TIME All-Time 100 Novels discussion

Obviously these kinds of lists can go in and out of style pretty quickly..but I was just wondering what you all thought about the selections. Do they all deserve to be on there? I suppose since there are so many unread, we may not know the answer to that question, but just putting the question out there.

I have some that I really didn't like - Deliverance, Clockwork Orange, I Claudius. Now I quit a book I'm not enjoying, then I felt like I needed to finish it. Those three contain too much violence and senseless cruelty. I just don't want to spend time on that stuff unless it's going somewhere. I don't want to know about that level of depravity just because it exists.

I think less than 20% of the books are by women (which I guess figures because the list is from Time). I love Willa Cather and might add another of her books. I think Anne Tyler has written some really good stuff but is considered a lightweight because she is thought of as a woman's author. Joyce Carol Oates, Carol Shields maybe...

And much as I like Judy Blume, I'm not sure Are you there God is in the same class as the other children's books on the list. I think I'd stick in Winnie the Pooh (no, not the Disney version!) if that was written in the last 100 years. Although that would tip the scale even more to the men.

Whoa, I'm showing my political leanings here!

I agree about Are you there god? If I had to pick one children's book by a female author it would definitely be Harriet the Spy. This isn't the question that you asked, Gail, but I'm also surprised that John Irving and Alice Walker aren't on there.

What about Ramona Quimby? Does Cleary deserve a spot on there? :)

Meg, I think I may need to get around to reading "Death Comes for the Archbishop" - namely because I've heard great things about it.

And Ellen, I agree about the Walker comment. I think Irving is considered by too many as a lightweight in the same vein as Tyler - but The Color Purple? Come on.... that is SUCH a great book!

Would Potter (even the first) qualify on this list? Who knows ...

Beverly Cleary gets a "yes" from me. Are we talking Beatrix Potter? Great watercolors but I don't think she ever wrote a novel.

Yeah - two votes for Cleary!! :) I can't imagine being an 8-year-old and NOT having discovered Ramona or Ralph S. Mouse. I had to Wiki her and you know she's still alive? She's 92!!! Ohhh how I'd love to have a cup of coffee with her ...

Meg, I could see maybe some Potter on there, but agree that I don't think she'd fit in the novel category. Neither would Shel Silverstein, but who's going to nit-pick when we're talking about our favorites? ;)

I just finished The Big Sleep. I'm not sure why it is on this list unless it's because it changed the genre and I'm not seeing the historical signifigance of it. I thought it was just okay.