Name your all-time three favorite novels, in order. No more than three, please

Cafe Society
1

Has this been done before? Probably. I dunno. Whatever.

As mentioned, please rank your selections.

And, I know it’s difficult, but please mention only three. Three shall be the number thou shalt submit, and the number of the submitting shall be three. Four shalt thou not submit, neither submit thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out.

My choices:

  1. A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
  2. A Solder of the Great War, by Mark Helprin
  3. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon

mmm

2
  1. Lord of the Rings.
  2. Death of a Dude
  3. Rivers of London, aka Midnight Riot.
3
  1. Those That Save Us by Jenna Blum
  2. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
  3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
4

I love novels about Washington, DC. My three favorites are Primary Colors, Agent of Influence, and Thank You for Smoking.

5

But those are quite old, and reason enough for a new thread.

As for my picks, I’m going to take at least a few days to build a list, narrow it down to 10 or so, and then break my heart trying to get it down to just three.

You heartless monster. :wink:

6
  1. Mrs Frisby and The Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’brien
  2. Replay by Ken Grimwood
  3. The man who folded himself by David Gerrold
7

I liked the film.

Good but a bit downer.

Gerrold wrote some great stuff.

BYW, Poul Andersen said once my pronunciation of his first name was the closed he had heard all during that Convention. (still a little wrong, however). Fun and useless anecdote.

8

The Gypsy’s Curse - Harry Crews

A Feast of Snakes - Harry Crews

Far from the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

9

The Bounty Trilogy - Nordhoff and Hall.

10
  1. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry
  2. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
  3. True Grit, Charles Portis*

*this was Persuasion by Jane Austen but realized that was a mistake. Love JA but Mattie Ross takes the win.

11

The Milagro Beanfield War - John Nichols
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
Mila 18 - Leon Uris

12
  1. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
  2. El Quijote (a.k.a. Don Quijote), Miguel Cervantes
  3. Mason & Dixon, Thomas Pynchon
13

The Stand. For over a decade I would read it every year in June (the story starts in June). I prefer original version over the expanded one (except for the vignettes during the plague which are great).

14

The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

On the Beach - Nevil Shute

I Am Legend - Richard Matheson (Technically a “novella.” I’ve read it countless times.)

15

Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein.

There are a dozen books jostling for third place. Couldn’t pick just one.

16

Alice in Wonderland

Elmer Gantry

Humbolt’s Gift

17

Catch-22, by Heller

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Adams

Darkness At Noon, by Koestler

18

  1. The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

  2. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

  3. Watership Down, Richard Adams

Maybe. :thinking:

19
  1. Lord of the Rings
  2. Moon is a Harsh Mistress
  3. The Hobbit
20
  1. Les Miserables (Fahnestock/MacAfee translation)
  2. The Lord of the Rings
  3. 1984