Best novel of the quarter century

[Paul Di Filippo]

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Not So 'Beloved'


by Karen Holt, PW Show Daily -- 5/19/2006

  
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The New York Times Book Review may have just anointed Beloved as the 
best work of American fiction in the past 25 years, but not all of the 
judges thought so highly of Toni Morrison's slavery novel, as some 
prominent writers made clear during a panel yesterday afternoon.

Thomas Mallon says he voted for Don DeLillo's Underworld, which did 
make the list of four runners-up. As for Beloved, it wasn't even 
Morrison's best book, Mallon said, deeming Song of Solomon a superior 
work.

Cynthia Ozick said she was "flabbergasted" by the choice of a book she 
believes works better as history or political science than as 
literature. She referred to the narrative prose as "elliptical" and 
"poeticized."

The three other runners-up were American Pastoral by Philip Roth, Blood 
Meridian by Cormac McCarthy and Rabbit Angstrom: The Four Novels by 
John Updike. While McCarthy also received a couple of swipes from the 
panelists—Mallon commented that he "can't stand any of his work"—Roth 
apparently could do no wrong. In addition to enthusing about his energy 
and skill, the panelists pointed out that he led all other writers in 
receiving multiple votes for his books, with six of his titles being 
cited by more than one judge as the best of the half-century.

The NYTBR sent letters to about 200 leading authors, critics and 
editors, asking them to identity the best American fiction since 1980. 
The results are published in the May 21 issue of the Book Review.

While the selections provide plenty of fodder for debate, just as 
notable is what's absent—work by younger writers. "Who knew that all 
these baby-boomer judges were so respectful of people born in the 
1930s?" said NYTBR editor Sam Tanenhaus.

Ozick commented, "The younger ones have come at the end of these 25 
years and perhaps they just need another 25 years to see how they stack 
up."
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