The Bottom Half of the Top 100 Novels List

48. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens (1861)
49. The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (1844)
50. Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne (1864)
51. Dune, by Frank Herbert (1965)
52. The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson (1959)
53. Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe (1719)
54. The Lost World, by A.Conan Doyle (1912)
55. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck (1939)
56. David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens (1850)
57. Foundation, by Isaak Asimov (1951-1953)
58. Weaveworld, by Clive Barker (1987)
59. Interview With The Vampire, by Anne Rice (1976)
60. Charlotte's Web, by E.B.White (1952)
61. The Outsiders, by S.E.Hinton (1967)
62. Ghost Story, by Peter Straub (1979)
63. Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk (1996)
64. The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943)
65. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë (1847)
66. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (1813)
67. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (1936)
68. Candide, by Voltaire (1759)
69. The Time Machine, by H.G.Wells (1895)
70. Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton (1990)
71. The Island of Dr.Moreau, by H.G.Wells (1896)
72. The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende (1979)
73. Psycho, by Robert Bloch (1959)
74. War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy (1869)
75. The Godfather, by Mario Puzo (1969)
76. The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James (1898 )
77. The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald (1925)
78. The Castle, by Kafka (1922, first published 1926)
79. Tarzan of the Apes, by Burroughs (1914)
80. The Sun Also Rises, by Hemingway (1926)
81. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown (2003)
82. The Stranger, by Albert Camus (1942)
83. East of Eden, by Steinbeck (1952)
84. The Terror, by Dan Simmons (2007)
85. The Glass Bead Game, by Hermann Hesse (1943)
86. Ivanhoe, by Walter Scott (1820)
87. Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen (1818, posthumous)
88. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card (1985)
89. Strangers on a Train, by Patricia Highsmith (1950)
90. The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien (1937)
91. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury (1962)
92. Watership Down, by Richard Adams (1972)
93. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman (1973)
94. White Fang, by Jack London (1906)
95. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde (1890)
96. The Last of the Mohicans, by James Fenimore Cooper (1826)
97. American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis (1991)
98. The Karamazov Brothers, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1880)
99. Jaws , by Peter Benchley (1974)
100. The Trial, by Franz Kafka (1914-1915, published in 1925)

A lot of great titles on the list so far!

Pretty good mix of classic, modern and contemporary.

I wonder if Interview With The Vampire is really so frigging awesome. It is so incredibly high on the list...

It's definitely not.

for its day, yes

Dan Brown ranked higher than Kafka, Tolkien and Bradbury.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...d-facepalm.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WeDealInLead

Dan Brown ranked higher than Kafka, Tolkien and Bradbury.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...d-facepalm.jpg

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don't rub it in

I think we have a number of novels that were seconded primarily because people read them, not because they found them that good; Brown seems the most regretful example

I hope we'll have the same event in a couple of years, and if people, like bears, endeavour to read all the novels on the list, and those who were nominated but didn't make the list at all. I think there's tons of great stuff there (I myself nominated some).

I figured, also, that a lot were seconded purely because it was read not necessarily enjoyed. I , for one, made sure to only vote for books I enjoyed. There were a handful of books that are on the list that I've read but didn't vote for. While the list isn't perfect, it provides a great list for a reader to consult when trying to figure out what older or modern classic they want to venture next. I have downloaded a few audiobooks from my library from this list and will be listening to them over the next few months.

Thanks, Jean for all your hard work. It seemed to be a very time consuming affair.

[QUOTE=Jean;816341]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WeDealInLead

/don't rub it in

I think we have a number of novels that were seconded primarily because people read them, not because they found them that good; Brown seems the most regretful example

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Here's a double Picard facepalm to rub it in:
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...Facepalm-1.jpg

I agree with what you said. I'll also say that four books I've read by Dan Brown have all been enjoyable but definitely not fit for any Top Whatever list.

I also agree with what Dan said "While the list isn't perfect, it provides a great list for a reader to consult when trying to figure out what older or modern classic they want to venture next."

Apologies for the convoluted reply format, I don't know how to do a multiple quote.

i have never read any dan brown books, only sat through one of the films.... i'll never get those minutes back unfortunately

I apologize in advance for saying this and I mean no disrespect whatsoever, but I think the voting scheme was a little flawed. We started by "nominating" books and then mid-stream started seconding them to get them on the list. We didn't start voting for a particular order until well into the game so to speak.

Having said that, I don't know that I could offer any better solution than what was employed. It's a daunting task to compile a list like this on the internet. Jean, did a wonderful job with though.

Bill: how do you mean, mid-stream? I said from the beginning that the seconding was crucial because the grouping would be based on it. The only thing that happened later (but not very late, either) is that I re-stated it once again in the starter post, using ALL CAPS so it would be more noticeable, since people seemed to miss the point. I totally agree that the system is flawed, and we'll be perfectioning it when (if) we do it again, but I couldn't come up with anything better if I wanted to meet any realistic deadline: voting all the 300 nominations from scratch would take a few years.http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bear_cool.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gif

Lots of thanks to everyone who has been supporting the event (special hugs to Merlin!) - guys, please tell your friends to come and vote, and, if possible, post a few words about the choice you make! The top half of the list will be on vote soon!

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gif

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jean

Bill: how do you mean, mid-stream? I said from the beginning that the seconding was crucial because the grouping would be based on it. The only thing that happened later (but not very late, either) is that I re-stated it once again in the starter post, using ALL CAPS so it would be more noticeable, since people seemed to miss the point. I totally agree that the system is flawed, and we'll be perfectioning it when (if) we do it again, but I couldn't come up with anything better if I wanted to meet any realistic deadline: voting all the 300 nominations from scratch would take a few years.http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bear_cool.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gif

Lots of thanks to everyone who has been supporting the event (special hugs to Merlin!) - guys, please tell your friends to come and vote, and, if possible, post a few words about the choice you make! The top half of the list will be on vote soon!

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gif

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Jean, I meant no disrespect. I was simply pointing out a flaw IMHO. You did an awesome job in a monumental task. Plus, it is IMHO even harder to do on the internet. I'm not the one with answers, as I could not even begin to fathom how to accomplish this task. You have done an absolutely wonderful job. I was just pointing out why some of the number rankings are skewed. I know you gave warnings in advance, I'm just not sure folks properly understood the implications. Regardless, we are very close to "Publishing" this for "posterity". A significant event in and of itself!!

I still feel DaVinci Code earned its spot. I read many book I didn't vote for. DaVinci Code was a very compelling read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the preceding and following books. Browns books are well researched, compelling and provocative. I am also currently reading Interview, and feel it is deserving as well. I have read many classics that I hated, and some of them are on this list.

Bill: http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../0134-bear.gif

Browning's: I will have to reread Brown, just to be able to post a long review. I remember when I was reading I was actually guffawing with laughter at how poor the story was and how preposterously it was told, but I failed to make notes at that time, and it was years ago. I hope I will be able to fit it somewhere between the amazing things I am reading now and planning to read in the nearest future.

Three cheers for bears! I know I wouldn't even begin to be able to keep track of all this.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2.../bearheart.gif

New polls will be up soon!