100 Best Novels? Pt. 7

 Here's the next ten books on the list:

61.  Death Comes for the Archbishop, Willa Cather, 1927.  More a collection of short stories around a theme than a novel, Cather's book is about Catholic missionaries in New Mexico in the late 19th. century.  Although at times slow, Cather's style is mostly engaging, and the sympathetic view of the Native Americans that the missionaries meet was very progressive for the time. DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  Yes.

62.  From Here to Eternity, James Jones, 1951.  So many stories have been told about soldiers at war, so few have told about soldiers at peace, which is the theme of this extremely entertaining novel.  Based on Jones's own experiences as a soldier based in Hawaii and  set in 1941 before the Pearl Harbor bombing (which does happen at the end), Jones goes into the details of everyday life for the soldiers, and it's not always pretty.  (Believe me, if you've only seen the famous 1953 movie, you really don't know this story!).  Surprisingly foul mouthed and honest about sexuality, this is a great read. DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  Yes.

63. The Wapshot Chronicles, John Cheever, 1957.   A semi-autobiographical novel about an eccentric family living in a fishing village in Massachusetts.  Perhaps better known as being the first book recommended by the Book of the Month Club that had the word "fuck" in it, and for having a main character that has  bisexual tendencies, then for its quality.  Although it certainly isn't a bad book, it's far from memorable. DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  No.

64.  The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger, 1951.  I first read this book in high school, and it spoke deeply to me.  Decades later I think it still holds up as the ultimate story about the difficulties of teenage boyhood.  Still taught in high schools to this day, this is an absolute classic. DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  Yes, in fact I think it should be higher up.

65.  A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess, 1962.  Another rare Science Fiction selection on the list, Burgess's dark tale told from the point of view of an amoral teenage thug was sharply prescient in its look at juvenile crime and government overreaction.  DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  Yes.

66.  Of Human Bondage, W. Somerset Maugham, 1915.  Maugham's  semi-autobiographical novel about a young slightly crippled man and the waitress he becomes obsessed with is one of the best stories about sexual desire I've ever read.  A classic. DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  Yes, higher up.

67.  Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 1902.  Conrad's most famous novel, based on his own experiences traveling by steamer in the Congo, is a searing look at British colonialism and a powerfully written story that has influenced any number of movies and books over the years.   DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  Yes, I would put it higher on the list and take off 2 of the other Conrad novels, Lord Jim and Nostromo.

68.  Main Street, Sinclair Lewis, 1920.  Set in the fictional town of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota, this is an amusing novel about an ambitious, educated  young librarian who works in a Chicago library.  After she marries  a doctor, he convinces her to return to his small hometown  with him to live.  Almost immediately  she sets out to improve the town, causing some inevitable friction.  This is a charming, feminist story that has a likable lead who's far from perfect.  DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  Yes.

69.  The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton, 1905.  Like her other novel on the list (The Age of Innocence), this is a sad novel about a young woman who's life is ruined by the sexism and classism of the time.  Bleak, but an interesting chronicle of a time and place. DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  Yes.

70.  The Alexandria Quartet, Laurence Durrell, 1957, 1958, 1958, 1960.  Set in Egypt during the 1930's, Durrell's 4 novels each tell the same story from different points of view.  The fact that the narrative often skips around in time without warning makes this already difficult series hard to follow.  And while there are some interesting parts, (the description of a homophobic hate crime in the second novel is certainly interesting, and unusual for the time)  overall the series feels too complicated and not worth the concentration. DO I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE ON THE LIST?  No.