Thank you for pointing out the inaccurate labeling of My Brilliant Friend as autofiction -- I was so confused by that! It's been a few years since I've read the series (which I loved), but I never believed they were autobiographical. We don't even know who Elena Ferrante is, so how can we call her work autofiction?
As one of the invited respondents (though not fancy enough to have my list, which I don't entirely recall anymore, publicized):
I made my way to ten inarguably (at least not if I'm arguing with myself) great books that I truly loved (my sole criterion: I'd actually read them), mulled it over, and pressed the button. The notion of picking the ten best of anything strikes me as impossible if you don't actually know all the candidates.
A few of my selections ended up on the top 100 list (yay, me, I guess).
I also named at least two books published in 2000, which as far as I'm concerned is a year of the last century, but that's an issue for another day.
Imagine, actually reading the books! As a librarian who deals with books challenged by folks who haven’t read them, this is a delightful concept. (Lots of sarcasm, in case you weren’t sure!)
Your experience of not entirely recalling them would very much be mind. I could fill out a different ballot every week for a year, probably, depending on my mood, what I've been reading recently, the barometric pressure, etc...
I told a friend I was already excited to read your take … at least I predicted that!
Granted I am a children’s librarian, but it took me far too long to have read any of the books. I skewed to the older titles. I have read both graphic novels as well as the only poetry collection, which did not surprise me. I wanted more nonfiction on there … I was upset about the exclusion of Clint Smith’s “How the Word is Passed.”
The best part of it was that my friend and I were able to look together, talk about how little of this list we had read, but also share titles the other person needs to read … which I guess is the social engagement piece on a personal level!
"The notion that we should combine fiction and nonfiction and poetry all-together in this evaluation is also dubious."
Completely agree with you here, and would like to point out that the NYT list also includes two (I think) comic books/graphic novels as well.
I'm really not sure how, to use two books that made the final list, how one assesses whether Cormac McCarthy's The Road is better or worse than Tony Judt's history of postwar Europe; the authors just seem to be pursuing completely different aesthetic goals in their books.
Thanks for addressing the NYT list. I find the whole list bizarre, but there are some books that I have enjoyed. Many of those I have read, I found through the Tournament of Books. So another thank you for that.
Thanks for your take on the “best” 100. Such a subjective exercise. At best it’s a list of suggestions. At worst, it must miss some fine writing.
Thank you for pointing out the inaccurate labeling of My Brilliant Friend as autofiction -- I was so confused by that! It's been a few years since I've read the series (which I loved), but I never believed they were autobiographical. We don't even know who Elena Ferrante is, so how can we call her work autofiction?
Annette Gordon-Reed also chose her own book. (Also Midwestern and a little startled by that, though I wouldn't judge her for it.)
FWIW, and possibly for your amusement:
As one of the invited respondents (though not fancy enough to have my list, which I don't entirely recall anymore, publicized):
I made my way to ten inarguably (at least not if I'm arguing with myself) great books that I truly loved (my sole criterion: I'd actually read them), mulled it over, and pressed the button. The notion of picking the ten best of anything strikes me as impossible if you don't actually know all the candidates.
A few of my selections ended up on the top 100 list (yay, me, I guess).
I also named at least two books published in 2000, which as far as I'm concerned is a year of the last century, but that's an issue for another day.
Imagine, actually reading the books! As a librarian who deals with books challenged by folks who haven’t read them, this is a delightful concept. (Lots of sarcasm, in case you weren’t sure!)
Your experience of not entirely recalling them would very much be mind. I could fill out a different ballot every week for a year, probably, depending on my mood, what I've been reading recently, the barometric pressure, etc...
I told a friend I was already excited to read your take … at least I predicted that!
Granted I am a children’s librarian, but it took me far too long to have read any of the books. I skewed to the older titles. I have read both graphic novels as well as the only poetry collection, which did not surprise me. I wanted more nonfiction on there … I was upset about the exclusion of Clint Smith’s “How the Word is Passed.”
The best part of it was that my friend and I were able to look together, talk about how little of this list we had read, but also share titles the other person needs to read … which I guess is the social engagement piece on a personal level!
"The notion that we should combine fiction and nonfiction and poetry all-together in this evaluation is also dubious."
Completely agree with you here, and would like to point out that the NYT list also includes two (I think) comic books/graphic novels as well.
I'm really not sure how, to use two books that made the final list, how one assesses whether Cormac McCarthy's The Road is better or worse than Tony Judt's history of postwar Europe; the authors just seem to be pursuing completely different aesthetic goals in their books.
I love Pobby and Dingan. Short and touching novel about an imaginary friend who goes missing. Used to give as a gift.
The author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is Gabrielle Zevin, not Gabriel.
Thanks for addressing the NYT list. I find the whole list bizarre, but there are some books that I have enjoyed. Many of those I have read, I found through the Tournament of Books. So another thank you for that.
I was also disappointed that Louise Erdrich did not make the list as well as Alice McDermott.
Michael Robbins also nominated himself, and fessed up (https://x.com/alienvsrobbins/status/1810312037664231895), plus Annette Gordon-Reed—I’d say they both have an objective case!