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The best novels of the 20th Century
This publishers list was prepared by the editorial board of the Modern Library, a division of the publisher Random House. So when you say top 100 modern library and all that stuff it sounds unbiased. The board consists of: Daniel J. Boorstin, A.S. Byatt, Christopher Cerf, Shelby Foote, Vartan Gregorian, Edmund Morris, John Richardson, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., William Styron and Gore Vidal.
Maybe it was a clever, clever publicity stunt on the part of Random House—I am not sure. I found an alternative list created by the students of the Radcliffe Publishing Course and it covers books not mentioned in the Random House List such as “Winnie-the-Pooh”, among others.
But thats in a separate article….. see here for the list
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1.
Ulysses
(1918) James Joyce (1882-1941)
“Ulysses (Penguin Modern Classics)” (James Joyce)
2.
The Great Gatsby
(1925) F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
“The Great Gatsby (Penguin Modern Classics)” (F.Scott Fitzgerald)
3.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
(1916) James Joyce (1882-1941)
“A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Penguin Popular Classics)” (James Joyce)
4.
Lolita (
1955) Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)
“Lolita (Penguin Classics)” (Penguin Books Ltd)
5.
Brave New World
(1932) Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)
“Brave New World” (Aldous Huxley)
6.
The Sound and the Fury
(1929) William Faulkner (1897-1962)
“The Sound and the Fury (Everyman’s Library Classics)” (William Faulkner)
7.
Catch-22
(1961) Joseph Heller (1923-99)
8.
Darkness at Noon
(1941) Arthur Koestler (1905-1983)
“Darkness at Noon” (Arthur Koestler, Daphne Hardy)
9.
Sons and Lovers
(1913) D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930)
“Sons and Lovers (Penguin Classics)” (D.H. Lawrence)
10.
The Grapes of Wrath
(1939) John Steinbeck (1902-1968)
“The Grapes of Wrath” (John Steinbeck)
11.
Under the Volcano
(1947) Malcolm Lowry (1909-1957)
“Under the Volcano (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Malcolm Lowry)
12.
The Way of All Flesh
(1903) Samuel Butler (1835-1902)
“The Way of All Flesh (English Library)” (Samuel Butler)
13.
1984
(1949) George Orwell (1903-1949)
“1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four” (George Orwell)
14.
I, Claudius
(1934) Robert Graves (1895-1985)
“I, Claudius (Penguin Classics)” (Robert Graves)
15.
To the Lighthouse
(1927) Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
“To the Lighthouse (Wordsworth Classics)” (Virginia Woolf)
16.
An American Tragedy
(1925) Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)
“An American Tragedy (Signet Classics (Paperback))” (Theodore Dreiser)
17.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
(1940) Carson McCullers (1917-1967)
“The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Carson McCullers)
18.
Slaughterhouse Five
(1969) Kurt Vonnegut (1922-)
“Slaughterhouse 5″ (Kurt Vonnegut)
19.
Invisible Man
(1952) Ralph Ellison (1914-1994)
“Invisible Man (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Ralph Ellison)
l
20.
Native Son
(1940) Richard Wright (1908-1960)
“Native Son (Vintage Classics)” (Richard Wright)
21.
Henderson the Rain King
(1959) Saul Bellow (1915-)
“Henderson the Rain King (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics)” (Saul Bellow)
22.
Appointment in Samarra
(1934) John O’Hara (1905-1970)
“Appointment in Samarra (Modern Library)” (John O’Hara)
23.
The USA Trilogy
(1930-36) John Dos Passos (1896-1970)
“USA: The 42nd Parallel / 1919 / the Big Money (Library of America S.)” (John Dos Passos)
24.
Winesburg, Ohio
(1919) Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941)
“Winesburg, Ohio (Penguin Twentieth-century Classics)” (Sherwood Anderson)
25.
A Passage to India
(1924) E.M. Forster (1879-1970)
“A Passage to India (Everyman’s Library Classics)” (E.M. Forster)
26.
The Wings of the Dove
(1902) Henry James (1843-1916)
“The Wings of the Dove (Classics)” (Henry James)
27.
The Ambassadors
(1903) Henry James (1843-1916)
“The Ambassadors (Classics)” (Henry James)
28.
Tender Is the Night
(1934) F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
“Tender Is the Night (Penguin Popular Classics)” (F.Scott Fitzgerald)
29.
Studs Lonigan
(1932-35) James T. Farrell (1904-1979)
30.
The Good Soldier
(1915) Ford Maddox Ford (1873-1939)
“The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion (Oxford World’s Classics)” (Ford Madox Ford)
31.
Animal Farm
(1946) George Orwell (1903-1949)
“Animal Farm: A Fairy Story” (George Orwell)
32.
The Golden Bowl
(1904) Henry James (1843-1916)
“The Golden Bowl (English Library)” (Henry James)
33.
Sister Carrie
(1900) Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)
“Sister Carrie (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics)” (Theodore Dreiser)
34.
A Handful of Dust
(1934) Evelyn Waugh (1903-66)
“A Handful of Dust (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Evelyn Waugh)
35.
As I Lay Dying
(1930) William Faulkner (1897-1962)
“As I Lay Dying” (William Faulkner)
36.
All the King’s Men
(1946) Robert Penn Warren (1905-1989)
“All the King’s Men” (Robert Penn Warren)
37.
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
(1927) Thornton Wilder (1897-1975)
“The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Twentieth Century Classics S.)” (Thornton Wilder)
38.
Howards End
(1910) E.M. Forster (1879-1970)
“Howards End (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics)” (E.M. Forster, David Lodge)
39.
Go Tell It on the Mountain
(1953) James Baldwin (1922-1987)
“Go Tell It on the Mountain (Penguin Modern Classics)” (James Baldwin)
40.
The Heart of the Matter
(1948) Graham Greene (1904-1991)
“The Heart of the Matter” (Graham Greene)
41.
Lord of the Flies
(1954) William Golding (1911-1993)
“Lord of the Flies” (William Golding)
42.
Deliverance
(1970) James Dickey (1923-1997)
43.
A Dance to the Music of Time
(1951-75) Anthony Powell (1905-2000)
“A Dance to the Music of Time : Autumn” (Anthony Powell)
44.
Point Counter Point
(1928) Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)
“Point Counter Point (Vintage Classic)” (Aldous Huxley)
45.
The Sun Also Rises
(1926) Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
“Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises (Arrow Classic)” (Ernest Hemingway)
46.
The Secret Agent
(1920) Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)
“The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale (Penguin Popular Classics)” (Joseph Conrad)
47.
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard
(1904) Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)
“Nostromo (Wordsworth Classics)” (Joseph Conrad)
48.
The Rainbow
(1915) D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930)
49.
Women in Love
(1920) D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930)
“Women in Love (Penguin Modern Classics)” (D.H. Lawrence)
50.
Tropic of Cancer
(1934) Henry Miller (1891-1980)
“Tropic of Cancer (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)” (Henry Miller)
51.
The Naked and the Dead
(1948) Norman Mailer (1923-)
“The Naked and the Dead (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)” (Norman Mailer)
52.
Portnoy’s Complaint
(1969) Philip Roth (1933-)
“Portnoy’s Complaint” (Philip Roth)
53.
Pale Fire
(1962) Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)
“Pale Fire (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Vladimir Nabokov)
54.
Light in August
(1932) William Faulkner (1897-1962)
“Light in August (Vintage Classics)” (William Faulkner)
55.
On the Road
(1957) Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)
“On the Road (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Jack Kerouac)
56.
The Maltese Falcon
(1930) Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961)
“The Maltese Falcon (Read a Great Movie)” (Dashiell Hammett)
57.
Parade’s End
(1924-28) Ford Madox Ford (1873-1939)
“Parade’s End” (Ford Madox Ford)
58.
The Age of Innocence
(1920) Edith Wharton (1862-1937)
“The Age of Innocence (Penguin Popular Classics)” (Edith Wharton)
59.
Zuleika Dobson or An Oxford Love Story
(1911) Max Beerbohm (1872-1956)
“The Illustrated Zuleika Dobson (Yale Nota Bene)” (Max Beerbohm)
60.
The Moviegoer
(1961) Walker Percy (1916-1990)
“The Moviegoer” (Walker Percy)
61.
Death Comes to the Archbishop
(1927) Willa Cather (1873-1947)
“Death Comes for the Archbishop (Vintage Classics)” (Willa Cather)
62.
From Here to Eternity
(1957) James Jones (1921-1977)
“From Here to Eternity” (James Jones)
63.
The Wapshot Chronicles
(1957) John Cheever (1912-1982)
“The Wapshot Chronicle (Perennial Classics)” (John Cheever)
64.
The Catcher in the Rye
(1951) J.D. Salinger (1919-)
“The Catcher in the Rye” (J.D. Salinger)
65.
A Clockwork Orange
(1962) Anthony Burgess (1917-1993)
“A Clockwork Orange (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Anthony Burgess)
66.
Of Human Bondage
(1915) W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965)
“Of Human Bondage (Vintage Classics)” (William Somerset Maugham)
67.
Heart of Darkness
(1902) Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)
“Heart of Darkness” (Joseph Conrad)
68.
Main Street
(1920) Sinclair Lewis †(1885-1951)
“Main Street (Dover Thrift)” (Sinclair Lewis)
69.
The House of Mirth
(1905) Edith Wharton (1862-1937)
“The House of Mirth (Wordsworth Classics)” (Edith Wharton)
70.
The Alexandria Quartet
(1957-60) Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990)
“The Alexandria Quartet” (Lawrence Durrell)
71.
A High Wind in Jamaica
(1929) Richard Hughes (1900-1976)
“A High Wind in Jamaica (Vintage Classics)” (Richard Hughes)
72.
A House for Mr. Biswas
(1961) V.S. Naipaul (1932-)
“A House for Mr.Biswas” (V.S. Naipaul)
73.
The Day of the Locust
(1939) Nathanael West (1902-1940)
“The Day of the Locust (Read Red)” (Nathaniel West)
74.
A Farewell to Arms
(1929) Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
“A Farewell to Arms (Vintage Classics)” (Ernest Hemingway)
75.
Scoop
(1937) Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966)
“Scoop: A Novel About Journalists (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Evelyn Waugh)
76.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
(1961) Muriel Spark (1918-)
“The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Muriel Spark)
77.
Finnegans Wake
(1939) James Joyce (1882-1941)
“Finnegans Wake (Penguin Modern Classics)” (James Joyce)
78.
Kim
(1901) Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
“Kim (Penguin Popular Classics)” (Rudyard Kipling)
79.
A Room With a View
(1908) E.M. Forster (1879-1970)
“A Room with a View (Penguin Classics)” (E.M. Forster)
80.
Brideshead Revisited
(1945) Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966)
“Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain” (Evelyn Waugh)
81.
The Adventures of Augie March
(1953) Saul Bellow (1915-)
“The Adventures of Augie March (Penguin Classics)” (Saul Bellow)
82.
Angle of Repose
(1971) Wallace Stegner (1909-1993)
“Angle of Repose (Contemporary American Fiction)” (Wallace Stegner)
83.
A Bend in the River
(1979) V.S. Naipaul (1932-)
“Bend in the River (Modern Library)” (V.S. Naipaul)
84.
The Death of the Heart
(1938) Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973)
“The Death of the Heart” (Elizabeth Bowen)
85.
Lord Jim
(1900) Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)
“Lord Jim (Norton Critical Editions)” (Joseph Conrad)
86.
Ragtime
(1975) E.L. Doctorow (1931-)
“Ragtime (Picador Books)” (E.L. Doctorow)
87.
The Old Wives’ Tale
(1908) Arnold Bennett (1867-1931)
“The Old Wives’ Tale (Wordsworth Classics)” (Arnold Bennett)
88.
The Call of the Wild
(1903) Jack London (1876-1916)
“The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and Other Stories (Oxford World’s Classics)” (Jack London)
89.
Loving
(1945) Henry Green (1905-1974)
“Loving (Vintage Classics)” (Henry Green)
90.
Midnight’s Children
(1980) Salman Rushdie (1947-)
“Midnight’s Children” (Salman Rushdie)
91.
Tobacco Road
(1932) Erskine Caldwell (1903-1987)
“Tobacco Road” (Erskine Caldwell)
92.
Ironweed
(1983) William Kennedy
93.
The Magus
(1965) John Fowles (1926-)
“The Magus (Vintage Classics)” (John Fowles)
94.
Wide Sargasso Sea
(1966) Jean Rhys (1890-1979)
“Wide Sargasso Sea (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Jean Rhys)
95.
Under the Net
(1954) Iris Murdoch (1919-1999)
“Under the Net (Vintage Classics)” (Iris Murdoch)
96.
Sophie’s Choice
(1979) William Styron (1925-)
“Sophie’s Choice (Vintage Classics)” (William Styron)
97.
The Sheltering Sky
(1949) Paul Bowles (1910-)
“The Sheltering Sky (Penguin Modern Classics)” (Paul Bowles)
98.
The Postman Always Rings Twice
(1934) James M. Cain (1892-1977)
“The Postman Always Rings Twice (Crime Masterworks)” (James M. Cain)
99.
The Ginger Man
(1955) J.P. Donleavy (1926-)
“The Ginger Man” (J.P. Donleavy)
100.
The Magnificent Ambersons
(1918) Booth Tarkington (1869-1946)
“Magnificent Ambersons (Modern Library (Paperback))” (Booth Tarkington)
so there you go read on or maybe leave a comment and tell me what you think got left out.
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