There was a time when I devoured novels... but not the "good stuff." I read mostly pulp. These days, 90% of what I read is non-fiction and theology, so I'm still not reading the good novels... nonetheless, I have managed to actually read a few (a very few) of the novels in
Time's Top 100. Here's my list:
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe: C.S. LewisIt's hard to argue that Lewis ever wrote a work of fiction that was better than this, although I'd suggest that
Till We Have Faces is just as good.
Animal Farm: George OrwellI read it as a teen and loved it, congratulating myself on having both enjoyed and understood a smart, funny novel. Of course, every time I re-read it, I get something new out of it and tell myself that I've never really understood it before.
Catch 22: Joseph HellerSo subversive, so much fun. I think everyone should read it by the time they're 25.
The Painted Bird: Jerzey Kosinski Kosinski claimed (some say falsely) that this was based on his experiences as an orphan during World War II. The controversy over the degree to which it is fact-based has overshadowed the work itself, for many people. That's a shame. This is an amazingly powerful book. There are images in the book that are very believable, and others that seem to be presented as a child's fantastic interpretation of what he's seen. The line blurs again and again, lending all of it an other-worldly feel. It's not a pleasant book to read, and some of the images are grotesque and horrifying enough to stay with you forever... but given the subject matter (war through the eyes of a child), that's probably appropriate.
Slaughterhouse Five: Kurt VonnegutI suppose it's legit to argue that this is Vonnegut's best work. People who've read all of his stuff, however, are always going to have their own favorites, and I've never met a Vonnegut fan who names
SH5 as his or her pick. I suppose my two favorites are
Cat's Cradle and
Breakfast of Champions, although
SH5 is probably a fitting and appropriate way to introduce yourself to Vonnegut's stuff.
Here's a list of books on the list that I have started and never completed:
The Catcher In The Rye: J.D. SallingerI've tried to read it a couple of times and I have just hated Holden so much that I can't stay interested.
One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest: Ken KeseyA friend told me once that I should read Kesey, that I'd love him. That might be true. I took his advice, but I overextended myself. I checked this book and
Sometimes a Great Notion out of the library at once, started both of them, and never finished either.
On The Road: Jack KeroaucSome people just aren't cut out to read and enjoy some kinds of books. Ten pages into this, I wanted to punch Keroauc in the face. Thinking back on it, I still do.
The Lord Of The Rings: J.R.R. TolkienI read The Hobbit in middle school and enjoyed it, although I can't remember a thing about it now. I decided to follow it up with the trilogy, and checked it out of the school library. I carried it around for a week, thinking
"Gosh, this is a big book." I think I put it back without reading more than twenty pages of it.
Above, I mentioned that I have read a lot of "pulp," and some of it is actually very good.. I don't hesitate to recommend some of it, regardless of how
Time Magazine would rank it. Having said that, it's worth your time to read the following:
The Shining: Stephen King
Desperation: Stephen King
Maximum Bob: Elmore Leonard
Diary: Chuck Palahniuk
The Exorcist: William Peter Bladdy
I Want To Buy A Vowel: John Welter
Frankenstein: Mary Shelley
