The top 100 classics according to active members of "Catching up on Classics" group

[J_BlueFlower]

What are the top classics?

Fiction and non-fiction. No omnibus in the same way as in the group reads (short story collections are fine, but not complete works)

Please vote:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...#

We often look and comment on other peoples lists, like here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
What would our own top classics list look like?

Notice our can vote for book that have not been group reads. Maybe the list will inspire some future nomination?

Added for clarity:
The inspiration is this (and many other) discussions:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We look at some list, and start discussing books on the list that should not be and books not on the list that should be. I am wondering: What do we think belongs as top classics.

That means that both books we have read in the group and books we have not read are welcome.

[Squire]

I've always been curious about In Search of Lost Time. Maybe one day...

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

I am glad you started this Listopia J-Blueflower. The old list had become unworkable. This is a better way to go about it. We list our favorite 100 rather than try to keep all the books on there.


Currently 4 people have posted and we have 128 different books listed. Some overlap, but not complete. I personally only voted for/or posted 80 books. Those were the only one I felt strongly enough about.

Warning. Be sure to check that you do not add a book already there in a different edition. It is so easy to do and so hard to fix if you aren't the original poster.

[Terris]

I need a little more explanation on this "vote."

I have read 119/129 books listed -- do I have to click "vote for this book" 119 times? AND what am I voting for?

I love the Listopia lists, but I usually just use them for reading recommendations in their specific category/genre.

Please educate me :)

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

I see a button that says "Vote for this book". It's like a popularity contest for the books. Just click books you like. Think of it as recommending the book, or just read and don't click to see what others like.

[Greg]

There are already a couple duplicates on there, Jane Eyre is on there twice. I only voted for 30 or so, just my very favorites.

A couple I noticed the group never read so I guess I can nominate those sometime, like The Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner and Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka.

[Kathleen]

Thanks for doing this, J BlueFlower.

Hmm. I thought this was the group member's favorites, not necessarily all books that have been read by the group like the other list. Can we add books that haven't been read yet by the group, or not?

Thanks!

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

Kathleen wrote: "Thanks for doing this, J BlueFlower.

Hmm. I thought this was the group member's favorites, not necessarily all books that have been read by the group like the other list. Can we add books that ha..."

Yes, J_Blueflower added a few not on the Group Bookshelf, so I followed suit. She also said the list could inspire future nominations.

[Kathleen]

Lynn wrote: "Kathleen wrote: "Thanks for doing this, J BlueFlower.

Hmm. I thought this was the group member's favorites, not necessarily all books that have been read by the group like the other list. Can we ..."

Thanks, Lynn!

[Greg]

I didn't add the ones I was thinking of that the group hadn't read yet. I figured I could add them if the group ever voted them through.

So Lynn, we can add anything?

[Greg]

It's nice, as each person adds some, I find a few more to upvote. I've voted for 33 so far. Some more literature in translation would be nice.

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

Greg wrote: "I didn't add the ones I was thinking of that the group hadn't read yet. I figured I could add them if the group ever voted them through.

So Lynn, we can add anything?"


This is J_Blueflower's list, but I think it was her intention to add books we liked, but not limited to books the Group has already read.

[Greg]

Sounds good, thanks!

I added Death and the King's Horseman and A Separate Peace.

Thanks J_BlueFlower for creating the list!

[J_BlueFlower]

Lynn wrote: Warning. Be sure to check that you do not add a book already there in a different edition. It is so easy to do and so hard to fix if you aren't the original poster."

It is not a big problem: both owner and librarians can click the "check for duplicates". It automatically merges the duplicates.

[J_BlueFlower]

Lynn wrote: "This is J_Blueflower's list, but I think it was her intention to add books we liked, but not limited to books the Group has already read.?"

Yes, the books each member think are the greatest classics.

I wonder: What will be the top book the group have not read?
Right now it is 42. Sometimes a Great Notion

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Great idea JB! I voted and added my all-time favorite (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) along with some others.

[Terris]

Ok, I think I'm ready to vote! Thanks for the info :)

[Darren]

ok I've banged in 100: https://www.goodreads.com/list/user_v...
mixture of voting for what's already there plus added some
not a bad set, though I say so myself!
;o)

[Franky]

Interesting list. There were many I loved, some I was lukewarm to, and some I didn't like at all, some I haven't read, and even a few I didn't really know too well. I voted on the ones I felt might have longevity and stand the test of time years later. Thanks for posting that list. It was intriguing to look at and see what this group thinks about what defines a classic.

[J_BlueFlower]

Darren wrote: "ok I've banged in 100: https://www.goodreads.com/list/user_v...
mixture of voting for what's already there plus added some
not a bad set, though I say so myself!
;o)"

Definitely not. I forgot The Master and Margarita and A Clockwork Orange

I am intriged by High-Rise and Use of Weapons. Why Use of Weapons rather than The Player of Games? The Player is on the 1001-books list. Actually: did we (the group) ever read any Iain M. Banks or Iain Banks?

[J_BlueFlower]

For now - as far as I can see (and remember!) - the top books that are not group reads are
48. Sometimes a Great Notion
and
60. I Capture the Castle

[J_BlueFlower]

Way further down than I would have expected:

128. Crime and Punishment
260. Heart of Darkness

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "For now - as far as I can see (and remember!) - the top books that are not group reads are
48. Sometimes a Great Notion
and
60. I Capture the Castle"

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Way further down than I would have expected:

128. Crime and Punishment
260. Heart of Darkness"

Sometimes a Great Notion is a long, challenging read (although I loved it and gave it 5 stars when I read it a couple years ago), and at 60 years old there are some social mores of the time that can be off-putting to modern readers. Crime and Punishment is also long and challenging. I think those two just don't have enough readers probably. War and Peace and Don Quixote will probably suffer similar fates due to their length.

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Lynn wrote: Warning. Be sure to check that you do not add a book already there in a different edition. It is so easy to do and so hard to fix if you aren't the original poster."

It is not a big pr..."

Good to know!

[Darren]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "I am intriged by High-Rise and Use of Weapons. Why Use of Weapons rather than The Player of Games? The Player is on the 1001-books list. Actually: did we (the group) ever read any Iain M. Banks or Iain Banks?"

Ballard and Banks are both shocking (imho) omissions from our group shelf
they've had nominations (some by me) but rarely get many votes

Player of Games is in Rick-and-Morty-Speak an "adventure episode" in the Culture series, whereas Use Of Weapons is "canon", and I nearly always prefer canon to adventure ;o)
(although "Excession" is my second-fave, and that's very much adventure!)

btw I nearly voted for your "signature" book "A Scanner Darkly", but settled for adding "..Androids..." even though my fave PKD is "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch"

[J_BlueFlower]

Darren wrote: "Player of Games is in Rick-and-Morty-Speak an "adventure episode" in the Culture series, ..."

I have read Consider Phlebas, The Player of Games and Excession. I don't remember why these three. I liked The Player of Games best. I also liked The Wasp Factory a lot.

Darren wrote: "Ballard and Banks are both shocking (imho) omissions from our group shelf they've had nominations (some by me) but rarely get many votes.."

I completely agree. June's vote with High-Rise was not completely hopeless, though. It is a shared third with We. Maybe if it did not have to complete with another sci-fi classic.

[J_BlueFlower]

Darren wrote: "btw I nearly voted for your "signature" book "A Scanner Darkly", but settled for adding "..Androids..." even though my fave PKD is "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" ..."

Nope, A Scanner Darkly is not me.

I voted for Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. It is a candidate for top-most why-on-earth-is-that-not-on-our-group-shelf?! I also liked The Man in the High Castle a lot. If any of those two same day win, I would probably re-read.

[Darren]

JBF - A Scanner Darkly is your signature book whether you like it or not, cos it features Blue Flowers! ;o)

I nearly included Wasp Factory in my 100, even though my fave Banks (and his as well apparently) is The Bridge

[J_BlueFlower]

Darren wrote: "I nearly included Wasp Factory..."

I still have room and may add it.

[Lori]

I wonder how many more books will be added to this list. It’s at 372 right now. I added Lonesome Dove, Sophie’s Choice and Crossing to Safety as these authors were missing.

Great idea to track the top 100 for our group.

[Ayush]

I am relatively new to this group and just checked out the list of Classics here. Must say that I am genuinely surprised to find Crime and Punishment as far down as 165. It was easily the most detailed description of human psychology that I have come across in a fictional format.

Also, I would like to add one to the list -
Book : Gitanjali
Author : Rabindra Nath Tagore - He won Noble Prize in Literature for Gitanjali in 1913.....The First Non European to receive it.

[J_BlueFlower]

Ayush wrote: "I am genuinely surprised to find Crime and Punishment as far down as 165. It was easily the most deta..."

Vote for it then. (I agree about surprising).

Ayush wrote: "Also, I would like to add one to the list -
Book : Gitanjali..."

Please do. Click "Add books to this list" and search for it.

[Kathleen]

Tagore would be a great addition. I've only read short stories, so didn't add him. We can only add books that we've put on our shelves as read, so perhaps you could add Gitanjali, Ayush? Just go to the "Add Books to the List" tab at the top.

I think our order is skewed because they're put in Goodreads scoring order instead of just by number of votes. If you click on score it says: "A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book."

[sabagrey]

I voted for a few books, but honestly - can anyone explain to me what the purpose of such a list is, what one can or should do with it - or who, or when, or how?

(I am forcefully reminded of Umberto Eco's wonderful and scurrilous book about lists The Infinity of Lists. There must be something particularly fascinating about them, because humans have made the most astonishing lists about almost everything throughout the centuries)

[Ayush]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Ayush wrote: "I am genuinely surprised to find Crime and Punishment as far down as 165. It was easily the most deta..."

Vote for it then. (I agree about surprising).

Ayush wrote: "Also, I would l..."
Done!

[Greg]

Kathleen wrote: "Tagore would be a great addition. I've only read short stories, so didn't add him. We can only add books that we've put on our shelves as read, so perhaps you could add Gitanjali, Ayush? Just go to..."

Ayush, I'd like to have Tagore represented too, but I've only read his poetry before. Also, I have only added books to my Read list that I've read after joining Goodreads so there are a huge number not on my list that I can't add.

[Greg]

sabagrey wrote: "I voted for a few books, but honestly - can anyone explain to me what the purpose of such a list is, what one can or should do with it - or who, or when, or how?

(I am forcefully reminded of Umbe..."

It's definitely interesting for me as there are a handful picked by 2 or more people that I'm not familiar with.

[Darren]

I think some people are just voting as they scan down the list then exiting - that will just perpetuate/reinforce the order it's already in;

what you need to do after voting/adding is to adjust the order of your own list of votes so as to give more points to the books you favour

[J_BlueFlower]

Kathleen wrote: "Tagore would be a great addition. I've only read short stories, so didn't add him. We can only add books that we've put on our shelves as read..."

I agree about Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Goodreads' readers favors Gitanjali, but The Home and the World is on the 1001-list.

You can add and vote for books not on your own shelf: Above the "shelf" menu there is "Add books from: My Books or a Search". Click the "search" link and search for any book on Goodreads.

I don't think the group ever read any Tagore? He belongs in the old school now where the nomination battle seems a little less intense (my personal feeling). Maybe try nominate?

[J_BlueFlower]

sabagrey wrote: " can anyone explain to me what the purpose of such a list is, what one can or should do with it - or who, or when, or how? .."

We often look and comment on other peoples lists, like here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
In that tread we somewhat agreed that something was wrong with the list here.
Can we do better? (Yes, we already have). What would our own top classics list look like?

Notice our can vote for book that have not been group reads. Maybe the list will inspire some future nomination?

who: Members of the group

when: ongoing

how: 1) Vote for "obvious classics". Try to look trough all pages not only the first (otherwise the first page with be self-reinforcing) Add books you think is missing.
2) Perhaps be inspired to nominate books we have not read in the group.

[Darren]

ok I've slightly tweaked mine too,
dropping 4, voting for Wind In The Willows, and adding three I deemed more "classicy":
The Wasp Factory, Cider with Rosie and The Death of Virgil

edit!
and although I am more drawn to 20th century than older, I've chucked a few out of the "new school" balloon and brought my "old school" contingent up to 20 out of the 100 by adding:
The Faerie Queene, Inferno and The Tale of Genji

[sabagrey]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "sabagrey wrote: " can anyone explain to me what the purpose of such a list is, what one can or should do with it - or who, or when, or how? .."

We often look and comment on other peoples lists, li..."

Thank you for the explanations, BlueFlower ...

Where do I find the option to re-arrange my ranking? - I have not seen it anywhere.

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

sabagrey wrote: "J_BlueFlower wrote: "sabagrey wrote: " can anyone explain to me what the purpose of such a list is, what one can or should do with it - or who, or when, or how? .."

We often look and comment on ot..."

Look on your list of books you voted for. There will be a number assigned to each book. I can click on that number and change it.

[sabagrey]

Lynn wrote: "Look on your list of books you voted for. There will be a number assigned to each book. I can click on that number and change it.."

AHHH! - got it now, thank you.

[J_BlueFlower]

A few more non-group reads have moved to top 100. As far as I can see (and remember what we have read!):

57. I Capture the Castle
75. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
77. Sometimes a Great Notion
87. The Red and the Black
97. The Stars My Destination
100. The Wreath (Kristin Lavransdatter #1) (on page 2)

[J_BlueFlower]

Hey Ayush,

I see you have added Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore.

I hope you will nominate it someday in Old School Nominations

[Ayush]

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Hey Ayush,

I see you have added Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore.

I hope you will nominate it someday in Old School Nominations"

Sure! I have already nominated The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy for July 2024. So, I guess I will have to wait for August nominations.

[Franky]

Rora wrote: "I adjusted my votes a little. Some books I got to thinking...yes I liked it, but do I really think its a classic."

I feel this way too about these lists. Like I don't want my own bias to show up in these polls and would rather think about the classic in a larger sense.

[Darren]

we want a little bit of the "current group bias" in there though, otherwise we just end up with a "received wisdom" type list

[Franky]

Darren wrote: "we want a little bit of the "current group bias" in there though, otherwise we just end up with a "received wisdom" type list"

That's true also.