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Best Books of the 20th Century
The best books published during the 20th century (January 1st, 1900 through December 31st 1999)
4,658 books ·
31,461 voters ·
list created May 29th, 2008
by deleted user.
1255 likes · like
Lists are re-scored approximately every 500 seconds.
Comments (showing 1-50 of 326) (326 new)
Picture of Dorian Gray first published 1891 doesn't belong in 20th century books. 19th centuryOops -- you guys already caught these. Another one -- Bronte.
Similarly, Three Cups of Tea was published in 2006... is there an easy way to delete these? Or should this list take a Braudelian view of the "long 20th century"? ;)
There are a lot of those 19th century books, but now there are also many that are 21st century as well i.e. The Host and the most recent Harry Potter books. Is there any way to delete them?
I was getting all annoyed because they had a couple books that were published after 2000, but then I realized that I had just voted for Pride and Prejudice....I wish that there was a way to delete books that didn't fit the critieria...or maybe if the list was programmed to automatically check the publication date and tell you whether or not you could add it to the list...
Why isn't Celine or Saint Exupéry or Borges on this list? I call bullshit. Or i don't know... Vonnegut?
Um, people? Jane Austen novels and/or Jane Eyre are in NO WAY 20th century novels, whatever thousandth reprinting that they're on right now that happens to have taken place in that century.
It's called the "best books" of the 20th century, so why does everyone seem to be restricting themselves to novels?
There are several books on here that are not from the 20th Century...Jane Austen, The Brontes, and Joyce plus many more...can someone fix this please!
THE KING JAMES BIBLE!?THE BOOK OF MORMON!?
And it's amazing how many votes Pride and Prejudice has gotten - 30!
Several books not written in the 20th century:Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (I think)
Don't get me wrong, these are all great books but they don't belong on this list! Please check dates (or at least use common sense) before adding books to a date-specific list!
you couldn't be more right, throw in Kafka, as well. then the non-20th century books, along with the pop fiction books on the list?
The 20th century seems to have lasted for more than two hundred years. I have to agree with the poster who commented on the lack of nonfiction. What about Backlash by Susan Faludi? Something by John Krakauer or David Sedaris?
Guys. You are aware that you can, you know, add any book you want to this list, right? If you think something belongs on the list yet is not there, ADD IT YOURSELF.
This list appears to be restricting books based on the "published" date for some random (default?) edition, rather than the often-available "first published" date. This would explain why Pride & Prejudice (1813) can make the list, but it doesn't want me to add To the Lighthouse (1927).
Gah!! The books on this list that were not written in the 20th century are hurting my OCD. Is there any way to edit? To remove books from the list that others have added?
oh boy some real chestnuts. C'mon Where's your Henry Miller. He is only the greatest American author of that century. and seriously, what's up with the book of Mormon?
The Book of Mormon? #4? Really guys?It's not even very well written! Despite being published in 1830 (and written, allegedly, mosty in the B.C.E)
Ok, this is nuts. There are 19th century books appearing here, and there are 20th century books I can't add because there isn't a 20th century edition in the database.
Though it's a disputed point, the Book of Mormon was written sometime between 2,000 B.C. and 1830 A.D. As beloved and influential as it may be, one thing it isn't is a book of the 20th Century. Putting it on this list just makes you look dumb.Also: Holy Bible.
And another thing, the Lord of the Ring's score is getting killed by the fact that two different versions of the book (as a single epic, and as a trilogy) are appearing on the list.
I presume we're supposed to vote ONLY for the book that we think should occupy #1 spot?That'll be easy, of course -- it's The Book of Mormon. (JOKING!!!!)
I cannot believe Sometimes A Great Notion, Ken Kesey, is not in the top 100. I didnt even see it in the top 200.
It speaks to my heart and soul. It reaffirms that good can win out over evils. I have read it over 120 times since Thanksgiving, 1970.And people... please remember, it is actually one book, not three, an a trilogy; that aspect was a business/publishing choice not a creative (the author's) choice.
Sometimes a Great Notion is a Masterpiece.The Harry Potter books are entertaining enough, but hardly in the same league.
I'm not really thrilled that the Harry Potter books made this list....they really don't belong here !What about : The Red Tent by Diamont ??
: The Celestine Prophies ??
: The Kite Runner ??
: A Thousand Splendid Suns ??
?????????????????????
Seems like the Lord of the Rings series shouldn't be listed as a separate option with each of the 3 books also on the list.
Les Miserables was on the list, and was removed for the reason Gary states. If it's put back on, it will be removed again.
I saw so many of my all time favorites! Mists of Avelon, Rebecca, Diary of Anne Frank, James and the Giant Peach even The Witching Hour! WOW! I guess as much as I read I consider something really great if after a couple of years and thousands of books later I still remember it then its pretty good.
Did I miss Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture?Pretty big book of the 90's...it, ya know, coined the name ofr an entire generation...
There's a lot of books on this list, I could have missed it.
The Harry Potter books enticed countless numbers of kids, who would never normally pick up a book when they could be playing a video game, to read. In my opinion, any book or series of books, that can do this deserves to be this list.
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None of those are 20th century.