Not far into it at all, but I started this (which means I’m not reading three things at once - I’m not sure why my brain is making me do this!) based on a recommendation from a friend and it’s already really good if any of you are looking for some poetry. Bestiary | Graywolf Press
Reading Pushkin's prose work whilst hoping that my Russian will at some point be good enough to read his poetry untranslated.
I had a feeling the ending was going the way it was but got damn if it didn't nail it. About 1/3 of the way through Stag Dance now.
Which version of Winter of Artifice did you read? I've been reading the 1939 edition but just learned that the others have pretty major differences (and apparently don't contain Djuna?).
I read the 1945 edition with Stella, Winter of Artifice, and The Voice, so I missed out on Djuna. How is it? I really enjoyed Stella and thought it fit perfectly alongside the other stories.
Like any list it has weird omissions (and is too American/British), but like the relatively recent NYT list it has good methodology and is fun to read. I put a couple of things on my wishlist. The 100 best novels of all time (The Guardian) Some potential omissions according to me: Norwegian Woods (or maybe Kitchen) Effi Briest A Tale of Love and Darkness The House of Spirits The Lord of the Rings On the Road
I read Middlemarch last year and I'm not mad at all about it being at the top. It is incredible. To the Lighthouse and Beloved obviously rule as well. and I just read The Remains of the Day this week and adored it. Lists like this are obviously kind of meaningless but I'm fine if it gets more people to read these kinds of bangers
Read 27 and have another 11 of those on my shelves to read. Love to see two of my top three favorites (The Road and The Remains of the Day) on there. Excited that Calvino is on there too, but surprised it's Invisible Cities over If On a Winter's Night a Traveler...
I'm into it. I would consider some of these authors' novels more essential than others, and it's always limiting how these lists feature several books by the same author. Mrs Dalloway and Orlando are great but I'm not sure how they're above something like The Waves, or how Giovanni's Room is better than Another Country or Go Tell It On The Mountain. glad to see some Willa Cather on here. overall could use more non-anglophone literature.
German (language) literature is so huge and English speakers only ever manage to mention Thomas Mann and Kafka, which is always a little annoying if you happen to be a German speaker (not that there need to be a ton of German books on there, it’s just that it’s obviously always the same ones because they haven’t read the others). Also, no Japanese novel is a little wild to me too. But like I said, it’s still fun.
As soon as they started dropping entries a few weeks ago, I knew Middlemarch would be top. No slight to it at all; just a very obvious established choice.
my obvious additions would be A Visit From the Goon Squad, Skippy Dies, and The Hour of the Star. I'd also include The Rings of Saturn although I see they have Austerlitz which I just haven't gotten to yet. I mean I could just go on forever. Nickel Boys.
some I would consider adding Cry the Beloved Country The Heart is a Lonely Hunter The Book of Disquiet A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Lucky Per The Man Who Loved Children The Book of Questions Vol. I Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Niels Lyhne
Djuna is fine so far. I am loving her prose - mostly - but I can’t say the substance of Djuna has been particularly compelling, although I’m definitely enjoying it well enough and it has gotten a lot more interesting as it’s gone on.
Of course after I post that it’s been banger after banger. I also opened Nickole Brown’s To Those Who Were Our First Gods this morning while having my coffee and the first poem was great so I’m pretty excited to read more of that.
Lists like this are always whatever but I actually think it was correct to exclude Camus’ “The Stranger” lol