Guardian’s Top 100 books of the century

[tldr]

www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/21/best-books-of-the-21st-century

I’ve read a handful. Might try reading some more.

Even the list took me down memory lane, back to 20 years ago when I was young(ish) and watching what people were reading on the tube. (White Teeth. Everyone read White Teeth.)

I’ve read 13. Which isn’t bad seeing as for the last 10 years children have been distracting me! Small island was one of my favourites. Found nickel and dimed compelling and depressing and it’s sad to think that nearly 20 years later it is still much the same. I’ve got about 5 books to add to my to read list now - thank you!

An "urgent brilliance" really does describe the middle section of Atonement.

Do you really think The Secret History eclipses The Goldfinch? I mean, The Goldfinch is a bit uneven but the first 80% of it is sheer genius.

As with all of these lists, they sometimes have the right writers on there but for the wrong books. I don't think they've picked Roth's best of the 21st century, nor Sarah Waters and definitely some others crossed my mind as I was reading... Maybe the Chabon?

Do you really think The Secret History eclipses The Goldfinch? I mean, The Goldfinch is a bit uneven but the first 80% of it is sheer genius.

It is decades since I read The Secret History but I think it was this incredible first novel and then there was nothing for a decade and it's been mythologised. So The Goldfinch is not compared to The Secret History, it is compared to our memory of discovering this incredible novel.

eclipses The Goldfinch? I mean, The Goldfinch is a bit uneven but the first 80% of it is sheer genius.

I really don't agree

The Secret History is genius

The Little Friend is woefully bad

The Goldfinch is good, but nothing staggering, and the final third is crap.

I have read 18 and have 6 to be read, not too bad.

I’d love to know how they’ve picked.

I’m the same as someone else said upthread - those of these that I’ve read for the most part wouldn’t trouble my own top whatever list.

Though I am quite liking the sound of some of the non-fiction.

I’ve just put Underland in my Amazon basket. (Am trialling a new way of having a TBR pile that doesn’t involve spending money or having a huge and growing pile of books...)

@tldr

Do you know about Amazon's List function?

Yes, I see what you mean, CountFosco. To be fair, I haven't reread The Secret History for a very long time.

Anybody got any "must haves" that would definitely be in their list?

Evidently not 😂

I’ll go look. (Though if it doesn’t give the thrill of a purchase I don’t know if it’ll do!)

@tldr

It does give a but of a vicarious thrill to see them all stacked up, and it means you don't forget a name once it's there

Wish list it's called but you can rename

I just found it. It might do. Probably better than the actual basket.

Top of my list for 20th Century books would be A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles.

I love a book that manages to just be a cracking read whilst telling me about a time/place I know little about.

@Danglingmod

From memory off that list stand outs for me were

Gilead
Life After Life
Wolf Hall
Oryx And Crake
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

Gone Girl is the stand out what the actual fuck is that doing on the list, for me, lightweight, reading equivalent of junk food

I've only read six of these - and two of those are children's books!

Absolutely - and the HP... (ducks)

Now, Wolf Hall I didn't get on with or finish first time round (the present continuous tense thing) but it's so many people (whose opinion I value)'s favourite book that I think I shall try again.

I love Gilead - and Marilynne Robinson' s non-fiction too - and Life After Life.

A Visit From The Goon Squad was good and not too serious.

I think I'd put Peter Carey's A Long Way From Home above The Kelly Gang.

I'd like to have seen more experimental stuff in there like Eleanor Catton's The Rehearsal.

@Danglingmod

If you loved Gilead have you read companion piece Home and prequel Lila ?

Also absolute musts

I’ve read 13 and a bit - I gave up on Wolf Hall. LOVED Small Island.

Yes, definitely due a reread of those three.

I'm such a ducker for that style and setting, though. Alice Munro, Margaret Laurence, love them all.

Another couple of stand outs for me (not on the list): Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson and Caribou Island by David Vann.

Erm.. Sucker, obviously...

I've read Gone Girl - quite good. Took a while to get into and I wouldn't say it was as good as it's made out to be though
Atonement - wasn't impressed. Film was much better
Curious Incident - good from what I remember. Read it years ago. Although again I wouldn't describe it as amazing
I think I did read The Road years ago I can't remember it though to be honest
And I've just started Wolf Hall. To be honest I wouldn't have chosen it myself. Someone gave it me. The length of it puts me off a bit and I've read a few people on here saying they didn't like it which makes me a bit nervous!

Stick with Wolf Hall purpleme12, it's worth it. And bear in mind that when she does that annoying "he" thing and you don't know who "he" is it's always Cromwell. Once I worked that out it got much easier!

I've read 26; the ones you'd expect really, out of which I particularly enjoyed:

Days Without End
Small Island
Underground Railroad
Life After Life
Fingersmith
Wolf Hall

and have three on the TBR pile:

A Little Life
Kavalier and Clay
Visitation - this last one after an episode of GoodReads which made it sound excellent.

I wouldn't have included:

Gone Girl because it's rubbish
My Brilliant Friend because it's not half as good as it should have been
The Hare with the Amber Eyes because it's one of the most boring books I've ever struggled my way through and totally over-hyped.

And where are:

Rose Tremain
William Boyd
Ann Patchett
Jonathan Coe
Philip Hensher
Amor Towles???

Interesting OP, thanks for sharing.

I was wondering about Jonathan Coe (loved Middle England - but it's very England-centric and the Guardian list is very/quite global; Rotters' Club is surely pre-2000), Ann Patchett (adored Commonwealth and her latest, The Dutch House), and Rose Tremain (especially The Colour - not sure if that is pre-2000 and The Gustav Sonata which definitely isn't).

Ooh, there’s another Wolf Hall coming out? That has just made my day .

I highly recommend “This House of Grief” by Helen Garner, this book has really stuck with me. It’s a non-fiction account of a man who was accused of killing his children, and the trial that followed. Confronting but such an insight into the court process, and so well written.

Rotters' Club just sneaks in in 2001 Danglingmod, and The Colour was 2003.

I read Middle England recently not realising it was the third book in the trilogy and haven't read Closed Circle yet so I'm all out of sync.

I loved The Rotters' Club when I read it as it described my era as a teenager so well. Will reread and move on to Closed Circle soon.

However I still think What A Carve Up! may be JC's best book.