The New York Public Library's books of the century

by Elizabeth Diefendorf

Other authorsDiana Bryan (Illustrator.)

Paper Book, 1996

Status

Available

Publication

New York : Oxford University Press, 1996.

Description

What are the books that helped shape and define the last hundred years? This was the question put to the librarians of The New York Public Library as part of the Library's 100th anniversary celebration. Which books had influenced the course of events for good or ill? Which interpreted newworlds? Or delighted millions of readers? Their answers to these questions formed ""Books of the Century,"" a highly popular exhibit during the Library's centennial celebration (1895 to 1995), highlighting an exhilarating collection of important works by some of the greatest writers of our times. Now, the

User reviews

LibraryThing member MiaCulpa

There are already two excellent reviews of "Books of the Century" directly below this one, so I recommend reading those. The point of this review is to publically shame myself with the statement that I have read just thirteen of these 160-odd books of the century, and nearly half of the thirteen

were read in school.

Of the thirteen, I'd rank six as worthy of the praise heaped upon them ("Lolita", "The Stranger", "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Clockwork Orange", "Darkness at Noon" and "To Kill a Mockingbird"), three where I just didn't see the fuss ("On the Road", "Bonfire of the Vanities" and "Catcher in the Rye") and the balance somewhere in between ("The Great Gatsby", "Grapes of Wrath", "Carrie", "The Cat in the Hat", "Nineteen Eighty Four" and "The Hobbit").

And, so the main interest in this book is the ample opportunities to say "why on earth is that piece of pseudo-intellectual rubbish included on the list while masterpiece x is missing?" and the like. Have fun.

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