Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century

Amazotheamazing

Came across this link on wikipedia, interesting to see what a French audience would consider the best books of the last century. Really must make a go of Proust.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Monde's_100_Books_of_the_Century

Kate P

For such a determinedly nationalistic country, it's interesting to see such an array of international writers. I wonder if an Irish list would be so inclusive.

But there are some unusual entries - The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui by Brecht at 54 could only have come into place because of the question asked - which books have stayed in your memory. Unusual too that it's a play.

And there's nothing published later than 1981. The French have long memories...

Cavehill Red

Kate P wrote: »

But there are some unusual entries - The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui by Brecht at 54 could only have come into place because of the question asked - which books have stayed in your memory. Unusual too that it's a play.

So's Waiting for Godot. It's a fairly eclectic list - sci-fi, essays all get a showing. Surprisingly few English writers, but perhaps that's to be expected.

Bill2673

I think your last point is an interesting one......UK lists are always populated by whatever the most recent big thing is.

Putting the 'Booker of Bookers' at number 100 seems like a bit of a two fingers to UK-centric lists (though i know it wasn't the booker of bookers at that time).

The ranking would be a little not to my liking.....for example Asterix at number 23 compared to Catcher in the Rye in the '80s....and I would put Ulysses higher.

However as a collection of books, its a very interesting list, on the whole probably a little too intellectually focussed for my liking but some very interesting names. I would ignore the rankings because I'd say they are all great books.

marienbad

Agatha Christie and James Hadley Chase, they must have had outstanding translators

Amazotheamazing

marienbad wrote: »

Agatha Christie and James Hadley Chase, they must have had outstanding translators

Anne Frank hardly stacks up with Joyce either, but then I don't think the list works in that manner. Agatha Christie had a massive impact with her books, she defined (and some say finished) a particular genre.

marienbad

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Anne Frank hardly stacks up with Joyce either, but then I don't think the list works in that manner. Agatha Christie had a massive impact with her books, she defined (and some say finished) a particular genre.

And as for James Hadley Chase , the French always had a thing for that kind of stuff Dashiell Hammet ,Raymond Chandler , I wonder though is it possible that these made on to the list because of brilliant Film Noir adaptations and translation rather than the books themselves. They really do love their film noir . Maybe I am stretching it a bit though.

raah!

Strange to see Martin Eden by Jack London there. Never thought it was anywhere near as successful as his call of the wild stories in any part of the world. I put off reading it because of how long it was, and how it was "an author writing about being an author", but perhaps I will give it a look. Well done list!

I don't know about the stranger being all the way at the top there. It does seem ridiculously biased however. I can't remember any irish lists I've seen but I hope they don't reflect the same distasteful nationalistic bent clearly displayed by those who voted for this one.

marienbad

raah! wrote: »

Strange to see Martin Eden by Jack London there. Never thought it was anywhere near as successful as his call of the wild stories in any part of the world. I put off reading it because of how long it was, and how it was "an author writing about being an author", but perhaps I will give it a look. Well done list!

I don't know about the stranger being all the way at the top there. It does seem ridiculously biased however. I can't remember any irish lists I've seen but I hope they don't reflect the same distasteful nationalistic bent clearly displayed by those who voted for this one.

I would disagree with you there, I think you will find this list more international that most, at a quick count 50% of the choices were non-french . If you take the BBC Big read poll ,which was a similar exercise,only 6 of the top 100 were foreign, with Tostoy making up 3 and Doestoyevsky 1 , and not one French writer making the list, no Proust,Camus,Sartre

raah!

Ah, I suppose it's a poor reflections on those lists in general if this ranks amongst some of the most international. Although, my calling it biased is based on my seeing all these french authors who I hadn't even heard of, and perhaps they would be universally lauded were they universally known.

Having said that, you mentioned it there, at least the UK list has Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. And in my opinion their exclusion from any list of this kind can be nothing more than indication of some strange sort of predjudice, or at the very best some forgivable ignorance.

marienbad

raah! wrote: »

Ah, I suppose it's a poor reflections on those lists in general if this ranks amongst some of the most international. Although, my calling it biased is based on my seeing all these french authors who I hadn't even heard of, and perhaps they would be universally lauded were they universally known.

Having said that, you mentioned it there, at least the UK list has Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. And in my opinion their exclusion from any list of this kind can be nothing more than indication of some strange sort of predjudice, or at the very best some forgivable ignorance.

I should add the proviso that the Big Read on the bbc was not limited to the 20th century , so Tolstoy and Dostoevsky got in,The French list was only 20th century books. I am sure any French list of best books in general would indeed contain those mighty Russians ,possiby Turgenev also as he was morely highly regarded there than anywhere else.

St._Andalou

Also the sole criterion for this list was "Which books have stayed in your memory?". They're not discussing the books on literary merit, which is fine.

I think it's a great list. The French are a classy bunch. There are a few philosophy books there which wouldn't get a look in on an Anglo-centric list.