The FBG Top 300 Books of All Time (fiction edition) | #3 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | Running list in posts #3 and #4 (17 Viewers)

[CletiusMaximus]

This clip was funny when it was released 10 years ago

https://x.com/mrjerseyjosh/status/1829549225421815896?s=46

 

[Frostillicus]

I ranked Game of Thrones #8, the highest of the ASOIAF books I ranked (book #3 was somewhere too). As someone said above, this book pulls no punches and there is no plot armor. The majority of the fantasy style books I had read up until I got to this one pretty much protected their main characters. Oh sure, there was always one death to pull at the heartstrings, but if the good guys were a group of 7 you can bet 6 survived. And that was a winning formula.

Then comes this book. First

Spoiler

Bran's

fate introduces you that this might not be the same kind of book you're used to. Then

Spoiler

the King

dies. There comes all the death that comes with rebellion - some barelly noticeable, others slightly sad. Then, suddenly, the guy who is clearly the main character and set up to be the hero

Spoiler

at the end of all the books dies. Beheaded. Out of nowhere. In front of his daughters.

W. T. F.

Then

Spoiler

Khal Drogo

dies.

And throughout it all, "Winter is coming" and there's the glimpses of some kind of supernatural threat up north.

Fantastic book. Not your typical fantasy. Far superior.

Thanks for that spoiler-free review.

Speaking of spoilers, does anyone want to take a stab at the top 5? I'll neither confirm nor deny, but could be some bragging rights down the line.
@Dr. Octopus , please don't join in.

Well you people should have read this by now.

 

[scoobus]

I read this book well after I watched the TV show, and I still couldn't believe when they killed Ned!

 

[krista4]

The Stand
Slaughterhouse Five
1984
To Kill A MockingBird
The Lord of the Rings

These are definitely the five. The order is the only question.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I stumbled on my list, and since this is on page 2 I thought I'd babble about a few things I had starred:

My biggest memories from early reading were The Three Investigators series, The Twilight Series of short horror novels (I had Footprints of the Dead down as one I remembered), and The Chocolate War. I remember having to read that in school and being a book that I actually liked and thought was messed up. It's on a lot of "banned books" lists I see, and I remember watching the movie a few times. I found a copy in the basement I had bought a while ago and added that to my bookshelf to read.

Timeline is my favorite Micheal Crichton book. I have always been a sucker for time travel stuff, so this has always been a favorite summer blockbuster type read for the season. I got a better looking copy for $2 a couple months ago and plan to reread that one. It's a softer recommend than the ones that follow, and I am not going to argue it's his best book, but I love it.

I gushed about it before, but I will again highly suggest that anybody who loved the Song of Fire and Ice series and grumble about Martin writing pace to try The Stormlight Archive. The Way of Kings was the best think I have read in the genre since books 1-3 from Martin.

An author I was surprised to not see show up in the 300 was Tom Perrotta. I had both The Leftovers and Little Children on my list and liked Election and The Abstinence Teacher a lot too. I still need to read the Election sequel, but I had thought about a reread of the first one before getting to that one.

Another author I had a few books written down from was Dennis Lehane. Of course because of movie tie-ins, I had gotten into him in the early 00s because of Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone. I got Shutter Island when it came out and that became a favorite of mine. Gone Baby Gone is in the Kenzie and Gennaro series, and I remember reading all those and liking them as well. I've been meaning to read his newest two as well.

My strongest recommend besides The Way of Kings is Boy's Life and in general Robert McCammon. He is often compared to Stephen King, and was a co-winner for the first Bram Stoker award (best horror novel) with King with Swan Song, which I think was taken by @shuke . In the late 80s/early 90s he had a great run with 2 nominated books Stinger and The Wolf's Hour before winning back to back with Mine and Boy's Life. This one is not straight horror, which is why it gets the general recommendation. This one is more a coming of age book that operates in fantasy and horror. It follows 12 year old Cory Mackenson during a summer in the 60s in his town of Zephyr, Alabama. McCammon was who I found in the 00s as I got frustrated with King's inconsistency. As I was doing lists and looking at book he is also one I really wanted to get back into. I remember liking Swan Song more than King's book still to come, and a few others but there are many I have not read that look really interesting.

 

[krista4]

An author I was surprised to not see show up in the 300 was Tom Perrotta. I had both The Leftovers and Little Children on my list and liked Election and The Abstinence Teacher a lot too. I still need to read the Election sequel, but I had thought about a reread of the first one before getting to that one.

Another author I had a few books written down from was Dennis Lehane. Of course because of movie tie-ins, I had gotten into him in the early 00s because of Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone. I got Shutter Island when it came out and that became a favorite of mine. Gone Baby Gone is in the Kenzie and Gennaro series, and I remember reading all those and liking them as well. I've been meaning to read his newest two as well.

Nice write-ups! Little Children was one of my last cuts, and OH absolutely loves Dennis Lehane.

 

[shuke]

My strongest recommend besides The Way of Kings is Boy's Life and in general Robert McCammon. He is often compared to Stephen King, and was a co-winner for the first Bram Stoker award (best horror novel) with King with Swan Song, which I think was taken by @shuke . In the late 80s/early 90s he had a great run with 2 nominated books Stinger and The Wolf's Hour before winning back to back with Mine and Boy's Life. This one is not straight horror, which is why it gets the general recommendation. This one is more a coming of age book that operates in fantasy and horror. It follows 12 year old Cory Mackenson during a summer in the 60s in his town of Zephyr, Alabama. McCammon was who I found in the 00s as I got frustrated with King's inconsistency. As I was doing lists and looking at book he is also one I really wanted to get back into. I remember liking Swan Song more than King's book still to come, and a few others but there are many I have not read that look really interesting.

In addition to Swan Song, I had Boy's Life and The Five on my list.

 

[Berlin]

Another author I had a few books written down from was Dennis Lehane. Of course because of movie tie-ins, I had gotten into him in the early 00s because of Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone. I got Shutter Island when it came out and that became a favorite of mine. Gone Baby Gone is in the Kenzie and Gennaro series, and I remember reading all those and liking them as well. I've been meaning to read his newest two as well.

Prayers For Rain was my favorite.

 

[Ilov80s]

In sort of following with @KarmaPolice I will post some of my books that I love but didn't make the collective list.

My theme today is CRIME:

• Brighton Rock by Graham
  Greene: highest caliber author tackling class, Catholocism and crime. A gang war is happening in the seaside town of Brighton and a 17 year old monster is at the heart of it.
  • “Heaven was a word: hell was something he could trust.”

• Black Dahlia by
  James Ellroy: part of the same series as L.A. Confidential. It has many of the same characters and follows a wide ranging investigation into the gruesome murder of Elizabeth Short. A thrilling blend of fact and fiction, this is my favorite Ellroy novel.
  • “Hollywood will **** you when no one else will.”

• Black Wings Has My Angel by Elliot Chaze: "the dream-like tale of an escaped convict, who meets up with the woman of his dreams... and his nightmares." Classic noir stuff. A man breaks out of jail, meets a sex worker in New Orleans and they travel to Denver to pull off an armored truck robbery. This is noir pulp heaven and the book I always cite as the one that I can't believe hasn't yet been made into a movie. It was published in 1953 so it missed the classic noir era but please someone make this neo noir film.
  • “You've never heard a siren until you've heard one looking for you..."

• The Postman Always Rings Twice by
  James M. Cain: The original and still best pulp based on a true story murder. It's a as simple as it gets. Wife finds younger man, they agree to kill her husband. The plan goes awry.
  • “Stealing a man's wife, that's nothing, but stealing his car, that's larceny.”

• Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett: Of all these books, this is the one I would have most thought had a chance to make it. I don't think any Hammett made the list which is a little sad for me. He's with Raymond Chandler for the godfather of crime/noir. Red Harvest is basically Miller's Crossing or Yojimbo. A detective positions himself to play one gang against another.
  • “Who shot him? " I asked. The grey man scratched the back of his neck and said: "Somebody with a gun.”

 

[kupcho1]

And so it goes...

5

Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut

kupcho1, guru_007, Dr. Octopus, chaos34, Don Quixote, Frostillicus, Oliver Humanzee, Dr_Zaius, Eephus, krista4, shuke

5. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Frostillicus: #1
Dr. Octopus: #2
shuke: #4
chaos34: #13
kupcho1: #14
krista4: #17
Oliver Humanzee: #20
Dr_Zaius: #28
Eephus: #44
guru_007: #49
Don Quixote: #67
Total points: 781
Average: 71.0

Wiki's got a nice description of Slaughterhouse-Five:

Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a 1969 semi-autobiographic science fiction-infused anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut. It follows the life experiences of Billy Pilgrim, from his early years, to his time as an American soldier and chaplain's assistant during World War II, to the post-war years. Throughout the novel, Billy frequently travels back and forth through time. The protagonist deals with a temporal crisis as a result of his post-war psychological trauma. The text centers on Billy's capture by the German Army and his survival of the Allied firebombing of Dresden as a prisoner of war, an experience that Vonnegut endured as an American serviceman. The work has been called an example of "unmatched moral clarity" and "one of the most enduring anti-war novels of all time."

Of perhaps a more Stefan-like description. It's got everything, alien zoos, PTSD, time travel, the Battle of the Bulge, @Kilgore Trout , and the Bombing of Dresden.

It's a great book as evidenced by 11 submissions. If you have already read it, give it a shot.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time

I've read more Vonnegut than any other author except for maybe King. His oddball humor and storylines appeal to me. Slaughterhouse Five is his crowning achievement with the way he ties history and science fiction together.

 

[Frostillicus]

I had Slaughterhouse Five as #1 and I really don't even know what to say about it. I read it on a beach in Mexico on my honeymoon. I couldn't put it down. I didn't even know books could be as good as this was.

 

[Don Quixote]

And so it goes...

5

Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut

kupcho1, guru_007, Dr. Octopus, chaos34, Don Quixote, Frostillicus, Oliver Humanzee, Dr_Zaius, Eephus, krista4, shuke

5. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Frostillicus: #1
Dr. Octopus: #2
shuke: #4
chaos34: #13
kupcho1: #14
krista4: #17
Oliver Humanzee: #20
Dr_Zaius: #28
Eephus: #44
guru_007: #49
Don Quixote: #67
Total points: 781
Average: 71.0

Wiki's got a nice description of Slaughterhouse-Five:

Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a 1969 semi-autobiographic science fiction-infused anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut. It follows the life experiences of Billy Pilgrim, from his early years, to his time as an American soldier and chaplain's assistant during World War II, to the post-war years. Throughout the novel, Billy frequently travels back and forth through time. The protagonist deals with a temporal crisis as a result of his post-war psychological trauma. The text centers on Billy's capture by the German Army and his survival of the Allied firebombing of Dresden as a prisoner of war, an experience that Vonnegut endured as an American serviceman. The work has been called an example of "unmatched moral clarity" and "one of the most enduring anti-war novels of all time."

Of perhaps a more Stefan-like description. It's got everything, alien zoos, PTSD, time travel, the Battle of the Bulge, @Kilgore Trout , and the Bombing of Dresden.

It's a great book as evidenced by 11 submissions. If you have already read it, give it a shot.

Fixing the font as showed up in white for me.

 

[General Malaise]

Got really stoned in the 90s and convinced myself that Radiohead's Subterranean Homesick Alien was based on Slaughterhouse V. Anybody else?

 

[Chaos34]

Got really stoned in the 90s and convinced myself that Radiohead's Subterranean Homesick Alien was based on Slaughterhouse V. Anybody else?

Partially. I got really stoned in the 90s too.

 

[shuke]

I read Slaughterhouse Five as a teenager. Another of a handful of books responsible for my love of reading.

 

[Eephus]

I read Slaughterhouse Five as a teenager. Another of a handful of books responsible for my love of reading.

Same here. It's been a very long time but I remember it fondly enough to have ranked it in the 40s.

 

[kupcho1]

War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.

4

1984

George Orwell

kupcho1, turnjose7, scoobus, chaos34, Frostillicus, KeithR, Oliver Humanzee, Dr_Zaius, krista4, rockaction, shuke

4. 1984 by George Orwell
Dr_Zaius: #1
KeithR: #4
rockaction: #9
krista4: #10
chaos34: #11
scoobus: #14
kupcho1: #23
Oliver Humanzee: #26
Frostillicus: #40
turnjose7: #49
shuke: #53
Total points: 795
Average: 72.3

Again, Wiki has a nice summary of the book:

1984 is a dystopian novel and cautionary tale by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final completed book. Thematically, it centres on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours within society. Orwell, a democratic socialist and an anti-Stalinist, modelled Britain under authoritarian socialism in the novel on the Soviet Union in the era of Stalinism and the practices of censorship and propaganda in Nazi Germany. More broadly, the book examines the role of truth and facts within societies and the ways in which they can be manipulated.

Orwell and Huxley (Brave New World (1931)) have been joined at the hip since 1949 (the year 1984 was published) given the similar dystopian theme of the two works. Their individual dystopia, however, are markedly different. Over the years, people have argued which outcome was more likely.

I think we have room for both.

 

[Dr_Zaius]

Orwell and Huxley (Brave New World (1931)) have been joined at the hip since 1949 (the year 1984 was published) given the similar dystopian theme of the two works. Their individual dystopia, however, are markedly different. Over the years, people have argued which outcome was more likely.

I think we have room for both.

The world certainly has seemed to be heading towards a mashup of the two for at least a generation.

1984 by George Orwell

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

A novel that manages to have an iconic opening line and an even more iconic closing line. I ripped through this for the first time in college as an escape from engineering homework, and have revisited it many times since. The surface level story is interesting in and of itself, but it's the ideas imbued that makes this novel the giant that it is. Big Brother. The Thought Police. Memory Hole. Ministry of Truth. The influence of this novel on language and thought is staggering. If you read political writers you will see references to it everywhere from both sides of the aisle. It's in Rage Against the Machine lyrics. It's staying power is undeniable.

The inescapable bond between language and thought is I think at the heart of this novel, and it's something that we probably take for granted. Most people grok the idea that loaded language is a way to influence people, but simply coining a word, even if neutral, has a profound effect on thought patterns that is not obvious at first. Consider words like schadenfreude which burst their way into the language because they describe a level of truth that has no analog in English, filling a void and allowing us to better mentally model the world.

1984's a novel that stays with you. Can't recommend it enough to those who haven't read it.

 

[scoobus]

Parts 1 and 2 can be a little sloggy/dense to me, but obviously have their moments and are necessary to set up Part 3.

Part 3 is some of the most interesting text I've ever read.

 

[kupcho1]

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.

3

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

guru_007, Dr. Octopus, ilov80s, Mrs. Marco, Don Quixote, Barry2, KeithR, Dr_Zaius, krista4, Psychopav, Long Ball Larry

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Dr. Octopus: #1
Mrs. Marco: #1
krista4: #2
KeithR: #5
Dr_Zaius: #6
Long Ball Larry: #17
Don Quixote: #23
guru_007: #41
Barry2: #52
ilov80s: #59
Psychopav: #67
Total points: 833
Average: 75.7

The first (only?) book to top two lists. It's no Go Set A Watchman, but it's a pretty damned good book as evidenced by the number of top 10 votes and (like the last two books on the list) appearing on half the lists.

 

[kupcho1]

Tomorrow, the top 2 books.

 

[Barry2]

I remember all the high school books

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.

3

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

guru_007, Dr. Octopus, ilov80s, Mrs. Marco, Don Quixote, Barry2, KeithR, Dr_Zaius, krista4, Psychopav, Long Ball Larry

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Dr. Octopus: #1
Mrs. Marco: #1
krista4: #2
KeithR: #5
Dr_Zaius: #6
Long Ball Larry: #17
Don Quixote: #23
guru_007: #41
Barry2: #52
ilov80s: #59
Psychopav: #67
Total points: 833
Average: 75.7

The first (only?) book to top two lists. It's no Go Set A Watchman, but it's a pretty damned good book as evidenced by the number of top 10 votes and (like the last two books on the list) appearing on half the lists.

My favorite book from high school. Read it in grade 10, and like most books we were shown the movie afterwards.

 

[turnjose7]

To Kill a Mocking Bird being #3 is pretty surprising to me. Even though it didn't make the cut for me and the top 2 books were high in my rankings, when this was first announced I thought it was a lock for the #2 spot.

 

[KarmaPolice]

If I turned a list in, Mockingbird would have gotten another #1 vote. 1984 would have been #2 or #3.

 

[shuke]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

 

[Frostillicus]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

 

[Dr_Zaius]

My favorite book from high school. Read it in grade 10, and like most books we were shown the movie afterwards.

I enjoy the movie too. Gregory Peck makes a good Atticus.

 

[Mrs.Marco]

An author I was surprised to not see show up in the 300 was Tom Perrotta. I had both The Leftovers and Little Children on my list and liked Election and The Abstinence Teacher a lot too. I still need to read the Election sequel, but I had thought about a reread of the first one before getting to that one.

Another author I had a few books written down from was Dennis Lehane. Of course because of movie tie-ins, I had gotten into him in the early 00s because of Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone. I got Shutter Island when it came out and that became a favorite of mine. Gone Baby Gone is in the Kenzie and Gennaro series, and I remember reading all those and liking them as well. I've been meaning to read his newest two as well.

Nice write-ups! Little Children was one of my last cuts, and OH absolutely loves Dennis Lehane.

I love Tom Perrotta's novels, too.

 

[Mrs.Marco]

Orwell and Huxley (Brave New World (1931)) have been joined at the hip since 1949 (the year 1984 was published) given the similar dystopian theme of the two works. Their individual dystopia, however, are markedly different. Over the years, people have argued which outcome was more likely.

I think we have room for both.

The world certainly has seemed to be heading towards a mashup of the two for at least a generation.

1984 by George Orwell

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

A novel that manages to have an iconic opening line and an even more iconic closing line. I ripped through this for the first time in college as an escape from engineering homework, and have revisited it many times since. The surface level story is interesting in and of itself, but it's the ideas imbued that makes this novel the giant that it is. Big Brother. The Thought Police. Memory Hole. Ministry of Truth. The influence of this novel on language and thought is staggering. If you read political writers you will see references to it everywhere from both sides of the aisle. It's in Rage Against the Machine lyrics. It's staying power is undeniable.

The inescapable bond between language and thought is I think at the heart of this novel, and it's something that we probably take for granted. Most people grok the idea that loaded language is a way to influence people, but simply coining a word, even if neutral, has a profound effect on thought patterns that is not obvious at first. Consider words like schadenfreude which burst their way into the language because they describe a level of truth that has no analog in English, filling a void and allowing us to better mentally model the world.

1984's a novel that stays with you. Can't recommend it enough to those who haven't read it.

I am planning to re-read 1984, a book I read too young, possibly in 1984, and one that seems even more relevant now.

 

[Mrs.Marco]

To Kill A Mockingbird is my #1 book. I think it's the perfect American novel, beautifully written, so many good themes about its time period, and well-drawn characters. I've read it a few times and I'm always deeply impressed, and I forgive Harper Lee for not writing another novel. (I don't forgive those who took advantage of an old lady and published a second novel to profit from it). I love the Gregory Peck adaptation too.

 

[Ilov80s]

Very good book and one that I remember really liking when I read it in 9th grade which genuinely surprised me at the time. I don’t know if it’s quite held up since then though. There’s some good arguments why it’s over read in schools.

 

[scoobus]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

Me three!

 

[Ilov80s]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

Me three!

Were you guys homeschooled or just drop out in the 6th grade?

 

[Ilov80s]

My favorite book from high school. Read it in grade 10, and like most books we were shown the movie afterwards.

I enjoy the movie too. Gregory Peck makes a good Atticus.

Couldn't have done better IMO. He fully embodies Atticus to the point it's hard to separate them in our minds even if we read the book before seeing the movie.

 

[scoobus]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

Me three!

Were you guys homeschooled or just drop out in the 6th grade?

Read a lot/most of the classics in school, somehow this one never made a class list.

 

[Eephus]

I read To Kill a Mockingbird as an adult but forgot to rank it.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

Me three!

Were you guys homeschooled or just drop out in the 6th grade?

Read a lot/most of the classics in school, somehow this one never made a class list.

Yeah, I somehow never had to read
Lord of the Flies, 1984, Brave New World, Moby Dìck , or Animal Farm. All things that that I would probably like and I think I should go read them, but I’m also so familiar with them from pop culture, it feels like a waste of time. (Though it probably wouldn’t be)

 

[Eephus]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

Me three!

Were you guys homeschooled or just drop out in the 6th grade?

Read a lot/most of the classics in school, somehow this one never made a class list.

Yeah, I somehow never had to read
Lord of the Flies, 1984, Brave New World, Moby Dìck , or Animal Farm. All things that that I would probably like and I think I should go read them, but I’m also so familiar with them from pop culture, it feels like a waste of time. (Though it probably wouldn’t be)

I've listened to Bonzo's drum solo many times so I'm pretty well versed on Moby ****

 

[Ilov80s]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

Me three!

Were you guys homeschooled or just drop out in the 6th grade?

Read a lot/most of the classics in school, somehow this one never made a class list.

Yeah, I somehow never had to read
Lord of the Flies, 1984, Brave New World, Moby Dìck , or Animal Farm. All things that that I would probably like and I think I should go read them, but I’m also so familiar with them from pop culture, it feels like a waste of time. (Though it probably wouldn’t be)

Would be the opposite of a waste of time.

 

[krista4]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

Me three!

Were you guys homeschooled or just drop out in the 6th grade?

Read a lot/most of the classics in school, somehow this one never made a class list.

Yeah, I somehow never had to read
Lord of the Flies, 1984, Brave New World, Moby Dìck , or Animal Farm. All things that that I would probably like and I think I should go read them, but I’m also so familiar with them from pop culture, it feels like a waste of time. (Though it probably wouldn’t be)

Damn, that's...odd to me. I would think if you might like them, you'd want to get the full feeling of them from reading them yourself.

And I don't really get how you think you might like all of these anyway. Just looking at rankings, you can see that there are people who ranked some very high and didn't care for others as much. For instance, along the way I felt like you and I had some similarities, but I'm not sure if you'd like 1984 or Brave New World, which I ranked, as opposed to the others, which I mostly decidedly did not but wouldn't say why due to Thumper.

In other words, I've really valued your rankings and thoughts here so would love to know how you feel about these if you were to read them.

 

[krista4]

As for To Kill a Mockingbird, when I finished the ranking engine I said to OH, "Did you know To Kill a Mockingbird was my second-favorite book. because I didn't either." I just left it there because I couldn't figure out what else would be #2, but I don't think this is it. Not that it's not great, or in my top 10, but I knew others could argue for it better.

I actually thought it might end up #1 here. I should have known with this crowd that the fantasy stuff might outweigh it (not a judgment statement). LoTR is not a shock at all to be top 2, but The Stand is a bit of one, though I read it as a kid and did love it then.

Btw, haven't been posting because I just couldn't deal anymore with not being able to read the posts.

ETA: I haven't read Lord of the Rings, so it had no shot at my list. Not that I read and didn't like it.

 

[shuke]

I've never read it. I guess I should.

omg samesies

Me three!

Were you guys homeschooled or just drop out in the 6th grade?

I was in honors English classes all through high school, so maybe they left this for the remedial classes?