Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels/Assessment/Top-important

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This is the WikiProject assessment department "Top-Important" page belonging to Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels. It is used as a basis for those trying to agree the "Top" priority or importance of existing articles.

In other words a forum to discuss agreement on which Novel articles should "Always" be present in representations of this on-line encyclopedia. See also the WP:1.0 and WP:0.5 WikiProjects.

N.b. Please bear in mind that the aim is not to assess the relative qualities of the novels themselves, but to determine how important (of what priority) it is the have an article about the subject in this on-line encyclopedia or any variant outtake from it. (see the WP:1.0 and WP:0.5 rationales.) It is not about literary merit, but how much expectation would the average encyclopedia reader have of finding the novel article present.

Please keep to starting the entry with emboldened class names (i.e. "Top", "High", "Mid" or "Low") only so it is clear for those following and so that the rating is clear regardless of where the entries are moved, (promote etc. are relative terms in this context).

Current Top-important items edit

n.b. please list strictly alphabetically

A Christmas Carol edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 10:12, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Dickens novel, very popular Christmas story. Everyone in the Western World knows Scrooge. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Well-known and part of popular culture Silverthorn 12:06, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I think. Importance in pop culture trumps limited critical respect, in this case. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Applejuicefool 16:17, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A Farewell to Arms edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 09:55, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top - Other masterpiece by Hemingway. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - john k 19:09, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:22, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - -Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:54, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top --Sordel 14:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top Applejuicefool 16:18, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top One of the three or four seminal novels of American literature. Mandel 06:23, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top Er rab ee 15:40, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland edit

Summary status ( 7 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:53, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

Top - A genuine children's classic that's really lasted through the years. john k 20:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - It's one of those where you ask yourself how we missed it. --Sordel 20:55, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A genuine classic that has entered popular culture too. Silverthorn 11:20, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Applejuicefool 16:19, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Errabee 09:48, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:24, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

All Quiet on the Western Front edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:32, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Major war novel. --Sordel 15:54, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Errabee 10:01, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
~~High~~ - Famous but not awfully good or influential. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Top - Changed my mind. Shouldn't nitpick a popular classic. Mandel 15:32, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - one of those war novels should be included. #54 CZBP --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Anna Karenina edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 10:13, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Tolstoy's masterpiece, along with War and Peace. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 11:58, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Often regarded as the greatest novel of all time. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Bleak House edit

Summary status ( 7 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 10:14, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - I'm convinced. Although not well-known in the public, an encyclopedia must have an educational aspect as well. I have at least learned something new. Errabee 09:51, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Not the most well-known of Dickens novels. Others are probably more accurately described as his magnum opus and thus justify a higher rating than for this novel. Silverthorn 11:59, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Actually, this is one of the most acclaimed of Dickens' novels (eg. Chesterton & Harold Bloom). The only reason it's not as familiar to the general populace is because film adaptations and remakes do not appear every Christmas season and no one has tried to turn it into a musical.--Ibis3 20:54, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Like Our Mutual Friend and Little Dorrit, this novel is too long to be widely read by general readers but academia rates it as one of his very best. Recent BBC serialisation has raised its profile. --Sordel 07:19, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Long been regarded by most who have actually read Dickens as one of his best. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 14:30, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - While not his best known novel, it is the novel best-respected by critics. And the recent BBC miniseries has made it better known. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I changed my mind. While this doesn't have the popular recognition, I just realized that this list is about the importance of there being an article for each novel. Bleak house definitely needs one. Applejuicefool 16:22, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Brave New World edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:48, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top - Literary interesting, and sparks a lot of discussion. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Deeply ingrained in the popular culture. Definitely needs an article. Applejuicefool 16:28, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Important work --Lethaniol 17:33, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - influential. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - influential and well-known outside the native English speakers' countries. Popular as a concept.

Catch-22 edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:34, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Number 7 on the Modern Library list. Quite funny, and popular. john k 19:49, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Widely known, and of course the title itself has entered popular culture as a phrase that someone could conceivably look up in Wiki. Silverthorn 11:27, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Though not liked by critics at time of first publishing, this book now has cult status and is used in schools as a set text. Whenever Catch-22 is ranked along with other modern novels it is normally in the top 100 if not the top 20 - showing its wild appeal and readship of the public. --Lethaniol 11:26, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
~~High~~ - Too early to tell maybe, but this novel is a classic. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Top - Changed my mind. Long enough. Mandel 15:33, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - canonical. CZBP#72 --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Crime and Punishment edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:47, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Dostoevsky's masterpiece, along with The Brothers Karamazov. Influenced Nietzsche. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Well-known and influential Silverthorn 12:00, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Pretty obvious. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Can there really be any debate on this one? --Todeswalzer | Talk 18:32, 21 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - CZMyBookPoll #140. --Wikimol

David Copperfield edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 10:15, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

High - Another Dickens novel, less important than Oliver Twist. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Again, you can't judge importance by the fact that someone made a musical. Dickens himself said David Copperfield was his favourite. I know that's not exactly a NPOV statement, but in terms of the Dickens canon, this one generally rates higher than Oliver.--Ibis3 21:02, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - More critically respected than Oliver Twist or A Christmas Carol, and more famous than Bleak House.
Top - Yeah, what they said. Plus, it's got a famous magician named after it. Applejuicefool 16:31, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - --GoldenGlory84 (talk) 02:11, 9 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Dead Souls edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:50, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Listed in many "top 100" lists, a major novel, and a big influence on later Russian novelists. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - As my field of expertise is with Russian literature, I can only acknowledge that Dead Souls is indeed a major novel. I had already considered it to include it here, but thought against it for the simple reason it isn't Gogol's magnum opus. That would be his play The Inspector General, and also his short stories (The Overcoat, Nevsky Prospekt and The Nose) are of at least equal importance. Errabee 23:14, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Major European novel. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Doctor Zhivago edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 10:17, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Nobel-price winning novel, and almost everybody knows the film with Omar Sharif. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Better known as a movie, I think. The Nobel Prize is not a flawless measure of importance or fame. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Pasternak's magnum opus, very strange if not in Wikipedia!. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 15:29, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - CZMyBookPoll #150. --Wikimol

Don Quixote edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 13:30, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Not assessed yet, but *the* most important and influential Spanish novel Errabee 00:36, 13 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I have yet to be able to get through it, but it is one of the most important novels written.--Ibis3 21:33, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - This is in DIRE need of work; it is not just the most important Spanish novel - it is often listed as the greatest novel of all time! I tried to solicit a call to action on the talk page, but no regular editors seem to watch the page. I think the easiest thing would be a partial translation from the Spanish article, which was a FA, but it wouldbenice to have consensus before proceeding. Eusebeus 15:58, 25 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Incredibly important. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - The most important and influential novel of all timeMandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Obviously. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dracula edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:56, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top - From a literary point of view not interesting enough, but gained so much popularity in society, it should stay. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Has had significant influence on popular culture. Silverthorn 12:02, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Think about it...would you even know what a vampire is if not for this book? Applejuicefool 16:34, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Without question Lethaniol 17:33, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dream of the Red Chamber edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 09:57, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Oppose - Needs assertion of influence outside of China. Er rab ee 15:39, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - We should assess greatness and importance, not influence. Should not use 'dead, white, male' criteria on world literature. Mandel 14:58, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

East of Eden edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 4 against) Top class - as at 13:32, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Masterpiece by major American writer John Steinbeck. Popular film with James Dean. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - There's a couple of Steinbeck works I'd put ahead of it (Grapes of Wrath, notably), and I doubt Steinbeck deserves more than one, given the current level of critical respect he generates (not high). john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Not Steinbeck's best-known, but definitely needs an article. Applejuicefool 16:38, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men would be enough Steinbeck ... EoE seems comparatively obscure by comparison. --Sordel 16:45, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - as per Sordel Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - ack Sordel. --Wikimol

Eugene Onegin edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:45, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Every Russian knows parts of it by heart. Strong influence on other Russian literature, many citations and allusions. Errabee 01:55, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Meets criteria for literary merit and cultural significance but ... it's written in verse. If that doesn't matter, then I agree with top-importance. --Sordel 07:51, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - It's usually described as a "verse novel", and incredibly important. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fathers and Sons edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 15:48, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Masterpiece from important Russian writer Ivan Turgenev. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Quite important. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Rerate - it would be nice to have something Turgenev, but I can well image encyclopedia withou it. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Frankenstein edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:39, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Popular culture demands it. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Has had significant influence on popular culture Silverthorn 12:01, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Popular culture, plus it's one of the first important novels by a female author. Applejuicefool 16:45, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - like Dracula an important work for pop --Lethaniol 17:34, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Germinal edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:48, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Zola was one of France's most important novelists of the 19th century, and this is generally considered his masterpiece. john k 18:59, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Er rab ee 15:41, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Great Expectations edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:49, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Generally seen as one of Dicken's greatest, and, along with David Copperfield, the one most likely to appear as the Dickens work in critical lists. More critically respected than Oliver Twist or A Christmas Carol, more famous than Bleak House. Should go in. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - In addition to being one of the great novels, it's a good example of bildungsroman and has been adapted repeatedly, not least in the film directed by David Lean. --Sordel 11:54, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - This I would indeed expect in an encyclopedia. Errabee 10:02, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gulliver's Travels edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:50, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Swift's masterpiece. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Would definitely be strange if I searched a general encyclopedia for this and nothing came up. Applejuicefool 16:46, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - absolutely canonical. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Er rab ee 15:42, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Harry Potter edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 15:51, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Not assessed yet, but I can't imagine an encyclopedia without Harry Potter. Errabee 12:18, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Significant impact on popular culture Silverthorn 15:51, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - From the point of view of public interest you could not leave it out. Sandpiper 12:43, 14 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Nothing contemporary should be under top class - too early to tell. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - --Lethaniol 17:35, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - CZMyBookPoll #1. --Wikimol

Heart of Darkness edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:54, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Only a novella, but surely one of the most influential and important works of the last century. john k 19:51, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Considered a precursor of literary modernism, and there's always its influence on Apocalypse Now and T.S. Eliot to think of. --Sordel 21:28, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Howards End edit

Summary status ( 0 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:54, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

In Search of Lost Time edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 13:28, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Very influential novel. Errabee 13:24, 16 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - This one is consistently listed as one of the top novels of the twentieth century. --Ibis3 21:37, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - As Ibis says. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Maybe the greatest novel of the twentieth century Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jane Eyre edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:51, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

Top - Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 12:04, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Ibis3 21:05, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jin Ping Mei edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:55, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

discovery today

Top - Would enhance Wikipedia's reputation as a serious world encyclopedia. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)

Lady Chatterley's Lover edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 13:27, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Very controversial work by major author D.H. Lawrence. Errabee 00:49, 13 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Well-known and controversial work by major author. Silverthorn 13:23, 14 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lazarillo de Tormes edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 16:42, 24 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Top - I must confess that I'm basing this solely on having read the article, but if this novel invented the picaresque genre, then it probably deserves top-importance. --Sordel 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - The novel did start the picaresque genre. It's considered one of the most remarkable novels in Spanish literature, maybe only second to Don Quxote. Well known to anyone with high-school education in many (probably most) Spanish speaking countries, althought not as widely known elsewhere. Known by anyone with a serious interest in Spanish literature.--Rataube 15:44, 4 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Le Père Goriot edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:55, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Probably the best known work by Balzac, one of the most important French novelists (and novelists in general) of the 19th century). john k 18:59, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - aka above. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Les Liaisons dangereuses edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:56, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - most famous French novel of the 18th century, has spawned countless film adaptations. john k 20:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I agree with john k. Silverthorn 11:29, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Agreed. Errabee 10:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Les Misérables edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:54, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

Top - Not assessed yet, very influential novel by one of the greatest French novelists. Errabee 00:29, 13 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Along with the Hunchback of Notre Dame, probably one of the best known works by Victor Hugo, an important French novelist. Has had significant impact on popular culture, including inspiring one of the longest-running musicals in the West End and Broadway. Silverthorn 13:22, 14 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Ibis3 21:38, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Magnum opus of Hugo. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lolita edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:57, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Magnum opus from Nabokov; very influential on society and language. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Ibis3 21:05, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - well known, CZMyBookPoll #137 --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lord of the Flies edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 15:57, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Most famous novel by Nobel laureate; widely accepted into popular culture. --Sordel 20:40, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Masterwork even without the film version adding to it's popularity. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I really hated this novel, but agree that it should be top-important. Errabee 10:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Not convinced this should be top. Seems like a book used by the establishment to tell children that they are innately bad - not much positive comes out of the book, hmmm --Lethaniol 17:38, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Admittedly well-written, but if it weren't part of the US High School curriculum, would anybody read it? -- llywrch 20:35, 8 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Madame Bovary edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 10:05, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top - Who hasn't heard of this novel? Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting comment that, about 95% of the world's population I should imagine. Many won't have heard of a novel let alone this one. Still highly importance work though. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 16:10, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Let me rephrase then. Of all the people interested in literature, who hasn't heard of this novel? Errabee 09:54, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Top - john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - the realist classic Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Middlemarch edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:58, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Regarded by many as the greatest European novel in English. --Sordel 07:12, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A great novel, Eliot's best, etc. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I agree with sordel Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Moby Dick edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 10:05, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top - Very well known novel with many references in popular culture. Errabee 01:43, 14 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Has a good claim to being greatest American novel. --Sordel 18:48, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Greatest American novel, etc. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - canonical... --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nineteen Eighty-Four edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 10:01, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top - Big Brother is watching you has become general knowledge. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 12:04, 12 August 2006 (UTC
Top - I suppose. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - where would be without newsspeak --Lethaniol 17:38, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Btw cca #7 English literature book in CZMyBookPoll (To give some comparison - nothing from Dickens qualified in that poll. For most readers here, Dickens is one of the authors you've learned about on high school, read a book or two, and that's all. On the other hand, 1984 is well alive "handbook" to totaliaran regimes, prohibited durring communist rule.) --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Novel edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:34, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top. Defines our project. Errabee 10:07, 11 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. As above :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:34, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Novella edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:35, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top. Defines our project. Errabee 10:07, 11 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. As above :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:35, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Novelette edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:35, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top. Defines our project. Errabee 10:07, 11 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. As above :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:35, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oliver Twist edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 3 against) Top class - as at 10:02, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top - Most important novel by Dickens. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Not as important as Bleak House, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations. About the same level of importance as Nicholas Nickleby or A Tale of Two Cities, I'd say. --Ibis3 21:11, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - If it were the only novel that Dickens had ever written it would clearly be one of the major novels of western literature. It seems tough to exclude it merely because Dickens wrote better. --Sordel 07:09, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Dickens is important enough to have several. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - in world context Dickens is not important enough to have 5 books listed --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Oh, I don't know about that...Tolstoy considers him the greatest...anyway 7-8 Dickens does not seem that far fetched. Mandel 15:14, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:07, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Solzhenitsyn should be represented and this novel is very accessible to readers and a great insight into labour camp conditions under Stalin. Loyola 08:42, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - although if it was novel, The Gulag Archipelago would be better. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Weakish support. Not a Solzhenitsyn fan. Er rab ee 15:57, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Important. Mandel 15:25, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - His mosst accessible novel and also his most well known. --Alabamaboy 01:23, 28 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

One Hundred Years of Solitude edit

Summary status ( 7 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 10:03, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Top - Nobel price winner García Marquez's materpiece. Errabee 09:35, 13 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - The seminal work in magical realism. --Ibis3 21:40, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - This work not only important as a premier example of magic realism, but its impact on the understanding of Latin American literature. --chemica 00:28, 23 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - One of the major novels of the 2nd half of the 20th century, I think. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Best known Latin American novel, had a great impact.--Rataube 14:07, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - all of the above --Lethaniol 17:39, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - as above, CZMBP#56 --Wikimol

Out of Africa edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 3 against) Top class - as at 07:23, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Top - Another editor has rated this as Top. Personally I can see no reason to object but it should be debated here. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 07:23, 24 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Compared to the other novels listed here it's not that important. There's many other 20th century novels I think should be on here before this. john k 21:47, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Only became known after the movie with Meryl Streep. Er rab ee 15:46, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Pride and Prejudice edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:00, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 09:09, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - This would be the best example possibly of a JA novel --Lethaniol 17:40, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Robinson Crusoe edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:44, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

Top - By popular demand. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - One of the earliest and most influential of English novels.--Ibis3 21:45, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 16:19, 23 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Very influential and consistently popular for hundreds of years, although it's horribly boring. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - as above - don't know why, but everybody have read it- CZMBP#15 --Wikimol

Sherlock Holmes edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:37, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top A must have in every encyclopedia Errabee 13:51, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top, although I'd prefer the category restrict itself to actual novels, and not to fictional characters. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- How about The Hound of the Baskervilles then? Perhaps both? Errabee 12:28, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- I'd rather have the character than the novel, because it's the body of work that gets top-importance rather than that one novel. It's the same with Harry Potter. --Sordel 14:45, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - both - Character / series is of great priority - and the classic novel from that series. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 12:33, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Short story edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 09:34, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top. Defines our project. Errabee 10:09, 11 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. For reason above has to be Top. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:34, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Tarzan of the Apes edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:00, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top. Cultural icon. Er rab ee 15:47, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Tess of the D'Urbervilles edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:48, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

Top - Thomas Hardy seems to have been overlooked in the top importance listings. Tess is set for public examination, has given rise to a major film, and is regularly regarded as a key late Victorian novel, and as a strong example of the influence of the sensation novel on English literature. --Sordel 07:08, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Probably the best known novel by Hardy, who should be represented. The Return of the Native should perhaps also be. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - and Jude the Obscure. These are cases that will probably be made once we have a fuller and more representative selection of writers and major novels. --Sordel 19:33, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Hardy should definitely be represented and this would be the obvious novel in my opinion. It is probably the best known and has had the most influence on popular culture. Silverthorn 11:32, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Big Sleep edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 18:17, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Chandler was tremendously influential in the detective genre, and this is his most famous one. john k 20:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. I agree completely. Er rab ee 21:01, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top -- if not this one then Farewell, My Lovely. One of the great & most influential detective novels by an influential writer. -- llywrch 20:47, 8 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Brothers Karamazov edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:48, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Dostoevsky's other masterpiece. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Catcher in the Rye edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 09:38, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Top. Not in the first rank of literary significance, but has had a pervasive effect on U.S. culture and is an especially good example of unreliable narration. --Sordel 14:25, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. As Sordel says. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High. Overrated, and though famous, not influential. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Count of Monte Cristo edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 16:41, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Not one of the most important literary works of all time, but very famous - on a par with Dumas's other work, The Three Musketeers or with something like Treasure Island, which are already at top importance. john k 13:14, 24 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top or High - Tough one though. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - 9muses 15:11, 31 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Er rab ee 16:04, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
High. Less known than The Three Musketeers. More than one Dumas' work would be overrating him.--Rataube 04:10, 19 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - More important to literature than The Three Musketeers Ccady (talk) 14:28, 16 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Fall edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 3 against) Top class - as at 16:01, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Masterpiece of Nobelprice winner Albert Camus Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Nothing that Camus wrote seems to merit top-importance and, even if it did, I can't see why one would make an argument for this as opposed to L'Etranger. I can't imagine anyone mentioning The Fall in the same breath as the other, more evidently top-important, novels on this list. --Sordel 07:32, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Of Camus works, this is clearly less improtant than The Stranger, and not sure any Camus should be on there. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Why shouldn't Camus be here, other than the fact he is not American? La Chute is perhaps even more important a novel as L'Etranger. La Chute is as great a novel as any on this list. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - The philosophical importance of this novel is far too great to warrant a rating less than this. --Todeswalzer | Talk 17:33, 21 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - however The Stranger should be top. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Good Soldier Švejk edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 18:28, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Without this anti-war novel (one the first written in this genre), Catch-22 could not have been written. Errabee 17:53, 3 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - proably the most world-known piece of Czech literature. (CZMBP#12) --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Grapes of Wrath edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:02, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Equal to East of Eden. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - The Grapes of Wrath is important text to understanding the struggle of the American West during the dust bowl and some of the strongest writing by Steinback. Quite easily his seminal work. --chemica 00:31, 23 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - It's Steinbeck's greatest, but not sure anything by Steinbeck should be on the list. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Great Gatsby edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:03, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Gatsby is perhaps the most famous American novel of the 20th century, and is read in school by almost everyone. It is also reasonably well respected critically. john k 19:06, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Er rab ee 15:50, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - GoldenGlory84 (talk) 02:14, 9 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:17, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

Top - The most famous, and probably the most widely read, 18th century novel. And a wonderfully funny book, too. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Certainly the greatest example of the English picaresque, and the film is well-known into the bargain. --Sordel 11:58, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Hound of the Baskervilles edit

Summary status ( 7 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 16:35, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

High - I'd rather that the character has top-importance in this case, but I don't massively object to this novel having top-importance. --Sordel 14:47, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Anyone who has head of Sherlock has almost certainly heard of this novel. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:18, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Probably the best known of the Sherlock Holmes works. Silverthorn 09:12, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Errabee 10:11, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Hugely influential in both horror and mystery fiction. Badbilltucker 23:33, 1 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Agree most famous of Sherlock Holmes stories, (and of course I come from Devon too :):) ) Lethaniol 17:30, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - the best known of the Sherlock Holmes --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Definitely the best known of the Sherlock Holmes works. -- 9muses 15:16, 31 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Hunchback of Notre Dame edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:46, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Hugo's second major novel, extremely famous in popular culture. john k 13:14, 24 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Another must have. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 15:39, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - extremely famous --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - 9muses 15:17, 31 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Agree with all the above. Er rab ee 16:09, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Idiot edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:21, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - As we no longer limit ourselves to two novels per author, this Dostoevsky novel would be a logical inclusion. Errabee 10:28, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 13:22, 24 September 2006 (UTC) Changing my mind. I'm not really sure at this point. There's other novels I'd go for ahead of this one. john k 13:24, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wonderful piece - again a must have. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 15:45, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Dostoevsky's big 5 should be at the top. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I think this one is pretty obvious. --Todeswalzer | Talk 17:34, 21 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Lord of the Rings edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:04, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - By popular demand. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It is also by now old enough to be a classic which has survived the test of time despite being slated by critics when it was written. Sandpiper 13:11, 14 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - It has entered popular culture and stood the test of time. Silverthorn 13:17, 14 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I suppose. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I suppose. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - arguably the most important of whole fantasy --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Magic Mountain edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 18:22, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Generall considered Mann's masterpiece, and one of the most important German novels of the twentieth century. john k 19:04, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Again, one of the most important German novels of the 20th century, and we should strive to be inclusive of books that are not English language. Badbilltucker 14:23, 14 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Master and Margarita edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:05, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Influential masterpiece by the most important Russian writer of the early 20th century. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A wonderful book, although I may be letting my enjoyment of it get the better of my sense of its actual importance. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I suppose. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - influential, famous. CZMBP#46 --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Picture of Dorian Gray edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 10:52, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Wilde's only novel. For argument based on reputation see the article. --Sordel 15:50, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I agree with Sordel. Known also outside the English speaking community. Errabee 10:12, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Rataube 15:59, 4 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - I beg to differ. Little known also outside the English speaking community. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - as Wilde's only novel, his fame means it should be top --Lethaniol 17:31, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Famous. --Wikimol
Top world famous.--Rataube 04:17, 19 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Plague edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 3 against) Top class - as at 16:08, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Important novel by Nobelprice winner Albert Camus. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Same argument I gave for The Fall. --Sordel 07:34, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not sure - more famous than The Fall, but still not that seminal. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Great novel though. [User:Mandel|Mandel]] 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)
High - include only the Stranger. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Portrait of a Lady edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:51, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Best known novel by Henry James, who is clearly a novelist of the first rank. Could be joined by The Ambassadors, The Golden Bowl and The Wings of the Dove for snob value, but this one has the widest reputation. --Sordel 07:24, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Something by James should be at top, and this is the obvious one. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Comment - keep at top only if The Turn of the Screw, arguably a more pivotal and important work by the same author, is ineligible. Badbilltucker 14:48, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Comment - We shouldn't have quotas as per author, at least not at 1! 15:17, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
Top. Er rab ee 15:52, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Red and the Black edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:09, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - One of the great French novels of the 19th century, still widely read. john k 18:59, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Just to note, The Charterhouse of Parma would be another obvious possibility. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Both this and The Charterhouse of Parma should be here.[User:Mandel|Mandel]] 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)
Top - --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Satanic Verses edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 3 against) Top class - as at 16:49, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Very controversial novel, caused fatwa over Rushdie. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 13:19, 14 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - It may have caused a stir when it was first published, but in terms of literary importance, it is thought to be inferior to Midnight's Children.--Ibis3 21:30, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - I agree with Ibis - Midnight's Children is the one to include. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High or Medium - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Scarlet Letter edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:49, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Widely regarded as one of the most important early American novels and frequently used as a cultural reference. --Sordel 10:33, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Every American high school student (except me, apparently) has to read the thing. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Often-adapted, well-written, highly influential early American book. Badbilltucker 14:55, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Sorrows of Young Werther edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:26, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Goethe's masterpiece, along with Faust. Defined the Sturm und Drang period in Germany. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - User:Wikimol|Wikimol]] 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

The Sound and the Fury edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 18:24, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Faulkner's masterpiece. john k 19:06, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Other Faulkner possibilities are Absalom, Absalom! and As I Lay Dying. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Leading example of American modernism, and Faulkner's best-known novel. --Sordel 21:18, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde edit

Summary status ( 7 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:26, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - If anything by Stevenson is to be in, it should be this. john k 20:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A classic who's basic story is likely known by most native english speakers.Lethaniol 11:42, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Rataube 16:13, 4 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - likely to be searched because of refences to Jekyll and Hyde. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - 9muses 15:18, 31 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Er rab ee 15:53, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Tale of Genji edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:44, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Arguably the first novel, and obviously the list is currently very heavily weighted towards the west. john k 22:17, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Good point; is our old-fashioned eurocentrism just a reflection of the supposed end-user, or is it us? There's a good case for including this title and (coincidentally) it also has a very good article. --Sordel 11:52, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - This novel, plus the great Chinese novels, should be in any serious encyclopedia. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Even I've heard of this one, and I don't know a bloody thing about Chinese literature.Badbilltucker 20:08, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- This is a Jap novel ;) Mandel 15:20, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - 9muses 15:19, 31 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Three Musketeers edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:44, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Popular reference. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 11:24, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - User:Wikimol|Wikimol]] 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

The Tin Drum edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 16:46, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Major German novel of the Twentieth Century. --Sordel 10:33, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Most important postwar German novel, I think. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Agree with Sordel and john k. Errabee 21:26, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - The Flounder may be a better novel, but no doubt this is important. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Trial edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:53, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Kafka's masterpiece. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - User:Wikimol|Wikimol]] 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

The Turn of the Screw edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 15:50, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - A fine literary horror novella, canonical example of the development of the unreliable narrator and adapted for Benjamin Britten's opera. --Sordel 21:33, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - User:Rataube|Rataube]] 16:19, 4 October 2006 (UTC)
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - most influential book by the author, both in the horror genre and in greater literature and other media. Badbilltucker 16:42, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - 9muses 15:31, 31 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The War of the Worlds edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 16:00, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Very influential science-fiction book. Radio adaptation by Orson Welles caused wide-spread panic. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Has had significant influence. Silverthorn 12:07, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - One of the few science fiction classics that is very widely read outside genre specialists. Latest film version only confirms cultural currency. --Sordel 10:14, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - I think the radio play is more important than the novel, in the same way some films can become more important than the novel, and there should be only one entry in 1.0 for War of the Worlds (the music is cool too) --Lethaniol 17:43, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. Best known work by H. G. Wells, one of the fathers of science fiction. If shelley and Verne have their works in the list so should Wells. Plus all the influenced alredy mentioned.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:10, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Many popular references. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A children's classic. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Widely known with many popular references. Silverthorn 11:25, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To The Lighthouse edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:50, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Woolf's masterpiece, of great significance for its participation in Modernism and Feminist Literature. --Sordel 18:39, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - As Sordel says. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Mrs. Dalloway should perhaps also be promoted, as it seems to show up on as many lists as TTL, or possibly even more. john k 23:08, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Rataube 16:16, 4 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Treasure Island edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:28, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Popular references. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A children's classic. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tristram Shandy edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 18:28, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Major early novel, vastly influential on postmodernism. Article says "one of the greatest comic novels in English, as well as a forerunner for many modern narrative devices". (Not my text by the way!) --Sordel 07:47, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - As Sordel says. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:29, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Everyone has heard of Captain Nemo. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Most famous by Verne. Not completely sure that's sufficient. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Best known novel by Verne, no other than the one who started the science fiction genre (Yes, Shelly and Wells may hold that title too).--Rataube 14:12, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ulysses edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:02, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Very influential. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Ibis3 21:31, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Uncle Tom's Cabin edit

Summary status ( 5 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 12:36, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - How did we miss this one? Errabee 10:16, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - User:Rataube|Rataube]] 16:15, 4 October 2006 (UTC)
Top - When Lincoln met Beecher Stowe, he commented, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!" --Todeswalzer | Talk 18:47, 21 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - User:Wikimol|Wikimol]] 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
Top - As the best-selling novel of the 19th century, it is a definate top.--Alabamaboy 01:23, 28 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Vanity Fair edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 18:28, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - One of the big Victorian novels, valued for its social satire and authorial manipulation. --Sordel 18:41, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - As Sordel says. john k 19:08, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

War and Peace edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:32, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Tolstoy's masterpiece. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - But of course. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Winnie-the-Pooh edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 16:30, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Some hesitation, as I am not sure if it would qualify as a novel (rather than a collection of short stories), but otherwise iconic in children's literature. Errabee 12:24, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Largely treated as a novel, but iconic as mentioned. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:18, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 09:08, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Medium - Certainly not top class. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wuthering Heights edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 12:29, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - got to have a Bronte novel --Lethaniol 17:41, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Candidates for inclusion edit

n.b. please list strictly alphabetically

A Passage to India edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 16:31, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - although perhaps something else by Forster would be a better choice. john k 20:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
~~High~~ - I dont think Forster is that important or good. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Top - Ok, maybe we shouldn't get too critical. This is a lucid and important cross-cultural book at least. Mandel 15:26, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
High - Interwiki links clearly demonstrate this certainly isn't a work every encyclopedia have to include --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Also well known outside the English speaking zone. Er rab ee 15:57, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Third in the Modern Library list of top 100 novels in English of the 20th century. Widely read, by people who don't have time to read Ulysses (University survey classes, for instance). john k 19:49, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - There's a literary argument for making this top-important, but I especially dislike the argument that it should attain that importance because it is "set". By that criterion, Hard Times would be top-important, and it just isn't. I'd recommend holding off on giving this one top-importance but keep it on the candidates list and reconsider further down the line. --Sordel 21:53, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- I agree that being widely assigned in classes is not a sole criterion. Hard Times is "set" because it's the only one of Dickens' mature novels that is reasonably short (and possibly the shortest of all his novels?). The length issue is partly true of Portrait, but Portrait is also widely recognized as a major work in its own right, unlike Hard Times. john k 21:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - User:Wikimol|Wikimol]] 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

Beloved edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Pullitzer prize-winning and best-known (?) novel by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison. Regarded as significant to the African American experience. The New York Times "Book Review" named Beloved the best American novel written in the previous twenty five years. --Sordel 20:45, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 11:14, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Too early to tell. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - too new --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top --Rataube 03:59, 19 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Darkness at Noon edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 09:07, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

Top - Number 8 on the Modern Library list. Influential anti-communist work. john k 19:49, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
~~High~~ - Too early to tell. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Top - Changed my mind. Long enough. Mandel 15:36, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
High - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC) - originally unsigned[reply]
High - Showers 20:08, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Death on the Nile edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Errabee 10:34, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High or Mid - See what I said about Murder on the Orient Express, below. john k 16:53, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And see what I said about MotOE below while you're about it, please. --Sordel 17:56, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

High - Silverthorn 11:25, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dom Casmurro edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:36, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Masterpiece by Brazil's greatest writer. Macgreco 23:17, 25 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Machado de Assis! Why not? Mandel 15:29, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Dune edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 16:51, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Arguably the greatest SF novel. It has depth, complexity and a remarkable internal coherence. Loyola 08:53, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Couldn't agree more. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:33, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Definitely important! lordfrikk 05:52, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
High - Great SF novel indeed, but wouldn't include it among the top of general literature.--Rataube 04:02, 19 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
High - Cannot seriously be considered in the same bracket as War and Peace, Lolita, or other major works 69.86.228.200 (talk) 02:29, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Emma edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

High - Silverthorn 09:25, 24 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Finnegans Wake edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 4 against) Top class - as at 16:51, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

High - Joyce has a pretty clear Top-important novel, and the literary value of FW (a book that is very little read) has long been controversial. --Sordel 18:53, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - I think I agree with Sordel. john k 18:59, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Silverthorn 11:28, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - FW is not controversial, just darned difficult. And we should stop dishing quotas to writers. At any rate 1 book per writer is ridiculous. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel is right on all counts. FW also made the Modern Library 100 if nothing else. 69.86.228.200 (talk) 02:25, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Five Children and It edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Classic Children's literature repeatedly dramatised. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Holds a strong claim as a children's classic, but note that The Railway Children is also up for consideration, and the claim for top-importance of The Phoenix and the Carpet would also have merit. Should Edith Nesbit herself be the top-rated article? --Sordel 09:00, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Foucault's Pendulum edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 16:37, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - If we're going to have one of Eco's novels in the Top category, this is probably a more widely read novel than The Name of the Rose (see my comment there), a lot more fun, and a really good indictment of X-Files-type conspiracy theories at the same time. Badbilltucker 18:45, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Not sure if Umberto Eco is important enough...Mandel 15:38, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Mid - Secondary work by secondary author 69.86.228.200 (talk) 02:30, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Gravity's Rainbow edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:37, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Massive, unreadable, highly honoured novel considered to be the best example of American postmodernism and one of the great American novels. --Sordel 21:23, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
~~High~~ - Turgid and hardly influential. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Top. Ok, maybe I shouldn't get too personal. It could be me, not Pynchon. Mandel 15:40, 10 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A benchmark novel for post war fiction 69.86.228.200 (talk) 02:22, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Heidi edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Again a classic Children's novel. Subject of a number of dramatisations. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A classic novel which has stood the test of time. Silverthorn 11:26, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Its influence and status has considerably waned over the past years. More of a 70s icon. Errabee 13:30, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Independent People edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Something of a test case: one of the two best-known novels by Icelandic Nobel prize-winning novelist Halldor Laxness. Kudos if you've read it. --Sordel 20:36, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Invisible Man edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:39, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

n.b. this is not the work by H.G. Wells

Top - Influential work of modernism and one of the more important African-American novels of the 20th century. Widely read in American high schools. john k 19:54, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
~~High~~Top - typo. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Joseph and His Brothers edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Major work by influencial and widely praised novelist Thomas Mann :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Lucky Jim edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - THE example for literature by the Angry Young Men. Errabee 17:48, 3 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Midnight's Children edit

Summary Status (1 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 22:50, 18 August 2008 (UTC)

Top - Won the booker prize (1981), the booker of booker (1993), and then the best of the booker prize (2008), amongst many other significant awards. it is also regarded as iconic in post-colonial literature, and is the first and most critically accliamed novel form an indian author to achieve mainstream popularity. Percival500 (talk) 21:54, 18 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Murder on the Orient Express edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 3 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Errabee 10:34, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High or Mid - Agatha Christie was a hack, and beyond that no single work by her is terribly significant, anyway. Hercule Poirot might be a better candidate. john k 16:52, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't have much objectivity on Christie, because I'm working on her now, so I'm not going to give a vote as such. It's worth noting that her three most important Poirot novels are Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the last of which is so important in detective fiction (due to the furore regarding its twist ending) that it's perhaps the nearest top-importance of the bunch. Personally, I'd rather that Christie herself gained top-importance because And Then There Were None is massively influential (it virtually invented the stalk 'n' slash genre) but is not a Poirot novel. Christie is listed as the most widely published novelist of all time, so I would have thought that top-importance in some form is mandatory (accusations of "hack" notwithstanding!). Over to you. --Sordel 17:53, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

High - Silverthorn 11:27, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Hack or not Christie and the novels mentioned by Sordel are supremely importance in the genre. Must be in this type of encyclopedia. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 11:02, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
* High or Mid - Nothing by Christie is awfully important, though she is a phenomenon. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
* High - Clearly not top, could be a mid 69.86.228.200 (talk) 02:15, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Naked Lunch edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 01:32, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - An Essential Novel, and a revolution to literature. Also much studied by English students. 80.5.158.244 (talk) 19:08, 26 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Agreed, should be top HangedJonny (talk) 01:33, 7 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Native Son edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Another major African-American novel. john k 20:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - interwiki links measure it's importance outside of USA to be very low --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Important to African-American fiction, not so important to fiction in general. Badbilltucker 18:40, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nostromo edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Seems to be the Conrad novel which is most frequently cited as his greatest. Another possibility would be Lord Jim. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Although John is right, there are several counts against this novel. Firstly, critical opinion about Nostromo waxes and wanes notably over time. Secondly its ending is famously flawed. Thirdly, it just isn't as clearly top-important as most of the other novels here. --Sordel 06:57, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A very important novel. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oblomov edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Another masterpiece from Russia's Golden Age of Literature (19th century). User:Errabee

Question to Errabee - is what John below says true or is this better known - regarded in Russia in which cas should the Top stand. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 15:41, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is an English encyclopedia. Knownness in the English-speaking world should generally be the main criteria, especially for languages like Russian and French where English-speakers are familiar with many works originally in the language. john k 15:45, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Although I can't now find it is did see a wikipedia main page that discuss just this issue of geographical relevance and indicated that this is not the case. i.e. significance / notability; transcends language / natinoality / culture etc. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 16:03, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, compared with the 5 major novels (Eugene Onegin, War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov) everything else from the 19th century is clearly second rank. After those novels come Dead Souls and Fathers and Sons. I would rate Oblomov at least equal to the rest of the novels written by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, some of which would merit a Top rating as well (e.g. The Idiot, The Gambler or The Death of Ivan Ilyich), and some other works like A Hero of Our Time. I would certainly be surprised not to find Oblomov in an encyclopedia. Errabee 18:16, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

High - Oblomov is clearly in the second rank of Russian 19th century novels, and is not widely read (at least in English). john k 15:27, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Though this is an English-language encyclopedia, it is our obligation to introduce what is considered a great world novel. Knownness in the English-speaking world is not a criteria, given the fact some novels are under-translated. Oblomov is not just an important novel, it may be the best novel description of a superfluous man in Russian literature. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - The criteria should be: 1) it's famous in its own language 2) it's well known in the rest of the world. Fails to meet second criteria. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- It actually is well-known outside Russia - just not the kind Tom Clancy fans woud pick up. 121.6.49.48 10:30, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

On the Road edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - A seminal novel, still widely read. john k 20:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. - Er rab ee 16:02, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - enormously influential

Peter Pan edit

Really a play more than a novel. Peter and Wendy is a novel, but one based on the play. As such, I think Peter Pan is mostly out of the purview of this project. john k 15:24, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Quo Vadis edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Probably the most famous work from Sienkiewicz, himself beeing the best known Polish author (together with Stanislaw Lem?), Nobel laurelate. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - very prominent Polish novel also very well known throughout the English speaking world. Kevinalewis 17:56, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sense and Sensibility edit

Summary status ( 2.5 for | 4 against) Top class - as at 21:04, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

Top - Equal to Pride and Prejudice. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Not as well-known as Pride and Prejudice Silverthorn 13:24, 14 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - S&S has no better a claim to top importance than Emma, Persuasion or Mansfield Park, while P&P has the definite advantage of being widely known and adapted. If S&S is top-important, then we might as well decide to make all Jane Austen's novels top-important. --Sordel 14:15, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's arguable that all of Austen's novels, save Northanger Abbey, should be of top importance. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd also say, though, that if we had to pick a #2, it should be Emma, which seems to show up on more lists than any Austen other than P&P. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - agree with all of the above --Lethaniol 17:27, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - the equal of Pride and Prejudice. -- llywrch 21:04, 8 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sons and Lovers edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Probably most famous work by Lawrence. Number 9 on Modern Library list. john k 19:49, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Steppenwolf edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - While perhaps not as good as The Glass Bead Game, the cultural impact of this work is significant. Loyola 08:22, 2 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Stranger in a Strange Land edit

Summary status ( 4 for | 3 against) Top class - as at 18:15, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Arguably Heinlein's most influential work. -- Gizzakk 22:32, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure this one should go as top, but if does then Dune by Frank Herbert should go too. I understand they achieved a similar cult status.--Rataube 16:25, 4 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that Dune is equally, and maybe more, obvious. I don't have the sci fi knowledge to comment on this one, though. --Sordel 16:49, 4 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Who is Heinlein? Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Extremely influential to the 60's counter-culture, even if I think it is a bit overrated myself. Robert A. Heinlein is probably counted one of the top science fiction writer of the 20th century. Badbilltucker 23:26, 1 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - top science fiction's work but not among the top in general literature
Top - Showers 20:26, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
High - influential within sci fi and popular with Ayn Rand types but clearly not top 69.86.228.200 (talk) 02:19, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Betrothed edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Not that well known in English, but it's the most important Italian novel of the 19th century, and perhaps the most important Italian novel period. john k 19:04, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - I totally agree. john k contradicts himself ;) (it's not known in the English-speaking world!) The most important Italian novel and one of her best works, after La commedia. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Charterhouse of Parma edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - The other major novel by Stendhal. Like The Red and the Black, one of the major French novels of the century, and widely known in English. john k 13:14, 24 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - The greatest French novel, according to Andre Gide. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - without doubt 69.86.228.200 (talk) 02:20, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Da Vinci Code edit

Summary status ( 6 for | 10 against) Top class - as at 08:16, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Top - Literary not very interesting, but in very popular demand. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Has had major popular impact, but is perhaps of less significant literary influence. Silverthorn 12:08, 12 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Very topical. Give it a year or two and the importance will be minimal. Resources can better be used improving more important novels.--Ibis3 21:43, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - As a cultural icon it isn't as influential as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc. It's not that influential currently, and will be forgotten in a few years. As literature it's rubbish with comercial value only.--Rataube 18:12, 25 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - or lower. Novel has little literary merit and no historical significance (as yet). The fact that an article is often consulted in the short term cannot necessarily be taken to imply that it is of enduring cultural significance. --Sordel 07:47, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Hasn't stood the test of time as yet. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - The encyclopedia would be deficient without this novel. Personally I hate it, it is drivel in all senses, but it is culturally importance in the popular field. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm still strongly opposed to this having top-importance. A top-important article should be one that one would anticipate retaining top-importance for a century to come. I agree that DVC deserves an entry, and like many mid/high novels it has one, but surely top-importance for this is absurdly generous? --Sordel 11:33, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My heart says agree with you, but my head says otherwise!. Why "for a century to come" by the way. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 11:43, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"Century to come" is just criterion to cover the same idea expressed by "must be in an encyclopedia" or "should eternally be in an encyclopedia". It's true that we can't foresee the future value ascribed to DVC - it might be this generation's Ulysses (well no, probably not) - but when a novel has only been popular for five years (or however long it is) one is surely entitled to say: "I'd be mighty surprised to see this included in a printed encyclopedia even in twenty years". --Sordel 12:28, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed about the "printed" but this isn't a printed. And it (wikipedia) will change as times change. I would be surprised to see it in in 10 years time, but at present it is a "must". Shame to say! :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 16:03, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Top - I hate the novel but it, and its pre/sequels have had such a response from the public it should be included. I feel ashamed of myself. Lethaniol 11:36, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - The only reason this article even deserves an entry is because it's a fad and therefore well-known. Aside from that, it has very little merit -- literary or otherwise. --Todeswalzer | Talk 18:41, 21 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - or lower. The popularity of the novel is due to the theories the author "borrowed" from the book Holy Blood, Holy Grail. I could argue that, right now, the original non-fiction book might qualify as very or top importance, but this novel, which is basically only a very weak regurgitation of that book with some additional laughable and almost unprecedented opinions about Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper", borrowed from yet another book wikipedia already has a page on, does not. Badbilltucker 23:32, 1 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mid - or lower. This book is neither original nor particularly good. The storm it created will blow over. Loyola 13:43, 14 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - book of movie fame. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mid - or lower. This is merely The Celestine Prophecy for the 21st century.--Alabamaboy 01:33, 28 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top- This book has had a massive impact on popular culture, and that needs to be recognised.I will not specify what I did to Mr. Jameson, I will just verify that I was present when the murder happened. 07:27, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
Top - While I admit that it is not a particularily interesting piece of literature, it is not our job here to judge books quality. We can only quantify their reception into popular culture. Given the Da Vinci code's popular success, and the amount of contrerversy it has spawned I feel it as an extremely worthy candidate for further analysis.207.164.21.130 00:55, 10 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Low - The fact that it generated controversy makes it notable for generating controversy not for being a good novel. Loyola (talk) 10:51, 30 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The Day of the Triffids edit

Summary status ( 0 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

High - The current article has a mid-importance rating. Why are we raising it two steps in one move? I agree that the novel is a classic of Science Fiction, but don't see its having top-importance. --Sordel 15:42, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Death of Ivan Ilyich edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 12:27, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Tolstoy's third masterpiece, after Anna Karenina and War and Peace. Errabee 10:28, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Maybe the greatest novella ever written? Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Certainly of critical importance in Russian literature. --Todeswalzer | Talk 18:42, 21 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Anna Karenina and War and Peace are enough of Tolstoy. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Decameron edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 12:25, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

Top - Most important piece of Italian literature, after Dante's Divina Commedia (which isn't in scope, unfortunately). Er rab ee 19:28, 25 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 11:58, 26 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment: this is not a novel...? 121.6.49.48 10:42, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

But they are novellas :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 16:44, 10 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Famous Five edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top. I enjoyed these novels as a boy. Popular also outside of English speaking territory. Errabee 10:09, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. Widely known and have stood the test of time. Silverthorn 11:29, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High. Not world status. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The French Lieutenant's Woman edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Best known novel by John Fowles and a major example of British postmodernism. --Sordel 10:33, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - I don't think this quite meets the standard. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Gambler edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Another masterpiece by Dostoevsky.
The Idiot, The Possessed, and Notes from Underground should be upgraded first. john k 17:57, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Agree. Mandel 07:34, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - ack john k --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Man Without Qualities edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 21:13, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

Top - One of the great German language novels of the last century. Various critics have put it alongside Ulysses and In Search of Lost Time as one of the novels of the century.
High - It's an unfinished novel, and I can speak from personal experience when I say that even those who put it on their bookshelves don't read it. I agree that it is considered to be a masterpiece, but there are plenty of masterpieces rated high. --Sordel 07:01, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A very great, though little read novel. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Hey, I've read it. Well, most of it: I got bogged down in the third volume. Italo Calvino gives it high praise. -- llywrch 21:13, 8 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Moonstone edit

Summary status ( 3 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Usually cited as the first detective novel in English. --Sordel 10:33, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - As Sordel says, although it's apparently not actually the first detective novel. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- The Woman in White is another possibility by Collins. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A classic of the genre - if not the first then certainly a leader of the pack. Lethaniol 11:38, 25 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Name of the Rose edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 21:08, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

Top - not sure about English, but certainly world novel, at the same time famous and influential. Best known and possibly best from Eco. (see also the interwikis... contemporary encyclopedia should not miss thiss one) --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)\[reply]
High - I remember hearing it was the most famous book no one had read a few years ago, and, if no one read it, it ain't that important. Also, personally, I think it's probably too new to really qualify. Badbilltucker 17:15, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - I read it years ago; it's the DaVinci Code of the 1980s. While a very strong and well-written book, it just isn't the quality & influence of (to pick examples from different genres) The Big Sleep, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, or The Stranger. -- llywrch 21:09, 8 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Necklace edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:19, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

Top. At least one work (preferably a short story) of de Maupassant should be of Top importance. Er rab ee 16:19, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Old Man and the Sea edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 2 against) Top class - as at 18:29, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

Top - Influential novel by Hemingway. Errabee 12:50, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - It's critical reputation and popularity has fallen greatly since initial publication. If we have anything by Hemingway it should be The Sun Also Rises. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Overrated, and though famous, hardly influential. Agree with John K.Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Railway Children edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 17:03, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Another classic English children's novel. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:18, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Silverthorn 09:27, 24 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - Children's classics should never be top category unless they have world renown (eg pinnochio). Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Can't see why, we have all numbers of examples of articles of top importance in there own arena. The English speaking world should be sufficient. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 17:03, 15 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It is very well known in the UK, but not necessarily outside it. Mandel 121.6.49.48 10:49, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Secret Garden edit

Summary status ( 1 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 17:03, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Another classic English children's novel. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 17:03, 15 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Waves edit

Summary status (1 for | 0 against) Top Class - as at 22:05, 18 August 2008 (UTC)

Top - Arguabely Virginia Woolf's most significant novel. Many elements of her previous work are present in The Waves, making this a prime example of modernism, feminism and experimental fiction. Percival500 (talk) 21:01, 18 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Way We Live Now edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 10:46, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - Something by Trollope should be included. Other possibilities - Barchester Towers, The Last Chronicle of Barset, The Eustace Diamonds. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High - No single work by Trollope has the high profile required for top-importance. There might, however, be an argument for top-listing an article on Trollope himself. --Sordel 14:49, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- How about the Barset or Palliser series as a whole? john k 15:29, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - Trollope's critical status has risen immeasurably through the years.Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Wind in the Willows edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 1 against) Top class - as at 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

Top - No project box or assessment for this one yet, but its enduring fame and cultural presence can scarcely be doubted. --Sordel 12:07, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top. Agree with Sordel. Errabee 10:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High. Children's classics should never be top category unless they have world renown (eg pinnochio). Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Your description is almost self contradictory - "Children's classics"! almost ensures inclusion surely. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 11:13, 19 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Children's books then. Mandel 121.6.49.48 10:53, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Things Fall Apart edit

Summary status ( 2 for | 0 against) Top class - as at 16:48, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Top - Generally considered the best novel by Achebe, the best known African novelist. Widely read in American schools, for instance. john k 19:13, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Top - A great African novel. Mandel 121.6.49.48 10:57, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]