Once upon a time I made a goal of reading all the books on The Modern Library's list of 100 Best Novels of All Time. Then, I realized that the list doesn't contain many of the books I consider to be the best novels of all time (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Outsiders, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Beloved, The Color Purple, etc.). Some of those books are on the "Reader's Picks" list, as well as some other authors that were overlooked by the Modern Library's Board, such as Ayn Rand.
What do all of those excluded books have in common? They were all written by women! Is the board sexist? I think so. J.K. Rowling at least deserves an honorable mention! Jane Austin and the Bronte sisters are missing from the list because it only includes books published after 1900. But, I find it hard to believe that some of the others aren't included.
I also have a beef with Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. They put Tiny Dancer as number 397, and I think it clearly belongs in the top 10.
Note to all listmakers: please consult me first, because you are probably wrong.
1 comment:
Thanks for the tip. I never knew you were so opinionated.
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