# The Dope List of 100 books of the 20th Century **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639 "2002-08-19T20:21:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Adam\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Adam\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adam_P)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/101 "2002-09-03T18:27:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\* > By the way, is _Ficciones_, by Borges, the same as \*Fictions[/i. \*\* Yes. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/102 "2002-09-03T19:00:25Z")
God, ~spoke, Cold Mountain left me, well, sorta cold. I mean, I liked some of it. Just not all of it. So for me, it wasn’t an “important” book. Just a matter of taste I guess. I am tempted to second the nomination of **Killer Angels** (by Shaara) now that someone else has mentioned it. It’s an extraordinary book to read–at first I didn’t think it was “important” (just a damned good read) but when I realize its power to make someone like me appreciate military strategy–and the fact that Shaara managed to write a war story that has you rooting for people on both sides–makes the work one hell of an accomplishment and a potentially important book. Yes, it is a pretty americanized list but it’s been mostly yanks doing the voting. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/103 "2002-09-03T20:02:52Z")
Thanks for the translations, **spoke-** and **Adam P.**. _Ficciones_ and _Cien años de soledad_ are both now on the List. And **Cranky** , is that a nomination, or just a tempt at a nomination? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/104 "2002-09-03T20:09:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > **God, ~spoke, Cold Mountain left me, well, sorta cold. I mean, I liked some of it. Just not all of it. So for me, it wasn’t an “important” book. Just a matter of taste I guess.** Perhaps so. I do know that many of my friends who have read the book share my opinion of it. It may be the history major in me that loves the book so much. The book gets so many little details right. Beyond the central storyline, there are many subtle references that students of history (particularly social history) will appreciate. I found myself smiling many times at such references in the text. So if **Cold Mountain** didn’t do it for you, are there any books from the last decade of the century that you _would_ nominate for the list? (I still think we’re short for that decade.) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/105 "2002-09-03T20:17:24Z")
Oh yes, and a question for debate: How do we define “important?” (And while I’m posting, is nobody going to second **One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest**? I’m kind of surprised that I can’t get a witness on that one.) ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/106 "2002-09-04T04:14:15Z")
ok there are a few that are jsut obvious choices. Lord of the Rings - Tolkien Lord of the Flies - Golding Brave New World - Huxley Catcher in the Rye - Salinger Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis And my personal choices Shogun - Clavell Ender’s Game - Card The Painted Bird - Kozinsky I am going to have to say The Red Tent (unsure of the author) I haven’t read this one but it’s on just about everyone I knows bookshelf these days. Erek ---
**Author:** ![Somnambulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Somnambulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Somnambulist)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/107 "2002-09-04T05:18:22Z")
Lord of The Rings 1984 Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Mein Kampf I, Robot Sophie’s World ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/108 "2002-09-04T06:49:03Z")
Did we forget _The Dice Man_ by Luke Rhinehart? ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/109 "2002-09-04T12:43:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > How do we define “important?” > > … is nobody going to second **One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest**? I’d love to second **Cuckoo’s Nest** because I believe it’s deserving, but I never read it and I’ve restrained myself from voting for books I never read. Regarding the criteria of “importance”… given **Chronos’** OP seed list I interpreted “important” more as “impactful”. Normally to me, “important” would imply something like “influential” or “ground breaking”. “Impactful” on the other hand would include these aspects but also allow “popular” (Lord of the Rings) or just “widely read” (Catcher In The Rye). I also considered asking for a clearer definition of what “important” meant, but decided that the voters themselves would make these decisions and the voting would sort out the unworthy. There could probably be a Great Debate thread regarding whether or not any of these books are “important”. ---
**Author:** ![comradegonzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@comradegonzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/comradegonzo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/110 "2002-09-06T00:48:01Z")
The Electric Kool-Aide Acid Test, Tom Wolfe Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Hayao Miyazaki Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne Johnny Got his Gun, Dalton Trumbo Catch-22, Joseph Heller The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis Chobits, CLAMP The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien The Eye of Argon, Jim Theis (If The Elements of Style is here, The Worst Story Ever Written deserves a spot: [http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/sf/eyeargon.htm](http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/sf/eyeargon.htm)) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639/111 "2002-09-06T23:28:06Z")
We’re up to 80 on the List now, with 45 more awaiting one more nomination. As for the question of what constitutes important or influential, I thought it would be best for individual posters to decide that, as **Algernon** said. I hope you weren’t going too much by my seed list, by the way… Being an SF fan, those were just the first things that came to mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dope-list-of-100-books-of-the-20th-century/124639.md?page=5)