Vitrvvivs
Member
The Daedalus Book of the Occult - Gary Lachman
100 Best Books of the 21st Century
- Thread starter Liam
- Start date
Americanreader
Well-known member
I can't lay claim that these are necessarily the greatest works of the century so far, but in looking at my Goodreads, these were the 21st century works I gave 5 stars to. I really enjoyed all of them for what that's worth. The Novels are the most diverse, but I feel that in the US, Novels and Novellas get translated more often than the other genres.
Novels
(2000) Vargas Llosa, Mario The Feast of the Goat (Peru)
(2000) Smith, Zadie White Teeth (UK)
(2002) Murakami, Haruki Kafka on the Shore (Japan)
(2004) Thiong’o, Ngugi wa Wizard of the Crow (Kenya)
(2005) Ishiguro, Kazuo Never Let Me Go (UK)
(2006) McCarthy, Cormac The Road (USA)
(2006) Yan, Mo Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out (China)
(2007) Han, Kang The Vegetarian (South Korea)
(2014) Fresán, Rodrigo The Invented Part (Argentina)
(2014) Tawada, Yoko The Emissary (Japan)
Short Stories
(2003) Munro, Alice Runaway (Canada)
(2013) Saunders, George Tenth of December (USA)
Plays
(2001) Parks, Suzan-Lori Topdog/Underdog (USA)
(2003) Ruhl, Sarah Eurydice (USA)
(2003) McDonagh, Martin The Pillowman (UK)
(2009) Nottage, Lynn Ruined (USA)
(2014) Baker, Annie The Flick (USA)
Memoir
(2005) Didion, Joan The Year of Magical Thinking (USA)
Poetry
(2007) Freitas, Angelica Rilke Shake (Brazil)
(2010) Hayes, Terrance Lighthead (USA)
(2012) Gelman, Juan Dark Times Filled With Light (Argentina)
(2014) Rankine, Claudia Citizen: An American Lyric (USA)
(2018) Limon, Ada The Carrying (USA)
(2018) Nezhukumatathil, Aimee Oceanic (USA)
(2018) Zagajewski, Adam Asymmetry (Poland)
Essays
(2014) Gay, Roxane Bad Feminist (USA)
(2015) Tevis, Joni The World is On Fire: Scrap, Treasure, and Songs of the Apocalypse (USA)
(2016) Luiselli, Valeria Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions (Mexico)
(2019) Tolentino, Jia Trick Mirror: Reflections (USA)
Novels
(2000) Vargas Llosa, Mario The Feast of the Goat (Peru)
(2000) Smith, Zadie White Teeth (UK)
(2002) Murakami, Haruki Kafka on the Shore (Japan)
(2004) Thiong’o, Ngugi wa Wizard of the Crow (Kenya)
(2005) Ishiguro, Kazuo Never Let Me Go (UK)
(2006) McCarthy, Cormac The Road (USA)
(2006) Yan, Mo Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out (China)
(2007) Han, Kang The Vegetarian (South Korea)
(2014) Fresán, Rodrigo The Invented Part (Argentina)
(2014) Tawada, Yoko The Emissary (Japan)
Short Stories
(2003) Munro, Alice Runaway (Canada)
(2013) Saunders, George Tenth of December (USA)
Plays
(2001) Parks, Suzan-Lori Topdog/Underdog (USA)
(2003) Ruhl, Sarah Eurydice (USA)
(2003) McDonagh, Martin The Pillowman (UK)
(2009) Nottage, Lynn Ruined (USA)
(2014) Baker, Annie The Flick (USA)
Memoir
(2005) Didion, Joan The Year of Magical Thinking (USA)
Poetry
(2007) Freitas, Angelica Rilke Shake (Brazil)
(2010) Hayes, Terrance Lighthead (USA)
(2012) Gelman, Juan Dark Times Filled With Light (Argentina)
(2014) Rankine, Claudia Citizen: An American Lyric (USA)
(2018) Limon, Ada The Carrying (USA)
(2018) Nezhukumatathil, Aimee Oceanic (USA)
(2018) Zagajewski, Adam Asymmetry (Poland)
Essays
(2014) Gay, Roxane Bad Feminist (USA)
(2015) Tevis, Joni The World is On Fire: Scrap, Treasure, and Songs of the Apocalypse (USA)
(2016) Luiselli, Valeria Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions (Mexico)
(2019) Tolentino, Jia Trick Mirror: Reflections (USA)
Last edited:
Bartleby
Moderator
Just remembered there was once this attempt to come up with lists of the best books of our century => https://www.worldliteratureforum.com/forum/index.php?threads/15-for-the-21st.64931/
But it didn't involve voting (perhaps because the forum didn't support polls then). It should serve as an inspiration, all those titles.
But it didn't involve voting (perhaps because the forum didn't support polls then). It should serve as an inspiration, all those titles.
Ludus
Reader
That's a great list, my American friend. From your novels, I only don't have in my wishlist Tawada and Mo Yan, but I do have a short novel from Mo. From Munro I would vote for "Dear Life", her last collection with some of her best pieces <3
Americanreader
Well-known member
I haven't read Dear Life yet, I'll have to pick it up
Verkhovensky
Well-known member
One of first things we should consider is if year 2000 belongs to 20th or 21st century 
But, ok, if it belongs, my 10 suggestions (I unfortunately barely read anything besides novels/novellas, so only them are on the list).
(2000) ?? Bartleby y compania / Bartleby & co. by Enrique Vila-Matas
(2000) ?? La fiesta del chivo / The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas-Llosa
(2000) ?? The Human Stain by Philip Roth
(2001) ?? Soldados de Salamina / Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas
(2005) ?? Die Vermessung die Welt / Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann
(2005) ?? La velocidad de luz / The Speed of Light by Javier Cercas
(2010) ?? La carte et le territoire / The Map and the Territory by Michel Houellebecq
(2010) ?? HHhH by Laurent Binet
(2011-2014) ?? L'amica geniale / My brilliant friend (Neapolitan Novels) by Elena Ferrante
(2012) ?? Los ingravidos / Faces in the crowd by Valeria Luiselli
Publication dates according to Wikipedia.
Also, honourable mentions, books published in 21st century, but I think are for some reason not as good as those 10 above)
(2001) ?? La Petite Bijou / Little Jewel by Patrick Modiano (not as good as some of his works from 20th century)
(2002) ?? I giorni dell'abbandono / The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante (not as good as her novel sequence which explores some similiar themes)
(2009) ?? Prowadź swój pług przez kości umarłych / Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
(2010) ?? Hotel Zagorje / Hotel Tito by Ivana Bodrožić (imho the best Croatian novel since independence, but it has its problems so I don't think is first rate work on a global scale)
(2016) ?? Chancon douce / The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani
And another honourable mention, a book first published in 20th century, but ressurected in the 21st via English translation that became surprising bestseller and sparked new interest around the globe.
(1947) ?? Jeder stribt für sich allein / Every Man Dies Alone (aka Alone in Berlin) by Hans Fallada (said English translation published in 2009)
As you can see from my lists, I am bit behind with books from the 2010s, as I live in a small country so it often takes time for translations to reach us.
Also, there are some books from 21st century on my to-read list (e.g. The Road, Cercas' Anatomy of the Moment, Knausgaard of course, Tokarczuk's Books of Jacob, Coetzee's 21st century works) that I plan on to read soon and I think some of them would probably end up on my list).
But, ok, if it belongs, my 10 suggestions (I unfortunately barely read anything besides novels/novellas, so only them are on the list).
(2000) ?? Bartleby y compania / Bartleby & co. by Enrique Vila-Matas
(2000) ?? La fiesta del chivo / The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas-Llosa
(2000) ?? The Human Stain by Philip Roth
(2001) ?? Soldados de Salamina / Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas
(2005) ?? Die Vermessung die Welt / Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann
(2005) ?? La velocidad de luz / The Speed of Light by Javier Cercas
(2010) ?? La carte et le territoire / The Map and the Territory by Michel Houellebecq
(2010) ?? HHhH by Laurent Binet
(2011-2014) ?? L'amica geniale / My brilliant friend (Neapolitan Novels) by Elena Ferrante
(2012) ?? Los ingravidos / Faces in the crowd by Valeria Luiselli
Publication dates according to Wikipedia.
Also, honourable mentions, books published in 21st century, but I think are for some reason not as good as those 10 above)
(2001) ?? La Petite Bijou / Little Jewel by Patrick Modiano (not as good as some of his works from 20th century)
(2002) ?? I giorni dell'abbandono / The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante (not as good as her novel sequence which explores some similiar themes)
(2009) ?? Prowadź swój pług przez kości umarłych / Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
(2010) ?? Hotel Zagorje / Hotel Tito by Ivana Bodrožić (imho the best Croatian novel since independence, but it has its problems so I don't think is first rate work on a global scale)
(2016) ?? Chancon douce / The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani
And another honourable mention, a book first published in 20th century, but ressurected in the 21st via English translation that became surprising bestseller and sparked new interest around the globe.
(1947) ?? Jeder stribt für sich allein / Every Man Dies Alone (aka Alone in Berlin) by Hans Fallada (said English translation published in 2009)
As you can see from my lists, I am bit behind with books from the 2010s, as I live in a small country so it often takes time for translations to reach us.
Also, there are some books from 21st century on my to-read list (e.g. The Road, Cercas' Anatomy of the Moment, Knausgaard of course, Tokarczuk's Books of Jacob, Coetzee's 21st century works) that I plan on to read soon and I think some of them would probably end up on my list).
peter_d
Reader
Yes, I posted it here a month ago. To me it makes more sense to put it under the general discussion section than under general chat. Isn't general chat more for topics unrelated to literature?
Anyway. Great idea to make our own list. I'll make up my mind about which books I'd like to nominate.
Bagharu
Reader
Do you like one piece or it was a joke?
tiganeasca
Moderator
Twenty years in and we need a list already? Why not the best ten books of last year? Or better still, the best ten books from last Tuesday? Sheesh!
Cleanthess
Dinanukht wannabe
The current situation fosters a retrospective mood, not only at our beloved WWLF.
That Frenchie Entertainment Weekly, Les Inrockuptibles, recently posted their own "Top 20 books of the last quarter Century" list.
Here's their selection ordered by year of publication:
Pig Tales, Marie Darrieussecq (1996)
Je sors ce soir [Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night], Guillaume Dustan (1997)
The Elementary Particles, Michel Houellebecq (1998)
A Suspicious River, Laura Kasischke (1999)
Incest, Christine Angot (1999)
Paradise, Toni Morrison (1999)
The Adversary, Emmanuel Carrère (2000)
The Sexual Life of Catherine M, Catherine Millet (2001)
House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski (2002)
La Clôture [Wall street], Jean Rolin (2002)
The Human Stain, Philip Roth (2002)
Retour définitif et durable de l’être aimé [Eternal restoration of the beloved one], Olivier Cadiot (2002)
Faire l’amour [Making Love], Jean-Philippe Toussaint (2002)
Le Premier Amour [First Love], Santiago H. Amigorena (2004)
Lunar Park, Bret Easton Ellis (2005)
Ravel, Jean Echenoz (2006)
In the Café of Lost Youth, Patrick Modiano (2007)
Cendrillon [Cinderella], Eric Reinhardt (2007)
Three Strong Women, Marie NDiaye (2009)
The End of Eddy, Edouard Louis (2014)
Umbrella, Will Self (2015)
Vernon Subutex 1, Virginie Despentes (2015)
Eva, Simon Liberati (Stock, 2015)
Forest Dark, Nicole Krauss (2018)
Love Me Tender, Constance Debré (2020)
That Frenchie Entertainment Weekly, Les Inrockuptibles, recently posted their own "Top 20 books of the last quarter Century" list.
Here's their selection ordered by year of publication:
Pig Tales, Marie Darrieussecq (1996)
Je sors ce soir [Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night], Guillaume Dustan (1997)
The Elementary Particles, Michel Houellebecq (1998)
A Suspicious River, Laura Kasischke (1999)
Incest, Christine Angot (1999)
Paradise, Toni Morrison (1999)
The Adversary, Emmanuel Carrère (2000)
The Sexual Life of Catherine M, Catherine Millet (2001)
House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski (2002)
La Clôture [Wall street], Jean Rolin (2002)
The Human Stain, Philip Roth (2002)
Retour définitif et durable de l’être aimé [Eternal restoration of the beloved one], Olivier Cadiot (2002)
Faire l’amour [Making Love], Jean-Philippe Toussaint (2002)
Le Premier Amour [First Love], Santiago H. Amigorena (2004)
Lunar Park, Bret Easton Ellis (2005)
Ravel, Jean Echenoz (2006)
In the Café of Lost Youth, Patrick Modiano (2007)
Cendrillon [Cinderella], Eric Reinhardt (2007)
Three Strong Women, Marie NDiaye (2009)
The End of Eddy, Edouard Louis (2014)
Umbrella, Will Self (2015)
Vernon Subutex 1, Virginie Despentes (2015)
Eva, Simon Liberati (Stock, 2015)
Forest Dark, Nicole Krauss (2018)
Love Me Tender, Constance Debré (2020)
tiganeasca
Moderator
That, sir, is easy: look up William Heinesen. Well worth the time.
Ben Jackson
Well-known member
What do you guys think are some of the finest/greatest Asian novels of 21st Century thus far?
Leseratte
Well-known member
Badly missing "around the world" with some few exceptions. Looks a bit as if the author had listed his own boo