The FBG Top 300 Books of All Time (fiction edition) | We are currently up to #60 | Running list in posts #3 and #4 (30 Viewers)

[Ilov80s]

I am sure @Eephus will chime in but that Emma book he listed sounds good. I need to make a list here so I can go to the library.

 

[kupcho1]

Phase 3: Books 200 - 101 continued

I'm going to stick as close as I can to 10/day until we get closer to the top of the list, but I don't want to break up books that are tied. So here's 11

138	The Sound and the Fury	William Faulkner	chaos34, Don Quixote
137	Underworld	Don DeLillo	kupcho1, Oliver Humanzee
136	Charlotte's Web	E.B. White	Dr. Octopus, Mrs.Marco
135	Exhalation	Ted Chiang	Long Ball Larry
	The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids	Herman Melville	rockaction
	Emma Who Saved My Life	Wilton Barnhardt	Eephus
	Maus	Art Spiegelman	KeithR
	War and Remembrance	Herman Wouk	timschochet
	The Satanic Verses	Salman Rushdie	kupcho1
	The Orphan Master's Son	Adam Johnson	Barry2
	We Have Always Lived in the Castle	Shirley Jackson	ilov80s, Frostillicus

We've got 7 picks that were #3s in this batch. If your #3 isn't there that's because someone else liked it. For those whose #3 book is on the list (raises hand), that means no one else liked it, they probably don't like you and you should probably go back and revisit the choices you've made along the way.

I kid, I kid.

Serious observation though: there seems to be a lot less generation angst in the book thread than the TV thread. I haven't seen any "you must be a Boomer" or "I didn't think the demographics were this skewed toward geezerdom" in here. Keep up the good work.

BTW, the Thumper Fiver comment above, I wanted to stick with rabbits, but thought Watership Down's Fiver might be a more relevant choice. Unfortunately, only 2 people ranked the book so it didn't make the top 300.

@kupcho1 , Charlotte's Web was also on my list - #48

ETA: I might not have had periods in E.B. White's name - sorry if that messed it up.

Weird.
Spreadsheet picks up title only for tabulation. And not only did all 3 of you have it correctly spelled, with no extraneous spaces, it ignored your score.
But, simply copying the version on the tabulation table and copying back.to your list picked it up
Ignore Charlotte for now, she'll be back again a little later.

 

[shuke]

We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson

It’s opening paragraph is often regarded as one of the weirdest and best in modern fiction.

My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.

Creepy, uneasy, gothic, mysterious, odd. The whole novel is there in the first few lines by our young guide. While some might say we are lead through the story by an unreliable narrator. I would say it’s less that she’s unreliable and more that she’s unconcerned with the reader. She’s not telling her story so we can understand it. She’s simply telling what pleases her and and how it pleases her.

A pretty sight, a lady with a book.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

John is a 75 year old widower. Instead of going on by himself he joins the military, to protect Earth's planetary colonies.
His dna is used to create a fit young body. His mind is transferred to the clone and he becomes a soldier along with other
old people. What I remember the most is the recruits are given a week to get used to their new bodies. They're free to use
whatever facility or training equipment they want. Immediately everyone grabs a partner, runs to their rooms and starts having sex.

Intrigued by these.

 

[Ilov80s]

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2009) (my #7)

I wrote this one up a little bit already with my write-up of Volume 2 in the series, Bring Up the Bodies, earlier on in the countdown. As I mentioned there, this series is about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell in court of King Henry VIII. This is the first volume and about the rise, as he becomes an aide to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey when King Henry VIII is looking to separate from Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, and Cromwell positions himself to help make it happen.

If you care about awards, etc, from an award perspective, it won the Booker Prize, NYT list called it the 3rd best book of the 21st century, Guardian placed it first on its similar list. Obviously, I think it deserves all that, and it is my highest ranked book from 21st century.

Always wanted to read the books and just realized I totally bricked my TV list by not putting Wolf Hall up really really high.

 

[Barry2]

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

The prologue hooked me right away. We learn how a man named Jaunt accidently discovers teleportation. "Jaunting"
spreads and turns society upside down. Planets are at war with each other. We meet Gully who's been stranded on a spaceship
for 6 months. A passing ship that is owned by the same company that he works for ignores the distress signal and abandons
him. He's eventually rescued by a religous cult. His journey for revenge against the company begins.

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

A North Korean boy grows up in an orphanage. He's forced to join the military when he becomes a teen. He does well and is given
new responsibilities such as kidnapping Japanese citizens. A bit of coming of age story within North Korea. Haunting and funny.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson

It’s opening paragraph is often regarded as one of the weirdest and best in modern fiction.

My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.

Creepy, uneasy, gothic, mysterious, odd. The whole novel is there in the first few lines by our young guide. While some might say we are lead through the story by an unreliable narrator. I would say it’s less that she’s unreliable and more that she’s unconcerned with the reader. She’s not telling her story so we can understand it. She’s simply telling what pleases her and and how it pleases her.

A pretty sight, a lady with a book.

It makes no difference, but just mentioning that I also had this in my list.

I agree that some might call her an unreliable narrator but that it is arguable and certainly not the point. But I like the style of storytelling that comes out of it as it draws out surprises and comedy and mystery.

They did a movie of it a couple years ago that was ok.

 

[Ilov80s]

We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson

It’s opening paragraph is often regarded as one of the weirdest and best in modern fiction.

My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.

Creepy, uneasy, gothic, mysterious, odd. The whole novel is there in the first few lines by our young guide. While some might say we are lead through the story by an unreliable narrator. I would say it’s less that she’s unreliable and more that she’s unconcerned with the reader. She’s not telling her story so we can understand it. She’s simply telling what pleases her and and how it pleases her.

A pretty sight, a lady with a book.

It makes no difference, but just mentioning that I also had this in my list.

I agree that some might call her an unreliable narrator but that it is arguable and certainly not the point. But I like the style of storytelling that comes out of it as it draws out surprises and comedy and mystery.

They did a movie of it a couple years ago that was ok.

I was excited for the movie but reviews seemed pretty tepid so I avoided it. Elizabeth Moss also played Jackson in a recent movie called Shirley that got pretty good reviews and Ive been meaning to see.

 

[Eephus]

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

A North Korean boy grows up in an orphanage. He's forced to join the military when he becomes a teen. He does well and is given
new responsibilities such as kidnapping Japanese citizens. A bit of coming of age story within North Korea. Haunting and funny.

I've read this but forgot to put it on my list

 

[Don Quixote]

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2009) (my #7)

I wrote this one up a little bit already with my write-up of Volume 2 in the series, Bring Up the Bodies, earlier on in the countdown. As I mentioned there, this series is about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell in court of King Henry VIII. This is the first volume and about the rise, as he becomes an aide to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey when King Henry VIII is looking to separate from Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, and Cromwell positions himself to help make it happen.

If you care about awards, etc, from an award perspective, it won the Booker Prize, NYT list called it the 3rd best book of the 21st century, Guardian placed it first on its similar list. Obviously, I think it deserves all that, and it is my highest ranked book from 21st century.

Always wanted to read the books and just realized I totally bricked my TV list by not putting Wolf Hall up really really high.

I had the TV version top 20.

 

[Eephus]

135t. Emma Who Saved My Life by Wilton Barnardt (1989)

Yet another coming of age novel, this one's about Gil who drops out of college to pursue his dreams of life in the theater. He arrives in a pre-gentrified NYC on the day Nixon resigns and moves in with his former college girlfriend along with a third roommate: the beautiful, neurotic and celibate Emma. It's by no means an original setup and the title is terrible but Barnhardt's writing soars with the energy and possibilities of being young in the big city. The book is a joy to read; Gil is a natural narrator and his stories of off-off-Broadway in the 70s are hilarious. Emma is a _lot_ and her relationship with Gil is complicated to say the least. It's a wonderful book that I absolutely adore and feel like re-reading right now.

 

[Ilov80s]

I went to the library with a list of 12 books from here that I caught my attention. The winner based on availability was Manhattan Beach. I’m in a terrible reading rut so I hope this does the trick.

@Eephus

 

[Frostillicus]

We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson

It’s opening paragraph is often regarded as one of the weirdest and best in modern fiction.

My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.

Creepy, uneasy, gothic, mysterious, odd. The whole novel is there in the first few lines by our young guide. While some might say we are lead through the story by an unreliable narrator. I would say it’s less that she’s unreliable and more that she’s unconcerned with the reader. She’s not telling her story so we can understand it. She’s simply telling what pleases her and and how it pleases her.

A pretty sight, a lady with a book.

I was the other vote for this one. Great summary. I just finished this maybe two months ago and it has stuck with me. Odd and uneasy are great adjectives for this book. The way Shirley Jackson wrote Merricat for some reason made me think of how some horror movies will have their score played just offkey enough to make the viewer slightly uncomfortable without knowing why.

 

[scoobus]

Just noticing that Don DeLillo had a book in today's group. Definitely not someone I thought would be on this list anywhere (although admittedly I know nothing about him other than the one thing I've read), I had a book of his on my list that I'm 99% sure won't be ranked here.

Good for you Don!

 

[Eephus]

Just noticing that Don DeLillo had a book in today's group. Definitely not someone I thought would be on this list anywhere (although admittedly I know nothing about him other than the one thing I've read), I had a book of his on my list that I'm 99% sure won't be ranked here.

Good for you Don!

I had a different DeLillo book just outside my 70 because I couldn't remember that much about it.

 

[krista4]

Just noticing that Don DeLillo had a book in today's group. Definitely not someone I thought would be on this list anywhere (although admittedly I know nothing about him other than the one thing I've read), I had a book of his on my list that I'm 99% sure won't be ranked here.

Good for you Don!

Hmmm. I assumed DeLillo would have two books on this list.

 

[Eephus]

Just noticing that Don DeLillo had a book in today's group. Definitely not someone I thought would be on this list anywhere (although admittedly I know nothing about him other than the one thing I've read), I had a book of his on my list that I'm 99% sure won't be ranked here.

Good for you Don!

Hmmm. I assumed DeLillo would have two books on this list.

I haven't read it but I'm surprised Underworld didn't rank higher.

 

[krista4]

I am sure @Eephus will chime in but that Emma book he listed sounds good. I need to make a list here so I can go to the library.

Yeah, I put this one on my list based on his description.

 

[shuke]

Just noticing that Don DeLillo had a book in today's group. Definitely not someone I thought would be on this list anywhere

Curious why you think this? I assume one will show up, but I didn't rank it for reasons I will get into later.

 

[scoobus]

Just noticing that Don DeLillo had a book in today's group. Definitely not someone I thought would be on this list anywhere

Curious why you think this? I assume one will show up, but I didn't rank it for reasons I will get into later.

Pure ignorance. I've read way less than you guys, had no idea he was a big author. Looking at goodreads, it seems like he has another big one that may come up later, but that's still not the book of his that I've read.

This was more just stupid me saying Oh hey look, an obscure (or at least I thought) name I know!

 

[krista4]

Looking at goodreads, it seems like he has another big one that may come up later, but that's still not the book of his that I've read.

I'll be curious to hear about the one you did read and what you thought of it.

 

[scoobus]

Looking at goodreads, it seems like he has another big one that may come up later, but that's still not the book of his that I've read.

I'll be curious to hear about the one you did read and what you thought of it.

I can just post about it now. Or I guess I'll wait for kupcho first to confirm that it's not showing up and then I'll give a little write-up.

 

[scoobus]

Looking at goodreads, it seems like he has another big one that may come up later, but that's still not the book of his that I've read.

I'll be curious to hear about the one you did read and what you thought of it.

I can just post about it now. Or I guess I'll wait for kupcho first to confirm that it's not showing up and then I'll give a little write-up.

Alright screw it, no way someone else picked this book.

Libra by Don DeLillo 1988

Historical fiction centered around the JFK assassination, told (mostly) from 2 perspectives, Lee Harvey Oswald and the CIA. LHO's starts when he's young and kind of chronicles his life leading up to and shortly after the thing. There's another perspective shared towards the end of the book from a name everyone will know but I won't spoil it. It's definitely fiction, but you can tell how much research DeLillo put into it because so much of the characters/events are those which you can actually look up and find information on. The first half of the book is a total slog IMO (at least the LHO parts), but once we finally get close to the event and its aftermath, it's worth the payoff.

So if you're really into the JFK assassination, and can stomach forcing yourself to get through the first bit, I'd recommend it. Just a unique take one what could've went down surrounding the whole thing.

 

[Eephus]

Libra by Don DeLillo 1988

Libra was the DeLillo book that dropped out of my rankings toward the end. I found I couldn't remember anything about the conspiracy and very little about the Oswald character. I vaguely remembered Oswald's mother being an interesting character but her son was kind of a ghost, which may have been DeLillo's point.

I saw my old copy of ditkaburgers' bookshelf a while ago and thought about re-reading it but decided I've had enough conspiracies for a lifetime.

 

[kupcho1]

Alright screw it, no way someone else picked this book.

Libra by Don DeLillo 1988

It's a great book, but I went another directions with DeLilo (Underworld (1997) coming in at #137). Speaking of which ...

I found a very interesting take on the book at The Brooklyn Institute:

Don DeLillo’s Underworld is a novel of ends: of the Cold War; of the 20th century; of the millennium; of history; of metanarratives; of humanism; of the American Century. It is, at the same time, a novel of the new—of the underworlds that might give rise to other worlds. The story of Nick Shay, a waste management executive living in Arizona, spans the period from the end of World War II to the end of the Cold War, and maps the United States from ballparks in the Bronx to military barracks in the Southwest, defunded cities to suburban strip malls, art projects in the desert to H-bombed atolls in the Pacific, offering an expansive analysis of the American Century and its afterlives. How do we capture the past, in all its vastness? Which American narratives does Underworld negate, and which does it support—or even create or make possible?

Believe it or not, this is an on-line course on the novel. ($315 if you're interested.) The crux of the course is:

At the heart of DeLillo’s vision are two preoccupations: late-century closure and the futures latent in the overlooked, ignored, or forgotten. How do we reconcile past with present and future? Is the narrative of America thoroughly exhausted, or is there potency still in the American sublime?

I hope it is the latter, but am increasingly worried it's the former.

 

[kupcho1]

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

The prologue hooked me right away. We learn how a man named Jaunt accidently discovers teleportation. "Jaunting"
spreads and turns society upside down. Planets are at war with each other. We meet Gully who's been stranded on a spaceship
for 6 months. A passing ship that is owned by the same company that he works for ignores the distress signal and abandons
him. He's eventually rescued by a religous cult. His journey for revenge against the company begins.

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

A North Korean boy grows up in an orphanage. He's forced to join the military when he becomes a teen. He does well and is given
new responsibilities such as kidnapping Japanese citizens. A bit of coming of age story within North Korea. Haunting and funny.

I thought The Orphan Master's Son was a fascinating exploration of the Hermit Kingdom. It's a great read.

I've added The Stars My Destination to my to-be-read list.

 

[kupcho1]

Phase 3: Books 200 - 101 continued

The error in accounting for krista4's selection of Charlotte's Web has changed the rankings a bit. We've got 27 books to count down before we get to the final 100. That said, I'm going to release 9 books per day over the next 3 days. Sound good?

127	The Age of Innocence	Edith Wharton	ilov80s, krista4
	Interview with the Vampire	Anne Rice	guru_007, Frostillicus, Psychopav
126	Silence of the Lambs	Thomas Harris	kupcho1, Frostillicus, shuke
125	All the King’s Men	Robert Penn Warren	turnjose007, Don Quixote
121	Stories of Your Life and Others	Ted Chiang	Long Ball Larry
	City of Spades	Colin MacInnes	Eephus
	The Things They Carried	Tim O’Brien	chaos34, krista4

The Silence of the Lambs was the 28th ranked book for Frostillicus and shuke; I had it slightly higher at #25. I remember my girlfriend at the time was sitting next to me on the couch as I was reading the book, and said she could hear my heart pounding. I'm not sure if that's even possible, but if it is, this book certainly qualifies as one that could do it.

I'd also be interested in hearing from @Long Ball Larry @Eephus and @turnjose7 as their #2 books all posted at #121.

 

[Ilov80s]

Phase 3: Books 200 - 101 continued

The error in accounting for krista4's selection of Charlotte's Web has changed the rankings a bit. We've got 27 books to count down before we get to the final 100. That said, I'm going to release 9 books per day over the next 3 days. Sound good?

127	The Age of Innocence	Edith Wharton	ilov80s, krista4
	Interview with the Vampire	Anne Rice	guru_007, Frostillicus, Psychopav
126	Silence of the Lambs	Thomas Harris	kupcho1, Frostillicus, shuke
125	All the King’s Men	Robert Penn Warren	turnjose007, Don Quixote
121	Stories of Your Life and Others	Ted Chiang	Long Ball Larry
	City of Spades	Colin MacInnes	Eephus
	Star Wars: Heir to the Empire	Timothy Zahn	turnjose007
	The Things They Carried	Tim O’Brien	chaos34, krista4
120	Midnight's Children	Salman Rushdie	kupcho1, Don Quixote

The Silence of the Lambs was the 28th ranked book for Frostillicus and shuke; I had it slightly higher at #25. I remember my girlfriend at the time was sitting next to me on the couch as I was reading the book, and said she could hear my heart pounding. I'm not sure if that's even possible, but if it is, this book certainly qualifies as one that could do it.

Rather than continue on as Salman Rushdie's hype man on this board, I'll defer to @Don Quixote to opine on Midnight's Children. (Then I'll almost certainly jump in with my )

I'd also be interested in hearing from @Long Ball Larry @Eephus and @turnjose7 as their #2 books all posted at #121.

Can’t help but think of the movies with some of these books here today. Two of those books were adapted into best picture winners.

 

[krista4]

Phase 3: Books 200 - 101 continued

The error in accounting for krista4's selection of Charlotte's Web has changed the rankings a bit. We've got 27 books to count down before we get to the final 100. That said, I'm going to release 9 books per day over the next 3 days. Sound good?

127	The Age of Innocence	Edith Wharton	ilov80s, krista4
	Interview with the Vampire	Anne Rice	guru_007, Frostillicus, Psychopav
126	Silence of the Lambs	Thomas Harris	kupcho1, Frostillicus, shuke
125	All the King’s Men	Robert Penn Warren	turnjose007, Don Quixote
121	Stories of Your Life and Others	Ted Chiang	Long Ball Larry
	City of Spades	Colin MacInnes	Eephus
	Star Wars: Heir to the Empire	Timothy Zahn	turnjose007
	The Things They Carried	Tim O’Brien	chaos34, krista4
120	Midnight's Children	Salman Rushdie	kupcho1, Don Quixote

The Silence of the Lambs was the 28th ranked book for Frostillicus and shuke; I had it slightly higher at #25. I remember my girlfriend at the time was sitting next to me on the couch as I was reading the book, and said she could hear my heart pounding. I'm not sure if that's even possible, but if it is, this book certainly qualifies as one that could do it.

Rather than continue on as Salman Rushdie's hype man on this board, I'll defer to @Don Quixote to opine on Midnight's Children. (Then I'll almost certainly jump in with my )

I'd also be interested in hearing from @Long Ball Larry @Eephus and @turnjose7 as their #2 books all posted at #121.

Can’t help but think of the movies with some of these books here today. Two of those books were adapted into best picture winners.

@kupcho1 , OH also had Midnight's Children on his list, at #38.

 

[krista4]

I'm interested to see what people say about All the King's Men. It's a dear friend's favorite book, to the point where he's currently working with a Stanford literature professor to get his analysis of it published, yet I've never read it. It does sit on our bookshelves, and I'm surprised OH didn't select it.

I totally blanked on The Silence of the Lambs. Might have made my list if I'd thought of it.

Oh, and back to Underworld. I didn't rank it because I didn't finish it, and I didn't finish it even though I enjoyed it. Of course, not finishing it didn't stop me from selecting a different from the year before that one.

 

[Ilov80s]

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

My number 3 book. I adore exploring these themes of desire vs duty, the prison walls that social structures can put around us, the cruelty that comes along with “respectable society” and the hypocrisy that runs rampant. Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for this 1921 novel that looks at her upbringing in the upper crust of Gilded Age New York City. How we enjoyed say Mad Men as a look back at a lost, loved but flawed time, this is Wharton doing the same. It’s centered around a respected lawyer, Newland Archer, who is engaged to the very conservative and desirable May Welland while also finding himself having deeply passionate feelings for her European cousin. Wharton can elegantly describe art and food and architecture while also delivering wit and satire in bundles. The writing is full of repressed emotion bubbling under the surface. Just like the characters.


But after a moment a sense of waste and ruin overcame him. There they were, close together and safe and shut in; yet so chained to their separate destinies that they might as well been half the world apart.

 

[Don Quixote]

Phase 3: Books 200 - 101 continued

The error in accounting for krista4's selection of Charlotte's Web has changed the rankings a bit. We've got 27 books to count down before we get to the final 100. That said, I'm going to release 9 books per day over the next 3 days. Sound good?

127	The Age of Innocence	Edith Wharton	ilov80s, krista4
	Interview with the Vampire	Anne Rice	guru_007, Frostillicus, Psychopav
126	Silence of the Lambs	Thomas Harris	kupcho1, Frostillicus, shuke
125	All the King’s Men	Robert Penn Warren	turnjose007, Don Quixote
121	Stories of Your Life and Others	Ted Chiang	Long Ball Larry
	City of Spades	Colin MacInnes	Eephus
	Star Wars: Heir to the Empire	Timothy Zahn	turnjose007
	The Things They Carried	Tim O’Brien	chaos34, krista4
120	Midnight's Children	Salman Rushdie	kupcho1, Don Quixote

The Silence of the Lambs was the 28th ranked book for Frostillicus and shuke; I had it slightly higher at #25. I remember my girlfriend at the time was sitting next to me on the couch as I was reading the book, and said she could hear my heart pounding. I'm not sure if that's even possible, but if it is, this book certainly qualifies as one that could do it.

Rather than continue on as Salman Rushdie's hype man on this board, I'll defer to @Don Quixote to opine on Midnight's Children. (Then I'll almost certainly jump in with my )

I'd also be interested in hearing from @Long Ball Larry @Eephus and @turnjose7 as their #2 books all posted at #121.

Applying color eraser so I can read what @kupcho1 tagged me about.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Phase 3: Books 200 - 101 continued

The error in accounting for krista4's selection of Charlotte's Web has changed the rankings a bit. We've got 27 books to count down before we get to the final 100. That said, I'm going to release 9 books per day over the next 3 days. Sound good?

127	The Age of Innocence	Edith Wharton	ilov80s, krista4
	Interview with the Vampire	Anne Rice	guru_007, Frostillicus, Psychopav
126	Silence of the Lambs	Thomas Harris	kupcho1, Frostillicus, shuke
125	All the King’s Men	Robert Penn Warren	turnjose007, Don Quixote
121	Stories of Your Life and Others	Ted Chiang	Long Ball Larry
	City of Spades	Colin MacInnes	Eephus
	Star Wars: Heir to the Empire	Timothy Zahn	turnjose007
	The Things They Carried	Tim O’Brien	chaos34, krista4
120	Midnight's Children	Salman Rushdie	kupcho1, Don Quixote

The Silence of the Lambs was the 28th ranked book for Frostillicus and shuke; I had it slightly higher at #25. I remember my girlfriend at the time was sitting next to me on the couch as I was reading the book, and said she could hear my heart pounding. I'm not sure if that's even possible, but if it is, this book certainly qualifies as one that could do it.

Rather than continue on as Salman Rushdie's hype man on this board, I'll defer to @Don Quixote to opine on Midnight's Children. (Then I'll almost certainly jump in with my )

I'd also be interested in hearing from @Long Ball Larry @Eephus and @turnjose7 as their #2 books all posted at #121.

Can’t help but think of the movies with some of these books here today. Two of those books were adapted into best picture winners.

Interview with the Vampire won best picture?

 

[krista4]

Applying color eraser so I can read what @kupcho1 tagged me about.

I wasn't able to figure out what you did to show it (I tried, and you explained it fine - I'm just blind, apparently), so I appreciate that you did this.

 

[krista4]

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

My number 3 book. I adore exploring these themes of desire vs duty, the prison walls that social structures can put around us, the cruelty that comes along with “respectable society” and the hypocrisy that runs rampant. Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for this 1921 novel that looks at her upbringing in the upper crust of Gilded Age New York City. How we enjoyed say Mad Men as a look back at a lost, loved but flawed time, this is Wharton doing the same. It’s centered around a respected lawyer, Newland Archer, who is engaged to the very conservative and desirable May Welland while also finding himself having deeply passionate feelings for her European cousin. Wharton can elegantly describe art and food and architecture while also delivering wit and satire in bundles. The writing is full of repressed emotion bubbling under the surface. Just like the characters.


But after a moment a sense of waste and ruin overcame him. There they were, close together and safe and shut in; yet so chained to their separate destinies that they might as well been half the world apart.

This was my #70 in large part because I read it so long ago I couldn't remember enough. Your write-up inspires me to put it on my "re-read soon" list!

 

[Don Quixote]

Applying color eraser so I can read what @kupcho1 tagged me about.

I wasn't able to figure out what you did to show it (I tried, and you explained it fine - I'm just blind, apparently), so I appreciate that you did this.

Select all the text in the post to highlight it, then open up the color palette and select the eraser thing that I circled here.

IMG-0040 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-0040 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[Don Quixote]

I will wait on writing up Midnight’s Children if needs to be fixed and will show up higher now.

 

[krista4]

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

This was my #9 selection. Something I've realized today is that apparently I like novelizations (or short story-izations) of real events, or semi-autobiographical works (e.g., Go Tell It on the Mountain), and apparently I also like stories/novels where the author blurs the lines between what is real and fiction by inserting himself into the works (e.g., The New York Trilogy). This collection of short stories is based in part on O'Brien's experiences in the Vietnam War. The blurring of the lines between fiction and non-fiction led to my believing for a while that this was non-fiction. Only upon a second reading sometime later did I get it. O'Brien did this intentionally: "I set out to write a book with the feel of utter and absolute reality, a work of fiction that would read like nonfiction and adhere to the conventions of a memoir: dedicating the book to the characters, using my name, drawing on my own life. This was a technical challenge. My goal was to compose a fiction with the texture, sound and authentic-seeming weight of nonfiction." It's hard to explain, but I think he particularly got the "texture" right. The book feels the weight of the complicated question of morality.

One genre I don't have a lot of selections from is war novels, but in the couple of instances where I do, the Vietnam War is the subject. In college I had a focus on 20th century American history and politics, and, especially being at a liberal arts college, the Vietnam War was a big part of that. It indirectly led to an obsession with all things Vietnam for me, which I got to realize with our first trip to Vietnam in 2008 (and subsequent trips).

Somehow I have three copies of this book. @KarmaPolice , should I send you one? It's only 233 pages.

 

[Psychopav]

Hey @kupcho1 any thoughts to adding a running list at the top of the thread? I think I missed one of mine that already appeared and I should have commented on, but I'm an old man and I can't remember if it really did appear or not.

Also, get off my lawn.

 

[kupcho1]

@kupcho1 , OH also had Midnight's Children on his list, at #38.

I'm beginning to suspect Google sheets isn't worth the price I paid for it.

Once again, copying the text "Midnight's Children" from the tabulation tab to OH's tab solves the problem. The text is - to my old, dark-mode-dependent eyes, exactly the same.


Midnight's Children will show up again later.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Select all the text in the post to highlight it, then open up the color palette and select the eraser thing that I circled here.

I've found just highlighting the text to work.

 

[kupcho1]

I'm interested to see what people say about All the King's Men.

I read it years ago and was able to skip it in my Pulitzer endeavor, so my recollection might be a bit foggy. I thought it was an interesting take on politics with the story told by Willie Stark's "fixer"
Stark is supposedly a fictionalized version of real life politician Huey Long (depression era Louisiana governor).

Full disclosure: it's on my bookshelf, but I'm unlikely to read it again.

 

[kupcho1]

Hey @kupcho1 any thoughts to adding a running list at the top of the thread?

yeah, I had one going in post #3 but got tired of having to revise it every time someone caught a mistake. I'll update it (again)

ETA: it takes a bit of work with concatenation to pull it together in a sensible order

 

[Ilov80s]

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

This was my #9 selection. Something I've realized today is that apparently I like novelizations (or short story-izations) of real events, or semi-autobiographical works (e.g., Go Tell It on the Mountain), and apparently I also like stories/novels where the author blurs the lines between what is real and fiction by inserting himself into the works (e.g., The New York Trilogy). This collection of short stories is based in part on O'Brien's experiences in the Vietnam War. The blurring of the lines between fiction and non-fiction led to my believing for a while that this was non-fiction. Only upon a second reading sometime later did I get it. O'Brien did this intentionally: "I set out to write a book with the feel of utter and absolute reality, a work of fiction that would read like nonfiction and adhere to the conventions of a memoir: dedicating the book to the characters, using my name, drawing on my own life. This was a technical challenge. My goal was to compose a fiction with the texture, sound and authentic-seeming weight of nonfiction." It's hard to explain, but I think he particularly got the "texture" right. The book feels the weight of the complicated question of morality.

One genre I don't have a lot of selections from is war novels, but in the couple of instances where I do, the Vietnam War is the subject. In college I had a focus on 20th century American history and politics, and, especially being at a liberal arts college, the Vietnam War was a big part of that. It indirectly led to an obsession with all things Vietnam for me, which I got to realize with our first trip to Vietnam in 2008 (and subsequent trips).

Somehow I have three copies of this book. @KarmaPolice , should I send you one? It's only 233 pages.

I should read it sometime. I’ve only read 1 or 2 selected stories from it that show up in HS textbooks.

 

[Don Quixote]

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

This was my #9 selection. Something I've realized today is that apparently I like novelizations (or short story-izations) of real events, or semi-autobiographical works (e.g., Go Tell It on the Mountain), and apparently I also like stories/novels where the author blurs the lines between what is real and fiction by inserting himself into the works (e.g., The New York Trilogy). This collection of short stories is based in part on O'Brien's experiences in the Vietnam War. The blurring of the lines between fiction and non-fiction led to my believing for a while that this was non-fiction. Only upon a second reading sometime later did I get it. O'Brien did this intentionally: "I set out to write a book with the feel of utter and absolute reality, a work of fiction that would read like nonfiction and adhere to the conventions of a memoir: dedicating the book to the characters, using my name, drawing on my own life. This was a technical challenge. My goal was to compose a fiction with the texture, sound and authentic-seeming weight of nonfiction." It's hard to explain, but I think he particularly got the "texture" right. The book feels the weight of the complicated question of morality.

One genre I don't have a lot of selections from is war novels, but in the couple of instances where I do, the Vietnam War is the subject. In college I had a focus on 20th century American history and politics, and, especially being at a liberal arts college, the Vietnam War was a big part of that. It indirectly led to an obsession with all things Vietnam for me, which I got to realize with our first trip to Vietnam in 2008 (and subsequent trips).

Somehow I have three copies of this book. @KarmaPolice , should I send you one? It's only 233 pages.

I read his memoir back in the day (If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home). I haven’t read any of his other stuff, but should correct that.

 

[Chaos34]

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

This was my #9 selection. Something I've realized today is that apparently I like novelizations (or short story-izations) of real events, or semi-autobiographical works (e.g., Go Tell It on the Mountain), and apparently I also like stories/novels where the author blurs the lines between what is real and fiction by inserting himself into the works (e.g., The New York Trilogy). This collection of short stories is based in part on O'Brien's experiences in the Vietnam War. The blurring of the lines between fiction and non-fiction led to my believing for a while that this was non-fiction. Only upon a second reading sometime later did I get it. O'Brien did this intentionally: "I set out to write a book with the feel of utter and absolute reality, a work of fiction that would read like nonfiction and adhere to the conventions of a memoir: dedicating the book to the characters, using my name, drawing on my own life. This was a technical challenge. My goal was to compose a fiction with the texture, sound and authentic-seeming weight of nonfiction." It's hard to explain, but I think he particularly got the "texture" right. The book feels the weight of the complicated question of morality.

One genre I don't have a lot of selections from is war novels, but in the couple of instances where I do, the Vietnam War is the subject. In college I had a focus on 20th century American history and politics, and, especially being at a liberal arts college, the Vietnam War was a big part of that. It indirectly led to an obsession with all things Vietnam for me, which I got to realize with our first trip to Vietnam in 2008 (and subsequent trips).

Somehow I have three copies of this book. @KarmaPolice , should I send you one? It's only 233 pages.

I'm the other ranker for The Things They Carried. I'm glad to see someone else ranked it so high. Like Krista Vietnam is the war I've read about at considerable length. For no other reason than I kept noticing people were Civil, WW1, or WW2 buffs and I didn't have a war to claim. So I chose Vietnam because I knew a few young men who died there (friends of my older brother). For a good decade I read everything I could get my hands on and I tell others this is the 2nd best book about Vietnam. The best is Dispatches, non-fiction, one I recommended here long ago and OH read it and thanked me.

I've read The Things They Carried one time in full and then read a few of it's various stories individually several times. The Man I Killed (obvious what this about), On The Rainy River (about the personal decision to go to war), Speaking of Courage (post-war psychological wounds) are three tremendous reads. I should have ranked it higher. O'Brien published his war experiences in a couple books in the early and mid-70s. He stewed on this one for 15 years. It's definitely worthy of a top 10 ranking.

 

[turnjose7]

Wow, the latest round had some great choices, including some that weren't on my list but could have been.


All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (#27 for me)

@kupcho1 already got the basics of this one down, but it is a scary look at the power of populism inspired by the real-life political career of Huey Long. It's told from the perspective of a political reporter who tries to stay on the sidelines as he watches Willie Stark rise to power, eventually realizing that is impossible. The cast of characters is incredible. As mentioned, this won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize and was the movie adaptation won the Academy Award for best picture. The movie is good, but doesn't come close to capturing the depth of the characters that are fleshed out in the novel.


Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn (#2 for me)

For anyone who likes anything Star Wars related that was made after 1990, you owe it all to this book. The franchise had faded until Zahn published this novel, the first in the Thrawn Trilogy. It resurrected the popularity of Star Wars.

The book introduces us to Grand Admiral Thrawn, a brilliant Imperial commander who has rallied the remnants of the Galactic Empire under his command and is taking the fight back to the New Republic. Those who have watched the Rebels or Ahsoka TV shows will know Thrawn. The TV version of him is ok, but the version in Zahn's books (I think there are about 10 novels that feature him now) is way better. So much so that Thrawn edges out Roland Deschain as my single favorite fictional character ever in any medium.

It's not just Thrawn that makes the book great, though. More than anything that has been done since, it effectively captures the tone of the original trilogy. It is Star Wars at it's most authentic and has a great balance of fantasy, sci-fi, action, and even humor. Old characters feel genuine and new characters are interesting (in addition to Thrawn it introduces us to other iconic Star Wars characters like Mara Jade and Talon Karrde).

This is Star Wars at its best and even rivals the original trilogy for me in terms of my favorite stories in the franchise.

 

[Psychopav]

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn (#2 for me)

For anyone who likes anything Star Wars related that was made after 1990, you owe it all to this book. The franchise had faded until Zahn published this novel, the first in the Thrawn Trilogy. It resurrected the popularity of Star Wars.

The book introduces us to Grand Admiral Thrawn, a brilliant Imperial commander who has rallied the remnants of the Galactic Empire under his command and is taking the fight back to the New Republic. Those who have watched the Rebels or Ahsoka TV shows will know Thrawn. The TV version of him is ok, but the version in Zahn's books (I think there are about 10 novels that feature him now) is way better. So much so that Thrawn edges out Roland Deschain as my single favorite fictional character ever in any medium.

It's not just Thrawn that makes the book great, though. More than anything that has been done since, it effectively captures the tone of the original trilogy. It is Star Wars at it's most authentic and has a great balance of fantasy, sci-fi, action, and even humor. Old characters feel genuine and new characters are interesting (in addition to Thrawn it introduces us to other iconic Star Wars characters like Mara Jade and Talon Karrde).

This is Star Wars at its best and even rivals the original trilogy for me in terms of my favorite stories in the franchise.

I would add that these books went a long way to establishing the depth that we all (well, other than perhaps Kathleen Kennedy) have come to appreciate of the depth of the universe. The Empire has political and military factions who are often at odds, scoundrels/bounty hunters and droids are their own categories which add shape and color to the tug of war between the imperials and the republicans. Not to mention actually moving the story forward past the OT in a very intriguing and satisfying way. Mara Jade was another character introduced by Zahn. And make no mistake, Lucas was whiffing on this opportunity way before Disney did.

@kupcho1, I had this one at #51. Did I misspell it or Zahn's name or something?

 

[Eephus]

I've read and enjoyed All the King's Men and The Silence of the Lambs. I plain forgot about the former during my ranking process and omitted the latter because I figured it would make the countdown without me and I'd rather throw a couple of points to spotlight something more obscure

 

[Eephus]

121t. City of Spades by Colin MacInnes (1957)

City of Spades is the first part of MacInnes' London trilogy depicting working class life in the capital during the 1950s. The three books are standalone novels linked only by time and place. Absolute Beginners is better known but City of Spades is my favorite.

The story is told through the alternating first person perspectives of Nigerian migrant Johnny Fortune and Montgomery Pew, a low-ranking official in the Colonial Office. They develop an unlikely friendship as they learn about each other's cultures. It's a book brimming with life featuring a cast of colorful supporting characters (who sometimes stray into stereotype) and a rare contemporary portrait of a city at the midpoint between WWII austerity and the swinging London of the sixties.

 

[turnjose7]

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn (#2 for me)

For anyone who likes anything Star Wars related that was made after 1990, you owe it all to this book. The franchise had faded until Zahn published this novel, the first in the Thrawn Trilogy. It resurrected the popularity of Star Wars.

The book introduces us to Grand Admiral Thrawn, a brilliant Imperial commander who has rallied the remnants of the Galactic Empire under his command and is taking the fight back to the New Republic. Those who have watched the Rebels or Ahsoka TV shows will know Thrawn. The TV version of him is ok, but the version in Zahn's books (I think there are about 10 novels that feature him now) is way better. So much so that Thrawn edges out Roland Deschain as my single favorite fictional character ever in any medium.

It's not just Thrawn that makes the book great, though. More than anything that has been done since, it effectively captures the tone of the original trilogy. It is Star Wars at it's most authentic and has a great balance of fantasy, sci-fi, action, and even humor. Old characters feel genuine and new characters are interesting (in addition to Thrawn it introduces us to other iconic Star Wars characters like Mara Jade and Talon Karrde).

This is Star Wars at its best and even rivals the original trilogy for me in terms of my favorite stories in the franchise.

I would add that these books went a long way to establishing the depth that we all (well, other than perhaps Kathleen Kennedy) have come to appreciate of the depth of the universe. The Empire has political and military factions who are often at odds, scoundrels/bounty hunters and droids are their own categories which add shape and color to the tug of war between the imperials and the republicans. Not to mention actually moving the story forward past the OT in a very intriguing and satisfying way. Mara Jade was another character introduced by Zahn. And make no mistake, Lucas was whiffing on this opportunity way before Disney did.

@kupcho1, I had this one at #51. Did I misspell it or Zahn's name or something?

Great points. They certainly made the universe feel more epic. In fact, they introduced Coruscant, which Lucas took and then added to the original trilogy.

The other books in the trilogy, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command are also great and also ranked on my list.

For anyone interested in Thrawn, Zahn also wrote a series of prequel books about him initially living with his own people, and then later about his rise in the Empire. The former are better, but the latter are also interesting in that they depict a rivalry he has with Vader.