Writers share their picks for "top 10 greatest literary works of all time"...well, shouldn't everyone?

Julia,

It's so subjective, and certainly, one's choices reflect who they are as a reader. I'd like to hear Tobias Wolff's list.

What - is no one offering their own favorites? Come on! You know you want to! Some one scream out "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers, "The Old Man and the Sea" by Hemmingway.

As far as whose top 10 I'd be most interested in, I'd be more interested in my favorite author's answer than my favorite friend's.

I don't think that I would value the choices of the author of "Election", isn't that the one the made into the goofy teen movie?

I have read a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald and it referenced a lot of his favorite books. I have been trying to make my way through that list. I think it is interesting to see what books influenced writers, but as far as most important, it is too subjective. Also I could never make a list of just ten.

The questions I'd be more interrested in hearing the answers to, friend or author, would be what books would you say have touched you/changed your life? and what are you reading right now?

Random House did the 100 most important books a few years ago, have tried to slog through that list as well as the winners of the Nobel Literature prizes. I'm doing better with the latter list, have found some much loved books and authors...for example, Sigrid Undset, Haldor Laxness, Chinua Acheba.

I heard one of the guests this morning mention Knut Hamson's "Hunger" -- it's on my list -- actually, on one of my shelves -- a copy that was translated by Robert Bly.

Speaking of translators, I love Tiina Nunnally's recent translations of Sigrid Undset's "Kristin Lavransdatter."

LL DeMerle thank you - the word "subjective" escaped me but completely nails it. I'm not sure if Tobias Wolff was included in the book mentioned, but I'll ask after it.

Okay, Fred Bals, you got me laughing with the way you worked in Dylan. For some reason his answer didn't surprise me! As to the offhand recommendation, I know what you're talking about. Sometimes there's almost an admiring product placement of sorts. Writers often give a tip of the nib to other writers by having characters read/gain inspiration from a work.

Awright, awright, Karen Lerner, I'll toss out Martin Eden. Talk about subjective, yeah? ;-)

Gwen S. what a lovely and interesting idea. Do you feel like you're getting to know more about F. Scott Fitzgerald through the list?

Hmmm Kerry Dexter's questions are good. "...what books would you say have touched you/changed your life?" Whew. Let me think on that one.

Oh lawdy, Diana, I just shouted out Martin Eden [helplessly laughing] Please, no analysis. To your point, I'd love to hear what political candidates would list as the most politically influential.

Cynthia have I told you lately I admire your ability to devour books? I have yet to catch the audio.

Julia, I thank you for thinking I "devour" books, but mostly I just read the "book of the month" designated by my book club group. It is an eclectic group with interesting, varied and strong opinions about books.

Nabokov's "Lolita" is high on the Random House 100 best list. I love that book! A former MPR reporter/now NPR reporter Martin Kaste guided me through the puzzles and puns. It was a very fun read, but you have to be careful not to get too caught up in making moral judgements about the subject. Supposedly it is a parody of the academic world.

Or, do I mean satire?

You know Cynthia, it has been years (think: over a decade) since I read Lolita. Wonder if the puzzles and puns you refer to would reveal themselves now?

Think we could do a guided tour here in Minnesota Readers?

That would be interesting, Julia. Shall we? It's been a while since I read it also. It's always worth another read. Let's suggest it for a Midmorning bookclub discussion as well!

Julia,

You've hit the nail on the head. I believe that one's top 10 picks say more about the picker than the books. However, if you added some compartmentalization to the question - for example, similar to Kerry's comment, which ten books were the most politically influential - there would likely be more consensus.

Thanks for the link. I missed the show but will listen to it on my computer.

interesting, if not arresting!

;)

The thing on Greatest Literary works, is that it is actually different for most people. Now agreed you can go by what books sold the most with the highest amount of people giving bravodos on it, but even that is hard for say books writen 200 and more years ago.
You could go by books that had the most impact on society, but then there were books that have been destroyed by people who concured certain areas and never looked at these books (although a few still do exist).
It is a very hard thing to honestly do, nearly imposible.

Right on Cynthia! Head's up to all: anyone can Suggest a classic for the Midmorning book club.

Lloyd aka Dr. Curmudgeon, haven't you mentioned the wild world of Academia before? ;-)

You're right, Dan. Sometimes I just imagine all the books that have been destroyed, lost, or never produced.

I agree with Dan that selecting great books is very subjective and is often contextual to what's going on in the current day (as well as in the reader's life.) For me, there are two buckets: greatest books and then the books I loved the most. For example, I still remember the excitement of reading Watership Down as a young teenager, but I doubt it would make my greatest books list.

Still, certain books do come to the forefront in many lists, and Lolita seems to be one of them. My book group disbanded this year and I would LOVE a guided tour through this book. Actually, make that a moderated but energetic discussion. There are times I wish I was back in the college classroom benefiting from the group's insights.

Of course it is a subjective thing, but not only that - who could have read ALL the books there are to read, so as to have a complete enough list to pick from? I try to read EVERYTHING ever written. I use lists like these as reading lists...and still, people just pop in books that I have never even heard of (Martin Eden? Knut Hansen? now I have to look them up and read!!)

I think all anybody can do is list the books they have LOVED, and then look at other peoples' lists to see what else is out there, and then read THAT stuff, too.

So, books I have loved...I won't say TOP 10, but first 10 that come to mind:
1. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
2. Dark Tower Series by Stephen King (I'm cheating - 7 for 1 on that)
3. Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis (again - 7 for 1)
4. Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenor
5. 1776 by David McCullough
6. Anne of Greengables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (include the whole bunch)
7. Ladies #1 Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (again...the series)
8. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
9. Snow Flower & the Secret Fan by Lisa See
10. Wicked and Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

So...two things I have discovered making that list.

I LOVE BOOKS! All kinds, all sorts. And by the way, I could have just listed "by Stephen King" as one, because I LOVE his books (mostly).

Second, I love series. I think that is because I love characters, so a character has more chance to grow and change and evolve over a long series of books.

Third, I could have typed about 100 more...kids books, adult books, silly books, books considered "not literature" (see Stephen King obsession), books considered great literature (love Brontes, love Austen, love Dickens, etc), modern, historical, fiction, non-fiction.

Isn't it thoughtful of so many wise and creative and funny people to have put all that stuff down so we can all read it and learn and laugh and share?

Here's ten and beyond: Anna Karenina by Tolstoy; Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky; Beowulf; Oedipus Rex by Sophocles; Homer's Iliad and Odyssey; Hamlet by Shakespeare; David Copperfield by Dickens; Vergil's Aeneid; Dante's Inferno; Paradise Lost by Milton; Faerie Queen by Spenser; Vanity Fair by Thackery; Madame Bovery by Flaubert; The Gilgamesh Epic; the Great Gatsby; For Whom the Bell Tolls; Don Quixote by Cervantes.