What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?

[elehhhhna]

What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?


Early this year, the Book Review's editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify "the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years." Following are the results.

THE WINNER:
Beloved
Toni Morrison
(1987)


THE RUNNERS-UP:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/books/fiction-25-years.html?ex=1148097600&en=515e31ae335b0779&ei=5087%0A

(With reviews & much, much more! spoiler; okay, I'll read some Don DeLillo, already...)

[GOPNotForMe]

1. I *love* Beloved.

Such a tragic story. Toni Morrison is great.

[dorktv]

2. Bush's first campaign book.

[radio4progressives]

3. How about They Hate Our Freedoms?

or They Hate our Democracy, and my favorite is Our system of government, the Greatest Democracy on Earth, as provided by The Constitution and the Bill of Rights...

[radio4progressives]

4. You have no Liberties if You are Dead - should be a best seller soon! eom

[elehhhhna]

16. that's "Libraries" lol

[wtmusic]

5. Updike is a runner-up?

Wow. Just wow. I'll have to read Rabbit, Run again. Don't get it.

[SmokingJacket]

23. Don't do it!

The rabbit books are pains in my ass.

But I'm happy to see all that ROth on the list...

[wtmusic]

27. Thank you

I was hoping someone would slap some sense into me

:spank:

[arewenotdemo]

36. Updike makes me

:puke:

[katinmn]

6. I better get busy reading. There are many on the list I haven't heard of!

I did read Beloved, though. It was so sad. Very remarkable story.

[GrantDem]

7. Anything written by --->>>

Coulter, Hannity, O'reilly. Well, you get the point.

[newswolf56]

8. My own choice of the 25-year best is not on the list:

Into the Forest by Jean Hegland: a story about what is happening now, albeit a few years down the road, and exquisitely written at that.

[bleever]

9. Ronald Reagan. nt

[ComerPerro]

17. Best. Answer. Ever.

Compete work of fiction, the man was.

[bleever]

20. It's funny, but I'm still mad about it.

:)

[smartvoter]

10. My Pet Goat. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. My choice: The Poisenwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

But, the best fiction was "A Fine Balance" by Rohintan Mistry.

He's an Indian/Canadian writer who is the closest I've come across in pure writing skill to Tolstoy. I'm now reading his latest novel "Family Matters" aloud to my wife. Reading his novels is like enjoying a spring breeze on a warm day. You never want them to end.

[elehhhhna]

15. I'll second that.

Ondaatje for the English Patient but he';s Canadian too. And The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood , alsas also Canadian...

Canada produces excellent comedians and authors.

[Twillig]

12. Underworld?

meh!

I prefer Libra or The Names or Mao II.
from the '80s onward in Delillo's writing.

But that's just a matter of taste, I'm no critic.

[smomfr]

13. I was very happy to see Cormac Mcarthy..........

included. ¨Blood Meridian¨ could be the closest you´ll every read about the old west post civil war how it really was.

[Hatalles]

14. Not surprised. I immediately thought Toni Morrison...

My favorite Morrison novel is Song of Solomon and though I like Morrison and her work, I don't place in her my favorites list. She certainly deserves the NY Times honor though.

[Chomp]

18. I think

The Corrections deserves a mention.

It may not have the gravitas of the others, but I don't think I have read better, more lucid prose in a modern American novel.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. The Republican Agenda

[crappyjazz]

21. The 9/11 Commission Report

:thumbsdown:

[elehhhhna]

22. ding ding we have a winner.

the Bush Victory would be a close second.

[bonemachine]

24. Damn!

That was my response on another board, but you beat me to it here ;)

[rucky]

26. How about in the nonfiction category?

[Generic Other]

25. Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried

That one was powerful. Every American soldier should read it.

[saltpoint]

28. Joan Didion's DEMOCRACY or Joan Didion's BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

-- with honorable mention to DeLillo's LIBRA and Andrew Holleran's DANCER FROM THE DANCE.

[Blackthorn]

29. The Official Story of 9/11...

Even Bush's most ardent enemies buy it.

[Art_from_Ark]

30. "Rush Is Right"

Oh, wait, you said *best* work of American fiction!

My bad! :hi:

[leftofthedial]

31. the official explanation of 9-11

[Zomby Woof]

32. Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove"

[Shadowen]

33. A Song of Ice and Fire.

The series isn't even finished yet, and I still think it's the best I've ever read.

Characterization that outstrips Joss Whedon; world-building that puts Jordan to shame; themes that are omnipresent but don't beat you over the head like Terry Goodkind; all this and historical allusions and even the occasional pop culture reference.

Plus, a damn good story.

[BeTheChange]

34. Glad Roth is on there..

Id think The Plot Against America would be more popular with DUers,

[Rosemary2205]

35. The official 911 report

[Kire]

37. Denis Johnson!

Sweet.

Jesus' Son is a short book, but a great movie about Heroin addicts starring Billy Crudup, Samantha Morton, Denis Leary and Dennis Hopper.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

38. I loved Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. eom