Is there a (fiction) novel that is universally acclaimed and loved?

[JMSA]

Looking for book recommendations for a book group I've just joined. I'm a little nervous about putting forward my first title, as I really don't know these people very well. I'm thinking it makes sense to 'play it safe' with my first choice of book. It has to be fiction and not onerously long. Max 400 pages.
We've just finished Hidden Windows by Jason Rekulak.
Group is mostly made up of secondary school English teachers, so something a wee bit different would be good, as the Classics will have been covered!

Thank you very much

I loved the thirteenth tale but couldn't finish once upon a river

There's definitely no book that's universally loved - I saw a review of Pride & Prejudice that had gone viral recently that said something like 'just a boring book about people going to each other's houses'. But even if you did find one that everyone loved, it might make for a boring discussion anyway?

Ones from my book club that I’ve loved - but also stimulated lots of discussion:
Still Life - Sarah Winman
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver
The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula le Guin
The Last Day - Andrew Hunter Murray
Anatomy - Dana Schwartz
Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmuss
The Keeper of Stories - Sally Page (light, but I really enjoyed it)
American Dirt - Jeanine Cummings
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khalid Hosseini
How to Kill Your Family - Bella Mackie
Sixteen Trees of the Somme - Lars Mytting
Hamnet - Maggie O’Farrell

@madeleine85 yes! Another Maas fan 🤣. Hope you’re ready for the new release on the 30th!!
A note to anyone tempted by the Maas-verse… you’re in for a ride and running a risk of becoming totally pulled down the rabbit hole. You could have a book club only for those. If I could find one… I’d join!

Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver
Dominicana - Angie Cruz
Good Behaviour - Molly Keane
Small Pleasures - Clare Chambers

@EweCee beat me to the Demon Copperhead recommendation!

Thank you everyone. You are all just really lovely people, and I appreciate your comments very much.
I have opted for Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, as I think it will be a good fit.
That is my suggestion for THIS time. I will keep in mind all your recommendations for future meets.
Thank you again

I definitely fancy this, although some may grumble about the length.

Glad you found a book. If your book group is ever open to non-fiction, then do check out Unfollow by Meghan Phelps Roper. Fascinating and moving.

It is long - can't deny that. But a great read.

Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a great book club book . Universally acclaimed but also easy to read and a page turner and with lots of interesting themes for discussion .

more recently I loved Hamnet by Maggie OFarrall and lessons in chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

from a classics POV Portrait of a Lady by Henry James or maybe Edith Wharton .

I read A thousand splendid suns when I was 13 Been a keen and passionate reader ever since

Hated books before I read books with decent content! Even as a teen

Hooray! Glad you took the advice to ignore all other recommendations! Please will you let us know how it went - would love to hear the discussion themes.

Will do!

@SLawsonB

A Thousand Splendid Suns is my favourite ever book.

Thank you for mentioning this. I love du Maurier but hadn't heard of this one. Will definitely look it up.

Sorry to derail a bit but how do you join a reading group?

I found Circe rather dull 😬

Flowers for Algernon

Mine is with work colleagues. You could try your local library, as they may run a book group

Thanks JIMSA I'll ask there 😊

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Any of the Morse books by Colin Dexter

Glad you love that one OP! It's easily one of my top 3 favourite even so many years later

Have you read The Shack? I've never fancied it but seen lots of people raving about that one

Yes to Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers. The ending reminded me of Villette. Heartbreaking! I loved that book so much. It’s just beautiful.

I second Still Life as a conversation starter and ideal for a book club but it is long. I liked it but it got repetitive and should’ve been 200 pages shorter imo.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever read. I closed it and said to myself “that is a perfect book.” Not a single unnecessary word in it. Ah so good! It’s a novella, you could read it in one sitting easily!

I recently read The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey which I thought was excellent. Got totally lost in that world. Not long either.

Autumn by Ali Smith. Lots to unpick and discuss and a pretty short book.

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters. Cried like a baby!

I will always recommend Summer Sisters by Judy Blume to everyone and anyone who will listen. It’s my favourite book of all time and I feel every girl/woman should read it once. It’s like a hug for me, I read it whenever I am sad and it’s like seeing old friends.

Just realised all these books are by women 😂 I do read male authors sometimes 😄

Ok hmm…a man recommendation - sorry it’s a classic, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. I feel like D H Lawrence is often dismissed for being smutty and yeah he drops the c-bomb a lot but having picked it up recently my mind was blown by how wonderfully he writes and encapsulates the pain and damage of his generation, and that feeling of needing to really live. It’s a shame the sex side of things took away attention somewhat from his talent as a writer.

If we going to try French books - not sure of all the English titles btw.
1.Herve Bazin
Le Matrimoine. (A description of a marriage.)

2.Honore de Balzac.
Le Lys dans la Vallée. (The Lily in the Valley - a good mother.)
Le Pere Goriot ( Old Goriot - a father's relationship with 2 selfish, social climbing daughters.)

or any of his books.

3.Andre Malraux
La Condition Humaine ( Man's Fate - the failed 1927 insurrection in Shanghai. and its aftermath.)
Gripping. I'm not sure you'd want to reread it too often. It's haunted me for years.

4.Colette
Claudine a l'ecole. (Claudine at school or any of the Claudine stories).
Les Vrilles de la Vigne ( the Tendrils of the Vine ) Collection of short stories. Based on her life in the theatre etc. She was the first woman to appear nude on stage btw.