At the turn of the century, the Modern Library, whomever they may be, came out with a list of their Top 100 English Literature novels of the 20th Century. Criticism abounded and many more lists and counter-lists were developed. But I had met a girl in 2000 who agreed to tackle the whole list with me, plodding slowly … [Read more...]
ML64. The Catcher in the Rye
If a Body Meet a Body, Give Them This Book Modern Library # 64 1945, J.D. Salinger [I write CT Beer Reviews too. They aren't typical beer reviews at all - like this one in particular which, if you're reading this page, you may enjoy a little bit.] I begin this review with a plea: If you haven’t read this book … [Read more...]
ML52. Portnoy’s Complaint
Oy Vey! Modern Library # 52 1967, Philip Roth This may perhaps be the most difficult Top 100 Book Review I'll ever do. Not because I loved it so much I can't find the words and not because I hated it either. No... it's because "Portnoy's Compaint" is so downright dirty and sex-filled that I wouldn't know how to … [Read more...]
ML45. The Sun Also Rises
Great Book. No Bull. Modern Library # 45 1926, Ernest Hemingway I love Ernest Hemingway. There, I said it. Anti-Semite, racist, mysoginist, drunkard, jerk... On and on the epithets go - but I'm judging the man's work, not his personality. I'm reading my Hemingway "up;" from the shorter stuff like "Snows of … [Read more...]
Modern Library 41. Lord of the Flies
Kids are Stupid Modern Library # 41 1954, William Golding Ah, yes, the book you all had to read in middle school. Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Roger, Simon and the rest, stranded on a deserted island and left to fend for themselves. A study of human nature, self-reliance and self-governance, this is one of those … [Read more...]
ML36. All the King’s Men
The Sin of Politics Modern Library #36 1946, Robert Penn Warren I picked up this book in a flight of fancy that said, "Read this book quickly in early September and then I will go out and enjoy the surely Oscar-worthy movie version starring Jude Law, Sean Penn, Anthony Hopkins, and Kate Winslet that premiers … [Read more...]
ML33. Sister Carrie
How Sista Got Her Groove Back Modern Library # 33 1900, Theodore Dreiser First, a mildly entertaining personal story about this book. Back in 2005, before our kids and other such grown-up nonsense, my wife Hoang and I used to go on fun little vacations. One such trip took us to South Beach. And yes, it surely … [Read more...]
ML31. Animal Farm
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss Modern Library # 31 1946, George Orwell I know... "Animal Farm?! The little novella about talking animals that we all read in 7th grade?" Yes, that's right. Even if I had read it prior - and I hadn't - the rules of the Top 100 game that Hoang and I are playing dictate … [Read more...]
ML28. Tender is the Night
Don't Be a Dicole* Modern Library # 28 1934, F. Scott Fitzgerald *Dicole: Pronoun, the cutesy made up name used in the novel for the "perfect" married couple, Dick and Nicole Diver Yes, it's true... F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a Top 100 novel other than "The Great Gatsby," and the main characters really do … [Read more...]
ML24. Winesburg, Ohio
This Burg Could Use Some Wine Modern Library # 24 1919, Sherwood Anderson Winesburg, Ohio contains a map of the town on the first page. For that, I already liked the book before I read a word of it. But once I got my head around how this book works, I liked the rest of it as well. This book could be another … [Read more...]