Score

I honestly think 'Alice in Wonderland' should be there: it has so many levels, such depths, allegories...

This list is dedicated to adult literature. Harry Potter, Twighlight and Hunger Games, are not welcome here. This list is for mature prose, writing of a higher caliber.

ouch...

is Twilight intentionally misspelled?

Anna wrote: "This list is dedicated to adult literature. Harry Potter, Twighlight and Hunger Games, are not welcome here. This list is for mature prose, writing of a higher caliber.

ouch...

is Twilight intent..."

No, just a typo, I shall correct it... :-)

This list is generated as a reference for those who would like to read good literature. Pop culture phenomena's have plenty of list already. Too much cheese is being fed to the masses, very little Caviar reaches the plates.

Add any book that fits the category (You pick em').

Hercina wrote: "I honestly think 'Alice in Wonderland' should be there: it has so many levels, such depths, allegories..."

Why didn't you add the book? That's what the list is for.

wow this list is dramatically arbitrary.

as compared to say Best Popular Classic Books which at least used the criteria of having 100,000 ratings and being shelved at least 1000 times as classic.

That limitation has become much more popular (to avoid author spam, among other things) in the last few years; certainly after this list was created.

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "That limitation has become much more popular (to avoid author spam, among other things) in the last few years; certainly after this list was created."

I'm just completely confused by this list. As a librarian there are an awful lot of books that I wouldn't remove that others might. Which makes it harder to decide as a list user what to add.

Mitchell, this list was created for GR member's to post their personal favorite works of fiction with an emphasis on steering clear of pop culture phenomenon. . The list will become a hodgepodge of titles because as humans the list can only be viewed subjectively, Art is supposed to create feelings. Feelings are subjective not objective. A hundred people can look at the same piece of art and have a hundred different opinions about it, and this includes books. There is truly no reason to over-think the list.

Kevin wrote: "Mitchell, this list was created for GR member's to post their personal favorite works of fiction with an emphasis on steering clear of pop culture phenomenon. . The list will become a hodgepodge of..."

presumably a pop cultural phenomenon of the past is fine? or a past work that is now a pop cultural phenomenon like say Sherlock Holmes?

How about Outlander which I consider a pop cultural phenomenon and not especially well written though I remember liking it.

Kevin wrote: "There is truly no reason to over-think the list.

So really any work of fiction that anyone likes. YA is okay as long as you're an adult and you liked it like say Black Beauty or The Giver.

Just not Hunger Games or Twilight or Harry Potter

Mitchell, the titles offered so far paint an eclectic picture. I'm sure you get the gist of what the list represents by simply browsing the titles other have offered to this point. It's a simple list created by readers of fiction. Masterworks may be a strong description for some of the titles listed, but it's all subjective. I will not have anything removed so far. It appears that many who have contributed to the list had a very clear idea about what the list should represent and all contributors have done a decent job sticking to the simple list rules. I have seen a handful of titles I would never have listed, but the books still stuck to the guide lines.

In my opinion The Five People You Meet in Heaven does not belong on this list