Tracking the ever-elusive Great American Novel

[Paul Mackin]

On May 19, 2006, at 12:26 PM, Gordon, Alex wrote:

>
> Believe me, the book is far superior to the atrocity that is  
> Beloved the
> Movie, starring Oprah Winfrey.
>
> GR didn't make the list as it falls outside of their (quite pointless)
> 'of the last 25 years' time bracket. I wonder what would've  
> happened if
> Beloved had been published in April 1980, 25 years and one month  
> before
> the list...?


What'd be interesting to know is which fiction author voted for which  
novel.

Or at least to see separate results for the novelist, critic, editor  
voters..

It's a stretch of my benevolence to think fiction writers in the top  
talent category would vote for the work of a writer he or she was in  
close competition with.

In which case the author's "best" list might show marked contrast  
with the critic's or editor's lists.

Leading to a complete hodgepodge as far as the overall result is  
concerned.

I'm probably too suspicious, I know.


>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
> Behalf Of Ghetta Life
> Sent: 19 May 2006 17:22
> To: monropolitan at yahoo.com; david.casseres at gmail.com;
> pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: Re: Tracking the ever-elusive Great American Novel
>
>
> Wow.  I've not read the "winner" yet, *Beloved* by Toni Morrison, but
> the NYT review linked from this list makes it sound gret.  I intend to
> read it soon.
>
> Amazing, though, that GR didn't even make the list, but Confederacy of
> Dunces did.  That speaks volumes about the reading appetite of the
> critics who were enlisted to vote.  I'll bet many "critics" haven't  
> even
> read GR.
>
> Ghetta
>
>> From: Dave Monroe <monropolitan at yahoo.com>
>>
>> Mea culpa, mea culpa ...
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/ref/books/fiction-25-years.html
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/books/review/scott-essay.html
>>
>> Sorry, didn't realize I hadn't included those ...
>>
>> --- David Casseres <david.casseres at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Does anyone have a link to that list?
>>
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