Beloved is a great book. There seems to be a little too much Roth on that list. I am sure most of us have read the same books on that list. But two that I bet not many have read and that are great are Housekeeping, which is a really simple story of two sisters. It's written by the woman who wrote Gilead, last years pulitzer prize winner. And I loved The Known World, which is about blacks owning slaves. An amazing read.

In general I think the list is far too dominated by the "Great White Male Narcissists" -- but hey, I bet most of the editors and critics they contacted were white male narcissists. Plus, they're missing the best recent white male by overlooking Infinite Jest.

Yes, I want to read Housekeeping and Confederacy of Dunces as well (but it's not a winner nor a runner up). The Known World sounds interesting -- I know very little about it.

Let me just put in one more word giving Housekeeping the highest praise. Although I'm not sure I'd describe it as simple.

By simple I meant that her prose is so clean and concise. She doesn't waste a word and the book doesn't feel bloated like so much fiction tends to. But the story is oh so rich. has anyone read Gilead? I ahve yet to and was wondering what people thought.

What a wierd list. I didn't realize DeLillo was so huge in people's minds. I've only read Great Jones St., and while it was cool, I'd put it in a box w/ Crying of Lot 49 and Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone, and then pick either of those two first (The comparison may seem wierd, but it makes sense to me). Granted all three of those books are over 25 years old. I guess I should read more DeLillo.

Yeah, true. I thought you meant on the level of narrative. She's really a master. And I admire anyone who can write like that and publishes a novel once every 25 years. That's serious.

I got my mom Gilead for her birthday or something last year and she loved it. But Marilyn Robinson's an automatic win with her. I'm gonna get to it this summer hopefully.

I've read White Noise and Underworld and have respected both. But neither blew me away.

The real question here is about Updike's Rabbit series -- has anyone read these allegedly American classics? I feel like very few of my peers have. (I haven't.)

For some reason I always assumed (I think based loosely on quotes from people who seemed like they could be trusted) that it's exactly the sort of "American fiction" that I really don't have any interest in. Something like, 'yeah, he's a really great craftsman,' or, 'you'll admire how refined his style is.' Of course that's pretty much totally in my head.

I haven't read the Rabbit books, but a friend (whose taste in lit. I trust) who loves Rabbit, Run described it to me once for about 40 minutes and I was enthralled by his description alone, which, I think, says something about the book. I'd be interested to read them.

Also, I sense some have no interest in reading Beloved. I wonder, why? I read it eight years ago or something, but I think it's an amazing book.

Again, it's because of the movie, which I thought was bad. I do intend to read it at some point. Right now I'm going back to Dostoevsky, and that's the way I like it.

As for Delillo, I don't think his appeal is as narrow as you described. Yes, he's a great craftsman, but also his subject matter is interestingly very American. White Noise deals with fear of death, toxic waste, American academia, the modern family, etc. in a very supple way. Underworld purports to be more of a Great American Novel, following the trek of a baseball from the day of nuclear test cum famous baseball game, decades into the future. Many many great parts are to be found, but it didn't cohere for me. I think you should give White Noise a chance, Jesse.

White Noise felt so nihilistic to me that I couldn't deal with it, even for long enough to square that with the very different impression everyone else has of DeLillo (which latter viewpoint I'm sure is more perceptive than mine, but man, that book just made me hate everything).

Also, I didn't realize Roth had so thoroughly pwnz0red American culture. Time to change the password. And for God's sake nobody tell Pynchon what it is this time; that whole thing with not talking to people is just a ruse.

"As for Delillo, I don’t think his appeal is as narrow as you described. "
-sorry, I meant Updike. DeLillo's cool, and I definitely will get to more... at some point. But first I think I'll join you on the Dostoevsky wagon.

what a nice image: crazymonk and jesse side by side with furrowed and pensive visages, their hairy legs swinging off the back of the dostoevsky wagon.

Yeah, don't talk to us, we're reading.

pipsqueak, you seem to have intimate knowledge of cm's and jesse's hirsute hindquarters. i'm on to you.

Excuse me, flea, but hindquarters? I may be hairy, but I DO NOT walk on all fours. God, I feel so naked out here.

Beloved was broing.

Broing should be an adjective, but it shouldn't mean what you want it to. In fact it should never mean what you want it to.

I'd like to make yet another plug for Housekeeping. What a beautiful book. Anyway, what I dig about this list is that there are 3 works of short stories: Jesus' Son, The Things They Carried and Where I'm Calling From. Parts of Jesus' Son were absolutely brilliant, and the title story in the O'Brien is hands-down a classic.

Here here on the O'Brien. Great collection. I haven't read Jesus' Son (but I saw the movie).

[...] litkicks.com has spent the week discussing their choice of LitKicks Overrated Writers of 2006: Philip Roth, Joan Didion, William Vollmann, Cormac McCarthy, and Jonathan Lethem. You’ll see posts justifying their pick for each writer. I think it’s kind of strange that they picked McCarthy and Lethem, since neither have been in the spotlight this year (except for “Blood Meridian” being on that NYTBR list recently). And since 2006 is the only year Vollmann has ever been discussed at length, what with his prolific output, wasn’t he just finally getting his due? I also find it strange they picked Didion after praising “The Year of Magical Thinking” as one of her best. Who would you guys pick? [...]

[...] As a response to the New York Times Book Review list of the best works of American fiction in the last 25 years, the British Guardian has released their own list of the best works of British, Irish, and Commonwealth fiction in the last 25 years. Like the NYTBR list, they queried a large group of famous writers to produce the list. Unlike the NYTBR list, I know very little about the top choices. (I’ve read some Martin Amis and Anthony Burgess, but not the novels that were selected.) (thx, mb) [...]