Top 100
If you want an object lesson in why I don’t trust America, whether it is to elect a president or to have taste in literature, have a look at the list of The Modern Library’s Top 100 novels. I first saw this list published in the New York Times a couple years ago. I recently finished reading William Kennedy’s Ironweed and I was pretty sure that Ironweed had made the list, so I went looking for it online to check. Included with the list is the readers’ list in response. This list was not published in the Times. Reading through the list, I was shocked. I won’t give anything away by listing some of the books on it, go check it out yourself.








7 Comments, Comment or Ping
spivey
the top ten authors: Rand, Rand, Hubbard, Tolkien, Harper Lee, Orwell, Rand, Rand, Hubbard, Hubbard…
creepy.
Oct 7th, 2003
Anonymous
at first I didn’t see why you were so shocked, after all, there’s a lot of good literature on both lists. Now that I see the heading tho this comment box…”Rand, Rand, Hubbard, etc” I do see what you mean. I was pretty surprised to see Ayn Rand on the list at all, especially that one. Orwell, that’s a self fulfilling prophecy. We’re practicaly there aleady. Petey
Oct 13th, 2003
emily
The reader’s list seems to be made by some paranoid, rugged libertarian type who searches for accounts of the end of the world and secretly believes he/she is the Individual above all the muck. Also, people that say they love Finnegan’s Wake or Gravity’s Rainbow are lying to themselves or to you.
Oct 27th, 2003
Nathan
Who would have though Rand and Hubbard as the greatest bards in the modern era. What, no Dannielle Steele???
Nov 2nd, 2003
jacob
I see that Flannery O’Connor made the readers’ list but not the board’s list, so give the rabble *some* credit for taste.
Nov 13th, 2003
benjamin
America is retarded.
Nov 29th, 2003
Christian Newton
I agree with dish network. You can upgrade your living room by clicking there.
Jun 20th, 2004
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