is absolutely phenomenal
Yes, you should definitely put Possession very high on your "to read" list. In fact, it has been so long since I’ve read it, I may have to do the same. 😊
I'm so excited for this one!! :)
Thanks for the great video. I'm envious of your first English Brideshead Revisited.
What a treat Ben -- thanks as always for sharing your literary fire ❤Appreciate your honoring of American literature -- saw the continuous roll of 'On the Road' when it was on a museum tour, a living artifact of 20th century literature [I think periodically of Truman Capote's comment that it wasn't 'writing' but 'typewriting,' no way to quantify all the writers (much less all the human beings) in whom the novel continues to live).
I'm glad to see a lot of my favourites on the top. I was 19 when LOTR gained popularity in my country because the movie just came out. Sadly, I didn't read the books nor watched the movie for some reason. I kept on putting it off. Here we are, 23 years later and I finally read it and watched the movies. Now I understand why they're beloved (both the movies and the books).
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a masterpiece. Period!
Absolutely!!
Journey To The End of The Night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Celine's #1 on this list!
I'd add
Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
Ubik by Philip K. Dick
Ice by Anna Kavan
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
And perhaps some J.G. Ballard
Can't believe East of Eden isn't there
Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman is a great graphic novel.
Today's best comment.
I’ll throw in a recommendation for Ragtime. I love period novels that really bring you into an era of history, and that’s something Ragtime succeeds spectacularly with in taking the reader into the early years of the 20th century. I love the way Doctorow has the historical figures interact with the fictional characters. And Ragtime was a major influence on my favorite book of the last decade, Jess Walter’s The Cold Millions.
Oh, how I love your videos! I have always liked literature but I don’t believe as much as now, upon my discovery of classics, say a year or two ago. They have really rekindled my love of literature, which flame had died down temporarily in the erstwhile years. Literature is wondrous; the way words can bring such joy to the beholder; evoke such a visceral reaction; cause laughter, tears, joy. It is wonderful. Sadly, few around me share the same love of literature, being in a school of rowdy, pubertal teens, to such a heightened extent, but this channel is such a brilliant way of being able to communicate with those whose fiery flame for literature is as strong as mine, if not stronger; and with more experience to assist that flame.
Recently I have been interested in getting into difficult literature but wonder whether, I am capable to do so or too lacking in understanding; and, age (being at the puerile age of 14), and I wonder what you would recommend? I look, for reference, to the lofty heights of Joyce (esp. Ulysses), Faulkner etc., but wonder what could serve as good stepping stones to such a mountain. My favourite classics so far, are probably Jane Eyre, A Tale of Two Cities, The Age of Innocence and 100 Years of Solitude, the latter two more recent but absolutely stunning, Wharton has such a mastery over character and prose, and upon the dénouement of the story I was left close to tears; Márquez has such a magical way with words, making the novel play out like a dream, causing the reader fall under a hallucinatory stupor, and come out enchanted by the ethereality of Márquez exquisite realm. I could just go on and on about literature, its powers so great, its words so evocative, a temporary antidote for the disease of misfortune which often stalks one; catching you at your most jubilant. I adore literature for its escapist powers; for its stirring nature; its incredible potency; its encapsulation of all the joys and sorrows and mankind. Funny how a particular arrangement of pure words, can fill one with such heightened elation; such ineffable bliss that penetrates all the way to the perforations of the soul. Literature is wonderful. Literature is beauty.
The French Lieutenant’s Woman is one of the first “modern” novels I ever read and I fell absolutely in love with it. It is a stunning meditation on Victorian values, modernity and evolution but it is also a fantastic look at the relationship between an author and his characters and how, sometimes they write their own story. It is an extremely well written interesting novel and Fowles does something interesting with narrative and point of view. This is lush metafiction and I can recommend it very highly.
Muriel Sparks books especially Prime of Miss Brodie are so lovely.
Just read Blood Meridian, thanks! and agree it should be higher.
Many interesting parallel topics for a book club to discuss. The epilogue seems to try to capture the essence of the whole book, not a story line. The girl cranking the organ handle, giving enkindlement and principle to the bears dance. The man enkindles the fire of the rock, giving force and principle to the escapement and pallet of the gatherers. Causality in quantum.
What, no Saul Bellow? Herzog and Henderson the Rain King are two of the finest post war American novels. Bellow is one of the giants of 20th century American literature.
Benjamin, your videos are wonderful and I hope you're doing well. Blessings.
Aw, thank you so much, Michael. I appreciate you, my friend 🙏
A Clockwork Orange took me 3 tries simply because of the slang. Finally learned to google one slang word per page and roll with the punches.
Amazing approach, Kelly! :)
I agree with your opinion on graphic novels so much. It's a complete seperate art form which needs it's own list. And even if you put graphic novels and novels together just putting one is kind of frustrating. And I have always seen it's either Watchmen or Persepolis as if they are the only great and respectable comics. There are so many other great comics out there. Sandman,Phonogram,Maus etc. which deserves to be on this list if you are putting graphic novels.
Co-incidentally I have been tearing through Iris Murdoch as well. Finished ‘Under the Net’, ‘The Sacred and Profane Love Machine’, ‘The Bell’, and ‘The Sea The Sea’ in that order. Quite simply one of the best novelists I’ve read so far. I read ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ after ‘The Sea The Sea’ and had tremendous fun comparing Charles’ obsession with Hartley to Mitya’s obsession with Grushenka.
If you ever have the itch for some complex deep fantasy, i can only recommend Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is very distinct in the fantasy genre and can almost be seen as a postmodern critique of the whole genre. But its also so much more than that with it being incredibly deep thematically, exploring the meaning of compassion and hope, while being exquisitely dark and sorrowful. Also, the author Steven Erikson was/is an archeologist and it shows beautifully in his writing.
That was great, thank you so much for the top 50. It felt like I was travelling back to my school years. Of course there were plenty of books that are new to me. So many choices, where to go from here? ☕📘
There's nothing like a 'book list' video for those of us at the computer, working from home. For me, The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath would be at the top of the list, but there is a lot on that list that I haven't read. I'm knee deep in Proust (now on Volume 3), plus a short DeLillo (Mao II) so time is limited.
Anyway, thank you for the video - I'm hoping to rejoin in September for the Inferno, as I have my shiny new copy of La Divina Commedia especially purchased last time I was in Italy. 🤩
FINALLY you found Willa Cather! (pronounced will-Ah).
She is beyond wonderful.
🤩
If you ever plan to do a list of your favourite 21st century novels, I'll totally be obsessed with it. I recently read Lincoln in the Bardo and it spoke to me in magical ways. I'm currently in a contemporary fiction mood!
That's a fantastic idea for a list! I'm totally up for that. I'll give it some thought :) And I'm so happy you loved Lincoln in the Bardo. Absolute masterpiece!