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).

n.b. please list strictly alphabetically

A Christmas Carol

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[reply]
• Top - Well-known and part of popular culture Silverthorn 12:06, 12 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - I think. Importance in pop culture trumps limited critical respect, in this case. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Applejuicefool 16:17, 21 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

A Farewell to Arms

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[reply]
• High - john k 19:09, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:22, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - -Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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[reply]
• Top john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top Applejuicefool 16:18, 21 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top One of the three or four seminal novels of American literature. Mandel 06:23, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top Errabee 15:40, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

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

All Quiet on the Western Front

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

Anna Karenina

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[reply]
• Top - Silverthorn 11:58, 12 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Often regarded as the greatest novel of all time. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Bleak House

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[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[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[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[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[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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Brave New World

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

Catch-22

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[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[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[reply]
• High - Too early to tell maybe, but this novel is a classic. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
  • Top - Changed my mind. Long enough. Mandel 15:33, 10 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - canonical. CZBP#72 --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Crime and Punishment

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[reply]
• Top - Well-known and influential Silverthorn 12:00, 12 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Pretty obvious. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Can there really be any debate on this one? --Todeswalzer | Talk 18:32, 21 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - CZMyBookPoll #140. --Wikimol

David Copperfield

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[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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - --GoldenGlory84 (talk) 02:11, 9 January 2011 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Dead Souls

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[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[reply]
• Top - Major European novel. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Doctor Zhivago

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[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[reply]
• Top - Pasternak's magnum opus, very strange if not in Wikipedia!. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 15:29, 21 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - CZMyBookPoll #150. --Wikimol

Don Quixote

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[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[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[reply]
• Top - Incredibly important. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - The most important and influential novel of all timeMandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Obviously. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Dracula

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[reply]
• Top - Has had significant influence on popular culture. Silverthorn 12:02, 12 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Without question Lethaniol 17:33, 2 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Dream of the Red Chamber

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

• Oppose - Needs assertion of influence outside of China. Errabee 15:39, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

East of Eden

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[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[reply]
• Top - Not Steinbeck's best-known, but definitely needs an article. Applejuicefool 16:38, 21 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• High - as per Sordel Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - ack Sordel. --Wikimol

Eugene Onegin

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[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[reply]
• Top - It's usually described as a "verse novel", and incredibly important. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Fathers and Sons

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[reply]
• Top - Quite important. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

Frankenstein

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[reply]
• Top - Has had significant influence on popular culture Silverthorn 12:01, 12 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - like Dracula an important work for pop --Lethaniol 17:34, 2 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Germinal

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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Errabee 15:41, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Great Expectations

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[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[reply]
• Top - This I would indeed expect in an encyclopedia. Errabee 10:02, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Gulliver's Travels

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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - absolutely canonical. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Errabee 15:42, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Harry Potter

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[reply]
• Top - Significant impact on popular culture Silverthorn 15:51, 12 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - From the point of view of public interest you could not leave it out. Sandpiper 12:43, 14 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - Nothing contemporary should be under top class - too early to tell. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - --Lethaniol 17:35, 2 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - CZMyBookPoll #1. --Wikimol

Heart of Darkness

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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Howards End

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

In Search of Lost Time

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[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[reply]
• Top - As Ibis says. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Maybe the greatest novel of the twentieth century Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Jane Eyre

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

Jin Ping Mei

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

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[reply]
• Top - Well-known and controversial work by major author. Silverthorn 13:23, 14 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Lazarillo de Tormes

Summary status ( 4 for | 0 against) Top class - as at :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 16:42, 24 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Le Père Goriot

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[reply]
• Top - aka above. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Les Liaisons dangereuses

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[reply]
• Top - I agree with john k. Silverthorn 11:29, 21 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Agreed. Errabee 10:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Les Misérables

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[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[reply]
• Top - Ibis3 21:38, 19 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Magnum opus of Hugo. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Lolita

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[reply]
• Top - Ibis3 21:05, 19 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - well known, CZMyBookPoll #137 --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Lord of the Flies

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[reply]
• Top - Masterwork even without the film version adding to it's popularity. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - I really hated this novel, but agree that it should be top-important. Errabee 10:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[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[reply]

Madame Bovary

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[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[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[reply]

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

Middlemarch

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[reply]
• Top - A great novel, Eliot's best, etc. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - I agree with sordel Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Moby Dick

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[reply]
• Top - Has a good claim to being greatest American novel. --Sordel 18:48, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Greatest American novel, etc. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - canonical... --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Nineteen Eighty-Four

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[reply]
• Top - Silverthorn 12:04, 12 August 2006 (UTC
• Top - I suppose. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - where would be without newsspeak --Lethaniol 17:38, 2 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

Novel

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[reply]
• Top. As above :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:34, 10 January 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Novella

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[reply]
• Top. As above :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:35, 10 January 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Novelette

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[reply]
• Top. As above :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:35, 10 January 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Oliver Twist

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[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[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[reply]
• Top - Dickens is important enough to have several. john k 18:40, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - in world context Dickens is not important enough to have 5 books listed --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

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[reply]
• Top - although if it was novel, The Gulag Archipelago would be better. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Weakish support. Not a Solzhenitsyn fan. Errabee 15:57, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Important. Mandel 15:25, 10 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - His mosst accessible novel and also his most well known. --Alabamaboy 01:23, 28 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

One Hundred Years of Solitude

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[reply]
• Top - The seminal work in magical realism. --Ibis3 21:40, 19 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[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[reply]
• High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Best known Latin American novel, had a great impact.--Rataube 14:07, 2 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - all of the above --Lethaniol 17:39, 2 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - as above, CZMBP#56 --Wikimol

Out of Africa

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[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[reply]
• High - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - Only became known after the movie with Meryl Streep. Errabee 15:46, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Pride and Prejudice

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

Robinson Crusoe

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[reply]
• Top - One of the earliest and most influential of English novels.--Ibis3 21:45, 19 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Silverthorn 16:19, 23 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - as above - don't know why, but everybody have read it- CZMBP#15 --Wikimol

Sherlock Holmes

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[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[reply]
  • How about The Hound of the Baskervilles then? Perhaps both? Errabee 12:28, 21 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[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[reply]
• Top --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Short story

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[reply]
• Top. For reason above has to be Top. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:34, 10 January 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Tarzan of the Apes

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

• Top. Cultural icon. Errabee 15:47, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

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[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[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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Big Sleep

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[reply]
• Top. I agree completely. Errabee 21:01, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

The Brothers Karamazov

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[reply]
• Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Catcher in the Rye

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[reply]
• Top. As Sordel says. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High. Overrated, and though famous, not influential. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Count of Monte Cristo

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[reply]
• Top or High - Tough one though. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - 9muses 15:11, 31 December 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Errabee 16:04, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• Top - More important to literature than The Three Musketeers Ccady (talk) 14:28, 16 February 2008 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Fall

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[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[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[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[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[reply]
• High - however The Stranger should be top. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Good Soldier Švejk

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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - proably the most world-known piece of Czech literature. (CZMBP#12) --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Grapes of Wrath

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[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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Great Gatsby

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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Errabee 15:50, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - GoldenGlory84 (talk) 02:14, 9 January 2011 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Hound of the Baskervilles

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[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[reply]
• Top - Probably the best known of the Sherlock Holmes works. Silverthorn 09:12, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Errabee 10:11, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Hugely influential in both horror and mystery fiction. Badbilltucker 23:33, 1 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• Top - the best known of the Sherlock Holmes --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Definitely the best known of the Sherlock Holmes works. -- 9muses 15:16, 31 December 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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[reply]
• Top - Another must have. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 15:39, 25 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - extremely famous --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - 9muses 15:17, 31 December 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Agree with all the above. Errabee 16:09, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Idiot

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[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[reply]
• Top - Wonderful piece - again a must have. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 15:45, 25 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Dostoevsky's big 5 should be at the top. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - I think this one is pretty obvious. --Todeswalzer | Talk 17:34, 21 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Lord of the Rings

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[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[reply]
• Top - It has entered popular culture and stood the test of time. Silverthorn 13:17, 14 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - I suppose. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - I suppose. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - arguably the most important of whole fantasy --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Magic Mountain

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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

The Master and Margarita

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[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[reply]
• Top - I suppose. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - influential, famous. CZMBP#46 --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Picture of Dorian Gray

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

The Plague

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[reply]
• High - Same argument I gave for The Fall. --Sordel 07:34, 19 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Not sure - more famous than The Fall, but still not that seminal. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

The Portrait of a Lady

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[reply]
• Top - Something by James should be at top, and this is the obvious one. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
  • Comment - We shouldn't have quotas as per author, at least not at 1! 15:17, 10 April 2007 (UTC)
• Top. Errabee 15:52, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Red and the Black

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[reply]
  • Just to note, The Charterhouse of Parma would be another obvious possibility. john k 22:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

The Satanic Verses

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[reply]
• Top - Silverthorn 13:19, 14 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• High - I agree with Ibis - Midnight's Children is the one to include. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High or Medium - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Scarlet Letter

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[reply]
• Top - Every American high school student (except me, apparently) has to read the thing. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Often-adapted, well-written, highly influential early American book. Badbilltucker 14:55, 2 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Sorrows of Young Werther

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[reply]
• Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - User:Wikimol|Wikimol]] 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

The Sound and the Fury

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

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

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[reply]
• Top - A classic who's basic story is likely known by most native english speakers.Lethaniol 11:42, 25 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Rataube 16:13, 4 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - likely to be searched because of refences to Jekyll and Hyde. --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - 9muses 15:18, 31 December 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Errabee 15:53, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Tale of Genji

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[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[reply]
• Top - This novel, plus the great Chinese novels, should be in any serious encyclopedia. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
  • This is a Jap novel ;) Mandel 15:20, 10 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - 9muses 15:19, 31 December 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The Three Musketeers

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

The Tin Drum

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

The Trial

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[reply]
• Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - User:Wikimol|Wikimol]] 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

The Turn of the Screw

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[reply]
• Top - User:Rataube|Rataube]] 16:19, 4 October 2006 (UTC)
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• Top - 9muses 15:31, 31 December 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The War of the Worlds

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[reply]
• Top - Has had significant influence. Silverthorn 12:07, 12 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[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

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

To The Lighthouse

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[reply]
• Top - As Sordel says. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• Top - Rataube 16:16, 4 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Treasure Island

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

Tristram Shandy

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[reply]
• Top - As Sordel says. john k 18:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

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[reply]
• Top - Most famous by Verne. Not completely sure that's sufficient. john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

Ulysses

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[reply]
• Top - Ibis3 21:31, 19 August 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Uncle Tom's Cabin

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[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[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[reply]

Vanity Fair

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[reply]
• Top - As Sordel says. john k 19:08, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

War and Peace

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[reply]
• Top - john k 18:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - But of course. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Winnie-the-Pooh

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[reply]
• Top - Largely treated as a novel, but iconic as mentioned. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 08:18, 22 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Silverthorn 09:08, 25 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Medium - Certainly not top class. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Wuthering Heights

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

n.b. please list strictly alphabetically

A Passage to India

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[reply]
• High - I dont think Forster is that important or good. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[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[reply]
• Top - Also well known outside the English speaking zone. Errabee 15:57, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

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[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[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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - User:Wikimol|Wikimol]] 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

Beloved

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[reply]
• Top - Silverthorn 11:14, 23 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - Too early to tell. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - too new --Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top --Rataube 03:59, 19 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Darkness at Noon

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[reply]
• High - Too early to tell. Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
  • Top - Changed my mind. Long enough. Mandel 15:36, 10 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC) - originally unsignedReply[reply]
• High - Showers 20:08, 2 September 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Death on the Nile

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

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

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

Dom Casmurro

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[reply]
• Top - Machado de Assis! Why not? Mandel 15:29, 10 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Dune

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[reply]
• Top - Couldn't agree more. :: Kevinalewis : ^{(Talk Page)}/_(Desk) 09:33, 10 January 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Top - Definitely important! lordfrikk 05:52, 4 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[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[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[reply]

Emma

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[reply]
• Top - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Finnegans Wake

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[reply]
• High - I think I agree with Sordel. john k 18:59, 20 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• High - Silverthorn 11:28, 21 September 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]
• High - Wikimol 15:50, 22 November 2006 (UTC)Reply[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[reply]

Five Children and It

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[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[reply]
• High - Mandel 06:21, 10 October 2006 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Foucault's Pendulum

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[reply]
• High - Not sure if Umberto Eco is important enough...Mandel 15:38, 10 April 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply]
• Mid - Secondary work by secondary author 69.86.228.200 (talk) 02:30, 23 April 2008 (UTC)Reply[reply]