Modern Library's 100 Best Novels is a 1998 list of the best English-language novels published during the 20th century, as selected by Modern Library from among 400 novels published by

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, which owns Modern Library.Jessica Woodbury
"Back Away From that 100 Best Novels List"
''

Book Riot A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical ar ...

'', August 23, 2017. The purpose of the list was to "bring the Modern Library to public attention" and stimulate sales of its books.Paul Lewis
"'Ulysses' at Top As Panel Picks 100 Best Novels"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', July 20, 1998. A separate Modern Library 100 Best Nonfiction list of the 100 best non-fiction books of the 20th century was created the same year.

Editors' list

During early 1998, the Modern Library polled its editorial board to find their opinions of the best 100 novels. The board of review consisted of

Daniel J. Boorstin Daniel Joseph Boorstin (October 1, 1914 – February 28, 2004) was an American historian at the University of Chicago who wrote on many topics in American and world history. He was appointed the twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress in ...

, A. S. Byatt, Christopher Cerf, Shelby Foote, Vartan Gregorian, Edmund Morris, John Richardson, Arthur Schlesinger Jr.,

William Styron William Clark Styron Jr. (June 11, 1925 – November 1, 2006) was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work. Styron was best known for his novels, including: * '' Lie Down in Darkness'' (1951), his acclaimed f ...

and Gore Vidal. All but Gregorian were published by Random House or an affiliate. '' Ulysses'' by

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...

topped the list, followed by F. Scott Fitzgerald's '' The Great Gatsby'' and Joyce's '' A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man''. The most recent novel in the list is William Kennedy's '' Ironweed'', published in 1983; the oldest is '' The Way of All Flesh'' by Samuel Butler, which was written between 1873 and 1884, but not published until 1902. Joseph Conrad's '' Heart of Darkness'' was technically first published as a three-part serial in 1899; however, it was not published as a novel in a single volume until 1902, making it eligible for the list. Conrad has four novels on the list, the most of any author. William Faulkner, E. M. Forster,

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

, James Joyce,

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

, and Evelyn Waugh each have three novels. There are ten other authors with two novels. The following table shows the top ten novels from the editors' list:100 Best Novels
Modern Library

Notes

References

External links

The Modern Library list
*

{{Books 20th-century novels Lists of novels Top book lists American fiction awards Awards established in 1998 1998 establishments in the United States

Editors' list

See also

Notes

References

External links