Monday

TIME illiteracy

So in reading Miss Snark's blog earlier today, I learned that Time has released their list of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present. Their rationale is here, and the list itself is here.

It was a rather depressing read for me, as it marks me as contemporarily illiterate. I've only read seven of the novels on the list (Animal Farm; Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Lord of the Flies; The Lord of the Rings; 1984; To Kill a Mockingbird). Eight if you count the novel I read half of (Possession--which, incidentally, they misspell on the website) and the other novel that I don't remember if I read or not but I know it was assigned for one of my classes and that was during one of my brief periods of time when I was trying to actually do my class reading (Things Fall Apart). Then to make matters worse, of the ones I haven't read (remember, I have 91 to choose from here), I've only heard of 23.

I am grossly underread. I weep for me.

5 comments:

Nemesis said...

Wow. You surprise me, EKB! I've only read about 19 on the list, so I'm not really proud of myself there. And a few of those I found dead boring.

What does that even say about me?

Th. said...

.

Or what does it say about their list?

Th. said...

.

And I've read ten. For what it's worth. But if it makes a difference, I loved Possession.

Note: I'm impressed to note that there is a comic book on here. That's a surprise.

Christian said...

Now, if they were to produce a list of the 100 best young adult and children's books, I'm sure I would fare much better.

And those books aren't dead boring.

Nemesis said...

Indeed not. Those books are the best.