Exceptional Books discussion

This thread is geared toward listing the "Top 100" Authors of All Time. I'm looking forward for some great suggestions from everyone!

J.K Rowling
Jane Austen
Charles Dickens

erm

Michael Grant
Suzanne Collins

I will post more when I think of them :)

Salman Rushdie HANDS DOWN! LOL just had to say that. Anyway, I would also suggest Shakespeare, Mark Twain, A. A. Milne, Tolstoy, James Joyce, J. D. Salinger, Jon Scieszka, Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, Oscar Wilde, Homer, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Arthur Conan Doyle, John Milton and George Orwell?

Oh, and how about George Eliot and Virginia Woolf?

The Bronte sisters were good too.

PurpleMouse wrote: "J.K Rowling
Jane Austen
Charles Dickens

erm

Michael Grant
Suzanne Collins

I will post more when I think of them :)"

Does this group consider JK Rowling a truly great author? I mean, can she be compared to Dickens, the Bronte sisters, etc? Just a thought :)

I'd like to suggest Samuel Beckett, Joseph Conrad, John Bunyan, Wilkie Collins, Arthur Miller, Geoffrey Chaucer, Franz Kafka, Albert Camus.

I'm not sure that I'd vote for JK Rowling, but it would be great to see some of the other chldren's authors that have been suggested included on the list

Linda wrote: "I'd like to suggest Samuel Beckett, Joseph Conrad, John Bunyan, Wilkie Collins, Arthur Miller, Geoffrey Chaucer, Franz Kafka, Albert Camus.

I'm not sure that I'd vote for JK Rowling, but it woul..."

Great authors, those! Oh, and John Milton. And I agree, seeing great children's authors on the list would be good. But I don't think Rowling is the right one.

Laurence Sterne would be a great choice for this list too. But we need more female authors. Any suggestions for that, anyone?

Hermione wrote: "Does this group consider JK Rowling a truly great author?..."

I think any author that gets people continually reading is worth a mention. She sure captured a wide audience, young and old. And everone wanted to be first in line for her new release.

Almeta wrote: "Hermione wrote: "Does this group consider JK Rowling a truly great author?..."

I think any author that gets people continually reading is worth a mention. She sure captured a wide audience, you..."

That would be better for a list of "100 most popular authors" I think. Stephenie Meyer and Dan Brown would fit that definition.

Craig wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Hermione wrote: "Does this group consider JK Rowling a truly great author?..."

I think any author that gets people continually reading is worth a mention. She sure captured a wide ..."

What about Michael Grant and Suzanne Collins? He wrote the "Gone" series, and she wrote the "Hunger Games" trilogy. Any opinions? They were mentioned in an earlier post, but we already cut out JK Rowling: do they belong here? :)

The List so far:
1 Salman Rushdie
2 William Shakespeare
3 Mark Twain
4 A. A. Milne
5 Leo Tolstoy
6 James Joyce
7 J. D. Salinger
8 Jon Scieszka
9 Roald Dahl
10 Dr. Seuss
11 Oscar Wilde
12 Homer
13 Fyodor Dostoevsky
14 J.R.R. Tolkien
15 C. S. Lewis
16 Arthur Conan Doyle
17 John Milton
18 George Orwell
19 Jane Austen
20 Charles Dickens
21 George Elliot
22 Virginia Woolf
23 Emily Bronte
24 Charlotte Bronte
25 Anne Bronte
26 John Milton
27 Samuel Beckett
28 Joseph Conrad
29 John Bunyan
30 Wilkie Collins
31 Arthur Miller
32 Geoffrey Chaucer
33 Franz Kafka
34 Albert Camu
35 Laurence Stern

Hmmm. What do y'all think of Louisa May Alcott, or Harper Lee? Just some suggestions to throw out there.

Also, does anyone have any comments on the list so far? Any replacements to be considered? Anyone whom you don't think belongs? :)

Well. Michael Grant and Suzanne Collins are popular authors today (or at least for teens).I actually take back my previous opinion that they should make it on the list of Top 100 books OF ALL TIME. They should still be on the Top 100 books for teens 2011 list :)

And YES I completely agree that Louisa May Alcott/Harper Lee should be on the list...both Little Women and To Kill a Mockingbird are amazing, thought-changing books!

Agatha Christie
Dorothy Sayer
P.D. James

Hermione wrote: "Craig wrote: "Almeta wrote: "Hermione wrote: "Does this group consider JK Rowling a truly great author?..."

I think any author that gets people continually reading is worth a mention. She sure ca..."

If Rowling doesn't, then Collins and Grant also don't.

Almeta wrote: "Agatha Christie
Dorothy Sayer
P.D. James"

Awwww, man, I forgot Agatha and James.

Hermione wrote: "The List so far:
1 Salman Rushdie
2 William Shakespeare
3 Mark Twain
4 A. A. Milne
5 Leo Tolstoy
6 James Joyce
7 J. D. Salinger
8 Jon Scieszka
9 Roald Dahl
10 Dr. Seuss
11 Oscar Wilde
12 Homer
13 ..."

And I also happened to forget Alcott and Lee.

Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Goethe, Dante, Borges, Cortázar, Poe, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Sartre, Pessoa, Calvino, Hesse, Haruki Murakami, Huxley, Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick and Sábato... for the nonce.

Sergio wrote: "Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Goethe, Dante, Borges, Cortázar, Poe, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Sartre, Pessoa, Calvino, Hesse..."

Oh yeah, good old Edgar and his barnyard friends. Dante was a good one, and Stoker and Shelley each wrote great classics. Hey, that reminds me, what about Robert Louis Stevenson?

Hermione wrote: "The List so far:
1 Salman Rushdie
2 William Shakespeare
3 Mark Twain
4 A. A. Milne
5 Leo Tolstoy
6 James Joyce
7 J. D. Salinger
8 Jon Scieszka
9 Roald Dahl
10 Dr. Seuss
11 Oscar Wilde
12 Homer
13 ..."

I think that the classics should be on the top...

1. Shakespeare
2. Cervantes
3. Dante Alighieri
4. Marcel Proust
5. Goethe
6. Dostoyevsky

and then the other authors.

Just a suggestion. ;)

Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Sergio wrote: "Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Goethe, Dante, Borges, Cortázar, Poe, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Sartre, Pessoa, Calvino, Hesse..."

Oh yeah, good old Edgar and his barnyard friends. Dante was ..."

Stevenson, great one too!! I just re-edited my post and add some others...

Sergio wrote: "Hermione wrote: "The List so far:
1 Salman Rushdie
2 William Shakespeare
3 Mark Twain
4 A. A. Milne
5 Leo Tolstoy
6 James Joyce
7 J. D. Salinger
8 Jon Scieszka
9 Roald Dahl
10 Dr. Seuss
11 Oscar W..."

At this time, I think we aren't really ranking these. They will be ranked later on. Meanwhile, enjoy the nominations.

Samuel R. Delany
Neil Gaimon
HP Lovecraft
Jules Verne
HG Wells
JRR Tolkien
Robert Heinlein
Frank Herbert

Who's better Shakespeare or Homer or Twain. I find them difficult to compare.

I am not familiar with every book written by the above authors BUT how anyone could think of not adding J. K. Rowling to the list is ludicrous. Whether she is a top writer may be questionable but she has written books that are loved by millions and which have also caused thousands of people to begin to read and enjoy books. Is that not awesome? Think of the kids that never picked up a book before Harry Potter. I, for one, would much rather my children read Harry Potter, than being forced to read some classics they are not interested in at this time. Let's get the elitism out of this discussion and give credit where credit is due.

Maude wrote: "I am not familiar with every book written by the above authors BUT how anyone could think of not adding J. K. Rowling to the list is ludicrous. Whether she is a top writer may be questionable but ..."

I agree, but you just can't put in the same list Shakespeare and J. K. Rowling... That would be a little bit inequitable... And agreeing with Craig "That would be better for a list of "100 most popular authors" I think. Stephenie Meyer and Dan Brown would fit that definition". But well, if someone is going to include it, i don't object.

Sergio wrote: "Maude wrote: "I am not familiar with every book written by the above authors BUT how anyone could think of not adding J. K. Rowling to the list is ludicrous. Whether she is a top writer may be que..."

But then again, how many authors can be in any way compared to Shakespeare? There aren't 99 authors in the world who are as good as Shakespeare. Now that I think about it, J. K. Rowling might be a good choice for this list. Her works, in my opinion, are much better than some popular's authors' works (for example, Stephenie Meyer and Dan Brown's books).

I agree that JK Rowling's books have been exceptionally popular and have encouraged children to read, where other authors may not have. I didn't object to her inclusion just because she's popular. Having read the whole series, I don't feel that she is a top 100 author of all time. This is a personal opinion, not a dogmatic position :)

Linda wrote: "I agree that JK Rowling's books have been exceptionally popular and have encouraged children to read, where other authors may not have. I didn't object to her inclusion just because she's popular...."

Hmmmmm, interesting discussion we've started here, eh? LOL But surely there must be a place for an author of "exceptionally popular" books on the list? Especially ones which have been praised and been considered some of the greatest books of all time? Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, Rowling's books have been liked by MANY people, which is something that most books can't achieve.

I think that this is a very interesting discussion and opens the doors to many other authors that wouldn't normally get a look in on these types of lists. John Grisham's books have been hugely popular for example, as well as Jeffrey Deaver and in a different vein, Barbara Cartland. I would suspect that many, many people, who may not otherwise have read much, have read their books. Maybe we need to discuss what makes an author a Top 100 contender before creating a list.

Linda wrote: "I think that this is a very interesting discussion and opens the doors to many other authors that wouldn't normally get a look in on these types of lists. John Grisham's books have been hugely pop..."

Well, that is different, because Rowling's books ARE really creative and great. And about the "contender" comment, well, it will be interesting.....

Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Linda wrote: "I think that this is a very interesting discussion and opens the doors to many other authors that wouldn't normally get a look in on these types of lists. John Grisham's books have b..."

I loved the Harry Potter books. They are fun, enjoyable and great books.

They aren't exactly the most creative though. Boarding School books are popular enough to be their own genre in British literature and the character development follow a typical monomyth/Hero's Journey pattern. The fantasy elements don't break any new ground and her world building is great but not exceptional among fantasy authors.

Again, I love the books and recommend them to kids all the time but I don't see anything about them, other than popularity, that stands out literary sense.

Craig wrote: "Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Linda wrote: "I think that this is a very interesting discussion and opens the doors to many other authors that wouldn't normally get a lo..."

So I guess Rowling loses the battle. Any other argument for other writers? Jon Scieszka? A.A. Milne? Oh, and anyway, what about George Orwell and Astrid Lindgren?

And E. B. White and Maurice Sendak are some more great authors.

Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: So I guess Rowling loses the battle. Any other argument for other writers? Jon Scieszka? A.A. Milne? Oh, and anyway, what about George Orwell and Astrid Lindgren?

I think they're all great authors! (I admit the only one I"ve read all his works is Orwell and I loved just about everything he's written).

Looking at the list I think you could actually have a completely separate list for top 100 children/young adult authors since it would be easy to think of 100 of each if we tried. There are a few that have even written adult and children's books that might end up on both lists.

Craig wrote: "Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: So I guess Rowling loses the battle. Any other argument for other writers? Jon Scieszka? A.A. Milne? Oh, and anyway, what about George Orwe..."

Oh yesssssssssss............LOL totally my forte! So now, along with my Children's Books list, I'll start the 100 Children's Authors list. Great!

Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Craig wrote: "Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: So I guess Rowling loses the battle. Any other argument for other writers? Jon Scieszka? A.A. Milne? Oh, and anyway, what abo..."

Wonderful idea! I can't wait to nominate some of my favorites like Shel Silverstein, Chris Van Allsburg and Lois Lowry

Craig wrote: "Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Craig wrote: "Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: So I guess Rowling loses the battle. Any other argument for other ..."

Awww, man, those are some great writers! I must get to my task quick!

What a great idea for a Top 100 Children's Author list - I have names in mind already :)

Linda wrote: "What a great idea for a Top 100 Children's Author list - I have names in mind already :)"

So nominate them. I made a topic for it in my section.

The List so far:
1 Salman Rushdie
2 William Shakespeare
3 Mark Twain
4 A. A. Milne
5 Leo Tolstoy
6 James Joyce
7 J. D. Salinger
8 Jon Scieszka
9 Roald Dahl
10 Dr. Seuss
11 Oscar Wilde
12 Homer
13 Fyodor Dostoevsky
14 J.R.R. Tolkien
15 C. S. Lewis
16 Arthur Conan Doyle
17 John Milton
18 George Orwell
19 Jane Austen
20 Charles Dickens
21 George Elliot
22 Virginia Woolf
23 Emily Bronte
24 Charlotte Bronte
25 Anne Bronte
26 John Milton
27 Samuel Beckett
28 Joseph Conrad
29 John Bunyan
30 Wilkie Collins
31 Arthur Miller
32 Geoffrey Chaucer
33 Franz Kafka
34 Albert Camu
35 Laurence Stern
36 Agatha Christie
37 Dorothy Sayer
38 P.D. James
39 Mary Shelley
40 Bram Stoker
41 Goethe
42 Dante
43 Borges
44 Cortázar
45 Edgar Allan Poe
46 Baudelaire
47 Rimbaud
48 Sartre
49 Pessoa
50 Calvino
51 Hesse
52 Haruki
53 Murakami
54 Huxley
55 Isaac Asimov
56 Arthur C. Clarke
57 Philip K. Dick
58 Sábato
59 Robert Louis Stevenson
60 Samuel R. Delany
61 Neil Gaimon
62 HP Lovecraft
63 Jules Verne
64 HG Wells
65 JRR Tolkien
66 Robert Heinlein
67 Frank Herbert
68 Jon Scieszka
69 George Orwell
70 Astrid Lindgren
71 EB White
72 Maurice Sendak
73 Louisa May Alcott
74 Harper Lee

WOW!!! :) Great suggestions from all of you. Here's the unranked list so far-- yes, we will post the official version someday and voters on Goodreads will vote for books on the list, ranking them in order. I can't wait to hear about other favorite authors!

Maude wrote: "I am not familiar with every book written by the above authors BUT how anyone could think of not adding J. K. Rowling to the list is ludicrous. Whether she is a top writer may be questionable but ..."

Great comment! I definitely agree that reading is meant to be enjoyable, and a lot of children (and adults!) would prefer reading a Harry Potter book to a classic. I found this article (http://bit.ly/pVYpQG) that you might be interested in reading- it's sort of a debate that focuses on the Harry Potter phenomenon and its impact.

Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Sergio wrote: "Maude wrote: "I am not familiar with every book written by the above authors BUT how anyone could think of not adding J. K. Rowling to the list is ludicrous. Whether she is a top wr..."

I know that this discussion has sort of been "closed" (or "tabled", if you will), but I just had a point: this list is not meant to be just for the classics- even this group is called "Exceptional Books". Is JK Rowling an exceptional author who has created exceptional books? Where, exactly, is her place in literature-- or where does "Harry Potter" stand? Even though she might not be as classically known as Cervantes, per se, is she of the highest caliber that she could hold her own among the best authors of all time?

Linda wrote: "I think that this is a very interesting discussion and opens the doors to many other authors that wouldn't normally get a look in on these types of lists. John Grisham's books have been hugely pop..."

That's a really great idea. Everyone: post one or two ideas that you think should be of the criteria for a "top author". Hopefully, we'll be able to agree on certain bullet points and go from there. Remember, this list is open to ALL authors who BELONG among the top 100: just because they wrote their novel in the twentieth or twenty-first century doesn't change their position :) Is he/she exceptional? Did he/she craft great literature? If so, they belong on this list.

Craig wrote: "Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Linda wrote: "I think that this is a very interesting discussion and opens the doors to many other authors that wouldn't normally get a lo..."

Although I agree with you about the "hero's journey" part, are you sure about Harry Potter's place in the "boarding school" genre? Actually... has anyone here read Harry, A History - Enhanced with Videos and Exclusive J.K. Rowling Interview: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life? Anyway, I've read it (I'm a fan, but I read it primarily because I was really interested in the concept of the book), and Anelli presents some interesting ideas: that when "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was first published, the world of English children's literature was not yet very developed, and "Harry Potter" brought the old ideas of wizards and boarding schools into a stronger light.

Also, the comment of JK Rowling's world: does anyone have any thoughts on that? Even though this isn't a HP discussion, it does have a connection to the debate whether or not JK Rowling should be considered a "Top 100" author.

Anyway, thanks so much for your thoughts! It's really great to have such active discussions on this thread.

Hermione wrote: "Craig wrote: "Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Linda wrote: "I think that this is a very interesting discussion and opens the doors to many other authors that wouldn't nor..."

I agree, and my opinion is that J.K. Rowling shouldn't be considered a "Top 100" author. Just my opinion.

Hermione wrote: "The List so far:
1 Salman Rushdie
2 William Shakespeare
3 Mark Twain
4 A. A. Milne
5 Leo Tolstoy
6 James Joyce
7 J. D. Salinger
8 Jon Scieszka
9 Roald Dahl
10 Dr. Seuss
11 Oscar Wilde
12 Homer
13 ..."

J.R.R. Tolkien is twice in the list...

Ooooh, thanks for that! I'll re-post the corrected list.

The Corrected List:
1 Salman Rushdie
2 William Shakespeare
3 Mark Twain
4 A. A. Milne
5 Leo Tolstoy
6 James Joyce
7 J. D. Salinger
8 Jon Scieszka
9 Roald Dahl
10 Dr. Seuss
11 Oscar Wilde
12 Homer
13 Fyodor Dostoevsky
14 J.R.R. Tolkien
15 C. S. Lewis
16 Arthur Conan Doyle
17 John Milton
18 George Orwell
19 Jane Austen
20 Charles Dickens
21 George Elliot
22 Virginia Woolf
23 Emily Bronte
24 Charlotte Bronte
25 Anne Bronte
26 John Milton
27 Samuel Beckett
28 Joseph Conrad
29 John Bunyan
30 Wilkie Collins
31 Arthur Miller
32 Geoffrey Chaucer
33 Franz Kafka
34 Albert Camu
35 Laurence Stern
36 Agatha Christie
37 Dorothy Sayer
38 P.D. James
39 Mary Shelley
40 Bram Stoker
41 Goethe
42 Dante
43 Borges
44 Cortázar
45 Edgar Allan Poe
46 Baudelaire
47 Rimbaud
48 Sartre
49 Pessoa
50 Calvino
51 Hesse
52 Haruki
53 Murakami
54 Huxley
55 Isaac Asimov
56 Arthur C. Clarke
57 Philip K. Dick
58 Sábato
59 Robert Louis Stevenson
60 Samuel R. Delany
61 Neil Gaimon
62 HP Lovecraft
63 Jules Verne
64 HG Wells
65 Robert Heinlein
66 Frank Herbert
67 Jon Scieszka
68 George Orwell
69 Astrid Lindgren
70 EB White
71 Maurice Sendak
72 Louisa May Alcott
73 Harper Lee

Hermione wrote: "The Corrected List:
1 Salman Rushdie
2 William Shakespeare
3 Mark Twain
4 A. A. Milne
5 Leo Tolstoy
6 James Joyce
7 J. D. Salinger
8 Jon Scieszka
9 Roald Dahl
10 Dr. Seuss
11 Oscar Wilde
12 Homer
..."

Ehmm sorry... just another observation, Haruki Murakamiis an author... Haruki is not one and another Murakami... Just a little help :)