Quincy's Top Novels: 50-41

 50.         Dracula by Bram Stoker (Violence)

Summary: A group of adventurers hunt down a vampire menacing Transylvania.
Analysis: We are probably all familiar with the general outlines of the Dracula myth, but I’m here to tell you that the original novel is great fun and an excellent read. The story illuminates the seductive and infectious nature of evil while shining a light on the heroism inherent in resisting and confronting evil. Plus, it has a good guy named Quincy and you can’t go wrong with that!

49.         Treasure Island (Also read: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) by Robert Louis Stevenson
Summary: A coming-of-age story follows a boy seeking buried treasure amidst conflicts between pirates and legitimate naval officers.
Analysis: Speaking of iconic stories that offer defining images of popular culture, there is not much in the way of sea-faring adventure stories to compare with Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of buried treasure, secret maps, deserted islands, and pirates. To add to the high-spirited adventure of the tale, we also are presented some moral complexity in the character of Long John Silver and Jim’s growth in understanding both the merits and deficiencies of the legendary pirate. I recommend the Muppet adaptation of this story in film form, though Disney’s futuristic, space version also deserves a viewing.

48.         The Sound and the Fury (Also read: The Reivers) by William Faulkner (Adult language)
Summary: Former Southern aristocrats face their fall in financial and social graces.
Analysis: I admire Faulkner’s attempt to present a “chickens come home to roost” story in a way that neither villainizes its protagonists nor sympathizes with them. His stream of consciousness form that takes place in a large portion of the novel will challenge a reader, but I found he pulled it off, enabling me to imagine the perspective and plight of someone with mental challenges I don’t face. The moral of the story is something akin to the one Jesus offers us when he describes the rich man who places his worth in his full barns and stocked storehouses – the wealth of this world is a fragile foundation for spiritual, mental, and moral health.

47.         Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (Adult language and intimate situations)
Summary: An unnamed, Black man reflects on the social invisibility he has experience in his life in the United States due to the color of his skin.
Analysis: This story effectively incorporates styles from Dostoyevsky, to Faulkner, to Elliot, to create a unique voice for a character who presents the pressures and influences that constantly confront many Black men in America. Ellison does not offer a sermon here or a racial commentary – instead, he presents the tragedy and absurdity of being both denigrated and overlooked due to skin color through a compelling narrative.

46.         Little Women (Also read: Little Men and Jo’s Boys) by Louisa May Alcott
Summary: Four sisters grow up and experience love and loss during the end of the Civil War in the United States.
Analysis: The vivid personalities and heartwarming adventures of the March girls have been indelibly etched on my psyche from the day I first opened Little Women as a pre-teen. Their story is a page-turning read while at the same time offering readers inspiration to pursue compassion, creativity, loyalty and individuality. If you haven’t read Little Women and its sequels, I don’t see why you shouldn’t put down whatever book you are reading and correct this egregious gap in your reading.

45.         All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Summary: A blind, French girl and an orphaned German boy attempt to find their respective futures during World War II, all while a mysterious stone with reported powers to prolong life hangs in the balance.
Analysis: A affective story that provides a clear picture of the glories in humanity that are destroyed by war. The characters both inspired me and broke my heart, making me want to be a better human being. It is in reading novels like this that I am reminded why God chose human beings as the bearers of His image – with all our flaws, we are also endowed with the most potential to create true beauty. My sisters and mom are getting on me about my list being full of too many sad books, but I find it hard to believe that someone could read this book and not feel hopeful about humanity, even in the middle of all our messiness.

44.         The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Also read: Al other mystery novels and short stories) by Agatha Christie
Summary: A doctor guides us through his personal narrative of Detective Hercule Poirot’s attempts to discover who murdered a certain, distinguished British gentleman.
Analysis: I don’t want to spoil what is the tremendous twist of this novel, but, instead, I want to expound about how tremendous a writer Agatha Christie is. There is not a better mystery writer to be found, save for perhaps one author just ahead of her on this list. Christie’s plots are intricate and innovative. Her characters are memorable and poignant. And, when it is all said and done, Poirot’s motto of “I do not approve of murder” guides the ethos of her tales, which is an extremely pro-life message when it’s all said and done. Don’t take the life of another – or God will surely see and exact vengeance in one form or another. A special shoutout here to my mom who taught me to love mysteries!

43.         The Nine Tailors (Also read: All other mystery novels and short stories) by Dorothy Sayers
Summary: A British Lord helps to unravel a mystery involving the death of an unknown man found in the grave of knighted British gentleman’s deceased spouse.
Analysis: Lord Peter Whimsy may be the most nuanced character presented as a mystery protagonist in all of literature. The plot of The Nine Tailors is so well-crafted and the mystery so perfectly hidden within its untangling that I remember giving a small gasp when the ending unfolded. Sayers is a delightful writer and her mysteries are well-worth the time, always containing reminders of the need for empathy and for redemption in any human interaction.

42.         Descent into Hell (Also read: War in Heaven) by Charles Williams (Frightening scenes)
Summary: A theological thriller, Pauline Anstruther confronts her doppelganger as two men in her life provide her support emerging from dramatically different motives.
Analysis: A member of a group of 20^th Century British authors known as the Inklings, along with Tolkien and Lewis (and, from a distance, Sayers), Williams has his problematic issues as an author, having been revealed in his personal life as being involved in the occult. However, in this book, I believe he does an excellent job of identifying true love from a Gospel-sense and how that love can dispel any demon. I will never forget this novel’s portrayal of the need to “bear one another’s burdens in Christ” (Galatians 6:2), a portrayal which I believe rings true to the call of Christ on the life of every believer. As with any author or artist, it is important to recognize that truth and beauty can be recognized and conveyed by people with tremendous flaws.

41.         Pride and Prejudice (Also read: Sense and Sensibility, Emma) by Jane Austen
Summary: A young woman of little means and a man of immense means cross paths and personalities in a tale of romance that offers satirical commentary on early-19^th century British society.
Analysis: In my mind, Pride and Prejudice is the premier romance novel. In the term, I don’t mean the sappy Amish kind, or the erotic kind, but a good, solid love-story that shows how opposites attract, and how wildly different human beings living in a crazy world can find in a mutual embrace a joy and happiness that is unparalleled in human experience. Love, according to Austen and according to Scripture, isn’t easy or self-indulgent… it is, as G.K. Chesterton once said, “a duel to the death which no man of honor should decline” (duel, in this sense, not meaning a violent conflict, but a mixture of love and struggle with life). The novel’s humor is also one of its highly underrated features, in my humble opinion, and Austen offers pointed critiques of her society and its issues along with her stories.

Quincy’s List So Far:
41.         Pride and Prejudice (Sense and Sensibility, Emma) by Jane Austen
42.         Descent into Hell (War in Heaven) by Charles Williams
43.         The Nine Tailors (All other mystery novels and short stories) by Dorothy Sayers
44.         The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (All other mystery novels and short stories) by Agatha Christie
45.         All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
46.         Little Women (Also read: Little Men and Jo’s Boys) by Louisa May Alcott
47.         Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
48.         The Sound and the Fury (Also read: The Reivers) by William Faulkner
49.         Treasure Island (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) by Robert Louis Stevenson
50.         Dracula by Bram Stoker
51.         Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
52.         The Sign of the Four (All Sherlock Holmes Stories and novels) by Arthur Conan Doyle
53.         I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World, Strange Wine) by Harlan Ellison
54.         The Scarlet Letter (Blithedale Romance) by Nathaniel Hawthorne
55.         Fahrenheit 451 (Something Wicked This Way Comes) by Ray Bradbury
56.         The Moviegoer (The Last Gentleman, The Second Coming) by Walker Percy
57.         Quo Vadis (Fire in the Steppe, the Deluge, With Fire and Sword) by Henryk Sienkiewicz
58.         Life of Pi by Yann Martel
59.         God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Slaughterhouse 5, Cat’s Cradle, Short Stories, Player Piano, Breakfast of Champions) by Kurt Vonnegut
60.         Nickel Boys (The Underground Railroad) by Colson Whitehead
61.         Beloved by Toni Morrison
62.         The Trial (Amerika) by Franz Kafka
63.         The Source (The Chesapeake) by James Michener
64.         The Princess Bride by William Golding
65.         All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
66.         The Power and the Glory (The Heart of the Matter, The Quiet American, The Tenth Man) by Graham Greene
67.         Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
68.         The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
69.         Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

70.         The Great Gatsby (Tender is the Night) by F. Scott Fitzgerald
71.         All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
72.         True Grit (Also read: Norwood) by Charles Portis
73.         A Canticle for Lebowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

74.         No Country for Old Men (Also read: The Road, Blood Meridian) by Cormac McCarthy
75.         A Morbid Taste for Bones (Also Read: All Brother Cadfael Mysteries) by Ellis Peters
76.         Right Ho, Jeeves! (Also Read: All Jeeves and Wooster and Mulliner Short Stories and Novels) By P.G. Wodehouse
77.         Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
78.         The Time Quintet by Madeline Le’Engle
79.         The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
80.         Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
81.         The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (All Flavia de Luce novels) by Alan Bradley
82.         Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
83.         Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
84.         Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
85.         Moby Dick by Herman Melville
86.         Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
87.         On the Road by Jack Kerouac
88.         Three-Fifths by John Vercher
89.         The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
90.         Americanah by Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie
91.         What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Short Stories) by Raymond Carver
92.         Before the Fall (The Good Father) by Noah Hawley
93.         Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Marukami
94.         Everything is Illuminated (Here I Am, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – Jonathan Safran Foer
95.         Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
96.         There, There by Tommy Orange
97.         Fathers and Sons (Home of the Gentry) by Ivan Turgenev
98.         In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
99.         Track Series by Jason Reynolds
100.       The End of Baseball by Peter Schilling, Jr.

Quincy's Top 100 Novels: 60-51

 60.         Nickel Boys (Also read: The Underground Railroad) by Colson Whitehead (Adult situations, violence, and graphic descriptions of abuse)

Summary: Inspired by a true story, a Black protagonist navigate life in a boys’ school in Florida in the Jim Crow era and life following his time there, having experienced tremendous trauma and racial violence.
Analysis: In following the experiences of Elwood Curtis and Jack Turner, readers are invited to consider whether we are doomed to a world guided by genocide, racism and violence, or if we can work together to make the world a better place if we don’t give up. There are no easy answers given, which is like life. As Christians, we pray “Your kingdom come” but what are we willing to sacrifice and for whom are we willing to stand up to bring that actual kingdom to fruition? Nickel Boys encourages us to ask these questions in a gripping tale.

59.         God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Also read: Slaughterhouse 5, Cat’s Cradle, Short Stories, Player Piano, Breakfast of Champions) by Kurt Vonnegut (Adult language)
Summary: The heir of a wealthy U.S. senator with a social conscience confronts the forces of greed in American society.
Analysis: If you’ve never read Vonnegut, be aware that he has no regard for literary conventions. He can be humorous, dark, sarcastic, whimsical, warm, and cynical all at the same time, and he is in this novel. I love all Vonnegut works, but God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is the most moving of his corpus to me. Vonnegut asks the question of whether love can defeat the desire for wealth and personal gain woven into the fabric of the United States and invites readers to consider the implications of their answer for themselves, all while delighting with memorable characters and a rollicking plot. I always say Vonnegut was not a Christian, but he understands Jesus a lot better than many Christian writers. I recommend many of his other books if you want to be challenged on the issue of pacifism and war.

58.         Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Summary: A teenage boy from India who loves multiple world religions is stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger.
Analysis: Life of Pi is just a joyous read, every page a new surprise, and every development an opportunity to stop in wonder at the world in which we live. I will note that I do not share the polytheistic approach of the novel’s protagonist, but I do believe that there is immense value for the Christian in learning to appreciate the beauty and, yes, truth that can be found in other world religions. If we are to share of the fullness of truth and beauty found only in relationship with Jesus, it is helpful to see how fragments of that image have been reflected in other religions and culture. Filled with self-deprecating humor and surprising twists, this is a gorgeous story that rewards careful reading.

57.         Quo Vadis (Also read: Fire in the Steppe, the Deluge, With Fire and Sword) by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Summary: A romance between a Roman nobleman and a barbarian slave unfolds before the backdrop of Nero’s persecutions of the early Christians.
Analysis: Sienkiewicz is an absolute master of the historical fiction form, and I believe Quo Vadis to be his seminal work. I also love his Polish Trilogy, but I find Quo Vadis to be more accessible and more moving for the Christian. Unlike many Christian authors who look at the history of our faith in fiction, Sienkiewicz isn’t interested in hagiography, but in grappling with the real-life struggles and passions of the people whose faithfulness brought the message of Christ to us. This is the kind of novel that makes you want to love Jesus better, and you can’t give a much higher compliment than that.

56.         The Moviegoer (Also read: The Last Gentleman, The Second Coming) by Walker Percy
Summary: A man living in the south of the United States struggles to connect with people while finding joy and vitality in watching movies.
Analysis: Pearcy invites readers into the classic dilemma of whether the unexamined life is worth living, but with a twist – can you be devoted to understanding the meaning of life while being disconnected from the people around you who are living that life? How does art interfere with or, conversely, assist in living, loving, and finding meaning? These are questions you can read about in a philosophy book, or, as I prefer, you can find an interesting story with a fascinating protagonist with this one to help show you the way to think through these kinds of questions.

55.         Fahrenheit 451 (Also read: Something Wicked This Way Comes) by Ray Bradbury
Summary: In a dystopian future society, a man charged with burning books becomes dedicated to preserving them.
Analysis: Fahrenheit 451 is a story that has aged well, as we enter into an age of digital media where the value of the printed word is diminished. As Christians, the importance of God revealing Himself through physical, printed words is hard not to think about as we imagine with Bradbury a future where humanity reading and remembering their memories, dreams, thoughts, ambitions and questions is considered dangerous.

54.         The Scarlet Letter (Also read: Blithedale Romance) by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Summary: A story of one woman’s rejection by her society because of a forbidden romance with a guardian of that society’s moral standards.
Analysis: The Scarlet Letter is one of those books that was so widely read and assigned that our appreciation of it has become fatigued as a result. In the book, Hawthorne examines the influence of shame, denial, legalism and populism that have been strong undercurrents in American society since that society’s inception. Freedom and life come from living in the truth and standing up for those who have been marginalized by the world around us. That sounds like a big part of the message of Jesus.

53.         I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (Also read: The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World, Strange Wine) by Harlan Ellison (Adult situations, adult language, graphic violence)
Summary: A collection of science-fiction (and horror?) stories, including the title story in which a master-computer tortures humans.
Analysis: Ellison is a genius and has an endlessly creative mind that he turns to realms both fantastical and futuristic. A key feature of most science-fiction and fantasy (and some horror) is that the stories stare unblinkingly at the biggest questions in life – humanity’s purpose, love, death, the value of existence, ethics of things like artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, utopianism, and so much more. Ellison is uniquely able to put vivid characters in outlandish environments and make the philosophical quandaries of our existence come home in an intensely personal fashion, all while you eagerly turn the page to see how his stories will end.

52.         The Sign of the Four (Also read: All Sherlock Holmes stories and novels) by Arthur Conan Doyle
Summary: Detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion and chronicler Dr. John Watson attempt to solve mysteries surrounding the disappearance of the father of a female client.
Analysis: I’ve reached the point in my list where I am starting to run into some of my first loves. I have a photo of my mom and myself dressed as Sherlock Holmes and Watson for a Bible Quiz Meet when I was 11 (thank you for wearing a mustache, mom!). I just adored the mystery in these books, and in his stories, and the unforgettable personality of Sherlock Holmes as he swept through my imagination. The plots hold up, Doyle’s willingness to allow Holmes to be human and vulnerable holds up (this aspect is especially seen in the Sign of the Four), and the simple triumph of right over wrong will never fail to thrill me as a reader.

51.         Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
Summary: An allegorical tale chronicling the journey of a Christian through his earthly life to his heavenly home.
Analysis: Now, if we could count Bunyan’s hymn “To Be a Pilgrim” as a novel, it would definitely make this list, but, as it stands, his story of the journey of Christian through life while confronting the snares and temptations common to every human being stands the test of time. This book is notable not only for providing an engaging adventure but also being an inspiration for believers in Jesus for hundreds of years, encouraging them that, as in the words of the apostle Paul, “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). (Note: get an annotated version in Modern English, make it a little easier on yourself).

Quincy’s List So Far:
51.         Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
52.         The Sign of the Four (All Sherlock Holmes Stories and novels) by Arthur Conan Doyle
53.         I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World, Strange Wine) by Harlan Ellison
54.         The Scarlet Letter (Blithedale Romance) by Nathaniel Hawthorne
55.         Fahrenheit 451 (Something Wicked This Way Comes) by Ray Bradbury
56.         The Moviegoer (The Last Gentleman, The Second Coming) by Walker Percy
57.         Quo Vadis (Fire in the Steppe, the Deluge, With Fire and Sword) by Henryk Sienkiewicz
58.         Life of Pi by Yann Martel
59.         God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Slaughterhouse 5, Cat’s Cradle, Short Stories, Player Piano, Breakfast of Champions) by Kurt Vonnegut
60.         Nickel Boys (The Underground Railroad) by Colson Whitehead
61.         Beloved by Toni Morrison
62.         The Trial (Amerika) by Franz Kafka
63.         The Source (The Chesapeake) by James Michener
64.         The Princess Bride by William Golding
65.         All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
66.         The Power and the Glory (The Heart of the Matter, The Quiet American, The Tenth Man) by Graham Greene
67.         Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
68.         The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
69.         Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

70.         The Great Gatsby (Tender is the Night) by F. Scott Fitzgerald
71.         All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
72.         True Grit (Also read: Norwood) by Charles Portis
73. A Canticle for Lebowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
74.         No Country for Old Men (Also read: The Road, Blood Meridian) by Cormac McCarthy
75.         A Morbid Taste for Bones (Also Read: All Brother Cadfael Mysteries) by Ellis Peters
76.         Right Ho, Jeeves! (Also Read: All Jeeves and Wooster and Mulliner Short Stories and Novels) By P.G. Wodehouse
77.         Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
78.         The Time Quintet by Madeline Le’Engle
79.         The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
80.         Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
81.         The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (All Flavia de Luce novels) by Alan Bradley
82.         Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
83.         Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
84.         Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
85.         Moby Dick by Herman Melville
86.         Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
87.         On the Road by Jack Kerouac
88.         Three-Fifths by John Vercher
89.         The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
90.         Americanah by Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie
91.         What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Short Stories) by Raymond Carver
92.         Before the Fall (The Good Father) by Noah Hawley
93.         Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Marukami
94.         Everything is Illuminated (Here I Am, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – Jonathan Safran Foer
95.         Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
96.         There, There by Tommy Orange
97.         Fathers and Sons (Home of the Gentry) by Ivan Turgenev
98.         In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
99.         Track Series by Jason Reynolds
100.       The End of Baseball by Peter Schilling, Jr.

Quincy's Top 100 Novels: 70-61

 

70. The Great Gatsby (Also read: Tender is the Night) by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Summary: A Midwesterner becomes friend with a mysterious millionaire who is fixated on reuniting with a former lover.
Analysis: While the Great Gatsby is top 10 for many readers, I find Fitzgerald to come across as slightly full of himself. He knows he is a great writer (and he IS) and wants to make sure everyone knows. But, his characters are stunningly portrayed here as he strips the veneer off the Gilded Age and leaves us wondering what will last when all we are left with is the reality of who we really are underneath. Jesus is constantly pushing people to confront their true selves with His transforming love… I think reading this novel helped me in that journey.

69. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (Adult situations)
Summary: A woman with a highly romanticized view of the world refuses to be content with the life she is living, leading her to affairs and extravagances with devastating consequences.
Analysis: An early novel that focused on the desires and agency of a woman. Madame Bovary isn’t a particularly sympathetic character, but she also shows how little control women of her time period had over their happiness and future. Emma Bovary makes terrible decision after terrible decision, but the world she lives in doesn’t exactly make space for her to learn, grow and become her own person. This story does fine work in examining how society can trick us into letting our selfish natures rule, so that even the most vivid personalities among us turn into soulless ciphers. Just look at social media influencers to see that the novel is very relevant today (and Jesus loves influencers, too!).

68. The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
Summary: A young mage named Ged travels the collection of Islands and seas known as Earthsea, coming to terms with his power and the reality of death.
Analysis: An innovative and original fantasy trilogy, Le Guin provides space for her characters to confront despair and darkness without giving them convenient, tropey outs from the magic they possess. These stories are thrilling adventures that will leave you wondering what shadows you are trying to outrun and pondering where the light you need to live will come from (the Christian knows that light is only found in Christ). My dad has rightly pointed out an important note – Le Guin does not share a Christian worldview. She sees light-dark, death-life as equally admirable forces in the world. So, be aware of this dynamic while engaging her work, and you can find reasons to love and appreciate the Christian view.

67. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (Adult language and situations)
Summary: In a dystopian future World State in which scientific advancements provide humans with an easy, pleasurable existence, one man challenges the status quo.
Analysis: The two great dystopian novels are 1984 and a Brave New World, and I find a Brave New World’s vision of the future far more realistic. While we face dangers from totalitarianism from all political angles, the easiest one for me to imagine is a Wall-E type future where some government/corporation entity provides for all our needs, wants, and fears, eliminating the need for our personal involvement. Huxley asks whether we would find this future acceptable or not. The God who created humans with free will and seeks them with love, freely given, makes clear that we are meant to have full investment in the human experience.

66. The Power and the Glory (Also read: The Heart of the Matter, The Quiet American, The Tenth Man) by Graham Greene
Summary: In Mexico during a widespread persecution of Catholics, a priest addicted to whiskey both runs from his calling and fulfills it while eluding an inevitable and reluctant martyrdom.
Analysis: Greene’s stories are always surprisingly humorous amidst scenes of dark despair, and the Power and the Glory invites us to consider whether our heroes are saints or just men and women who ended up doing the right thing whether they liked it or not. More importantly, Greene challenges us to see how God gives us Himself even in the middle of our brokenness and failures; then asks us to think about whether that is enough, in the end.

65. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Summary: Soldiers in the German army in World War I come to realize that the war they are fighting removes all hope and light from their future.
Analysis: This is a remarkable account of the real experiences of soldiers who realize that the causes of patriotism, nationalism and heroism cannot cancel out the horrors of human beings killing other human beings. Though the novel was not written as a pacifist tract, it is hard to find a more compelling argument in all of literature against excusing the damage war does to the spirits and lives of soldiers.

64.   The Princess Bride by William Golding
Summary: A farm-boy turned adventurer teams up with an expert fencer with a strange grudge and a loveable giant to rescue the Princess Buttercup (is this a kissing book??).
Analysis: If you’ve seen the Princess Bride but haven’t read the book, you NEED to read the book. If you’ve read the book but haven’t seen the movie, you NEED to see the movie. If you haven’t done either, what are you waiting for? Besides being a refreshingly original and hilarious version of the fairy tale, the novel also asks some deep, philosophical questions about the meaning of life, love and loss, and the redemption of suffering. As you can tell from my list, I’m not opposed to a book full of heavy themes and stark despair – this novel is a welcome and fun change from all that, without being at all escapism.

63. The Source (Also read: The Chesapeake) by James Michener (Adult language and situations)
Summary: A team of archaeologists excavate an ancient city in Israel while the narrative traces the lives, faiths and civilizations of the people who have lived there.
Analysis: Michener is the master of the historical novel format, and it is a joyous ride to follow the rise of the Hebrew, Christian and Muslim faiths in this story filled with solid historical and archaeological information. The careful student of Scripture will find this novel a helpful and informative read while seeking to understand better the sacred texts that guide our lives, while also including an engaging narrative populated by interesting characters.

62. The Trial (Also read: Amerika) by Franz Kafka
Summary: A man is put on trial for crimes of which he is unaware.
Analysis: Kafka’s novels were published after his death, so it is difficult to know exactly how he would have wrapped them up if he had been given the chance. The Trial is a wild, psychological ride that also addresses the arbitrary manner in which societal authorities can upend our lives. The ending is also an incredibly memorable and brave artistic achievement.

61. Beloved by Toni Morrison (Adult language, adult situations, graphic violence and intimate scenes)
Summary: The children of a former slave in the United States confronts the ghost of a child killed by their mother when she was on the run to keep the child from living in slavery.
Analysis: Some controversy erupted about Beloved recently, as it is an incredibly graphic book that is difficult to read. Similarly, slavery in the United States was incredibly graphic institution that is difficult to imagine or conceptualize. Morrison offers a warm yet haunting ghost story to put the truth of slavery into our consciousnesses in an important effort that should be embraced by mature readers. I’m still trying to decide if I am mature enough to really understand it, but someday, I’d like to be.

Quincy’s List So Far:
61.         Beloved by Toni Morrison
62.         The Trial (Amerika) by Franz Kafka
63.         The Source (The Chesapeake) by James Michener
64.         The Princess Bride by William Golding
65.         All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
66.         The Power and the Glory (The Heart of the Matter, The Quiet American, The Tenth Man) by Graham Greene
67.         Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
68.         The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
69.         Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

70.         The Great Gatsby (Tender is the Night) by F. Scott Fitzgerald
71.         All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
72.         True Grit (Also read: Norwood) by Charles Portis
73. A Canticle for Lebowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
74.         No Country for Old Men (Also read: The Road, Blood Meridian) by Cormac McCarthy
75.         A Morbid Taste for Bones (Also Read: All Brother Cadfael Mysteries) by Ellis Peters
76.         Right Ho, Jeeves! (Also Read: All Jeeves and Wooster and Mulliner Short Stories and Novels) By P.G. Wodehouse
77.         Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
78.         The Time Quintet by Madeline Le’Engle
79.         The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
80.         Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
81.         The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (All Flavia de Luce novels) by Alan Bradley
82.         Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
83.         Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
84.         Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
85.         Moby Dick by Herman Melville
86.         Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
87.         On the Road by Jack Kerouac
88.         Three-Fifths by John Vercher
89.         The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
90.         Americanah by Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie
91.         What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Short Stories) by Raymond Carver
92.         Before the Fall (The Good Father) by Noah Hawley
93.         Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Marukami
94.         Everything is Illuminated (Here I Am, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – Jonathan Safran Foer
95.         Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
96.         There, There by Tommy Orange
97.         Fathers and Sons (Home of the Gentry) by Ivan Turgenev
98.         In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
99.         Track Series by Jason Reynolds
100.       The End of Baseball by Peter Schilling, Jr.

Quincy's Top 100 Novels: 80-71

 

80. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Summary: Turbulent family relationships among the landed gentry in England challenge societal conceptions of what is moral and right.
Analysis: Part romance, part ghost story, part social commentary, Emily Bronte produced a clear work of genius in Wuthering Heights. I don’t know that I will ever re-read this book, but once was enough for me to conclude that Bronte is a master of handling multiple narrators and complex narratives. The exposing of darkness within Victorian society reveals that all ages and generations contain their “white-washed tombs” as Jesus describes in the case of the Pharisees.

79. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Summary: An orphan boy discovers his hidden destiny to attend a magical school and become a wizard and fight against an evil that threatens to dominate the world.
Analysis: Christians should always be careful to emphasize that REAL magic in our world is not to be trifled with or explored. I believe that Rowling makes clear that the magic in her books is a different animal – a literary device similar to the Force in Star Wars (only even less connected to religious overtones). The stories revolve around the idea of self-sacrifice and love being the most powerful forces in the world. Rowling builds a wonderful world and creates some excellent and memorable characters. She cuts some corners here and there, but I particularly love her use of 1 Corinthians 15 in the Deathly Hallows.

78. The Time Quintet by Madeline L’Engle
Summary: A group of children including a socially misfit sister and her precocious younger brother adventure through time, space, and spiritual realms to confront and defeat evil.
Analysis: My favorite of these books is the Wrinkle in Time, but all of theme except An Acceptable Time are excellent (Acceptable Time is merely ok). I love how L’Engle uses imagination, science, literature and Scripture to paint a picture of how every person – no matter how seemingly insignificant – is called to join in the fight against evil and to stand up for love. Her portrayal of the devil in the Wrinkle in Time is one of the most memorable, and accurate to what I see about Satan in Scripture, in all of literature. And the stories are just plain fun reading, with some elements of thriller, comedy and romance included.

77. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Summary: A delightful tale of a little girl who enters a world filled with the stuff of dreams and whimsy.
Analysis: You have probably seen an adaptation or two of Carroll’s work, but the book is worth the read. The writing is clever, humorous, and imaginative. The story is part fairy tale, part moral fable, part psychedelic exercise in absurdity. The characters are memorable and worthy of note. And, the silliness reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.

76. Right Ho, Jeeves! by P.G. Wodehouse. (Also read: All Jeeves and Wooster and Mulliner Short Stories and Novels)
Summary: Bertie Wooster gets into numerous scrapes with his family and friends, only to be rescued (or further entangled) by his imminently admirable and intelligent valet, Jeeves.
Analysis: If you don’t enjoy British humor, you won’t enjoy these books. But, if you know how to appreciate ridiculous, off-the-wall, light-hearted humor, these books are guaranteed to make you laugh, and Right Ho, Jeeves! is the best of the bunch. Besides humor, the books also teach the lesson (with a light touch) of the importance of not overlooking someone based on their position in society. Bertie Wooster may be the employer here, but he is in no way the man in charge. I have spent many hours smiling and laughing over the genius of P.G. Wodehouse, and it is all clean, good-hearted humor.

75. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (Also read: All Brother Cadfael mysteries and Inspector George Felse Mysteries) [Some adult situations, nothing explicit].
Summary: A retired, Welsh crusader-turned Benedictine monk becomes an amateur detective in 12^th century England.
Analysis: I cannot recommend in strong enough language that if you are a Christian and enjoy mystery novels, you should be reading Ellis Peter’s Brother Cadfael series! Every story has a murder, a romance, and a lesson about the grace of God. There are ongoing story-lines that carry the series, but each individual novel also stands on its own. Every Christian bookstore should carry the Brother Cadfael series, but, considering that Christian bookstores are all but gone, you’re going to need to find them elsewhere, anyway. They’re worth the search: teaching timeless lessons about compassion, forgiveness and nobility.

74. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy (Also read: The Road, Blood Meridian) [Adult language and graphic violence described]
Summary: An aging sheriff attempts to protect a young lawman while bringing a heartless killer to justice in the Texas back country in 1980.
Analysis: McCarthy is a genius, but this story was originally written as a screenplay, so it reads a little differently than some of his other novels. I love the way he deals with violence, death, and hope in a post-modern world where the concepts of right and wrong seem to have disappeared and the only law governing some men seems to be their own ruthless desires. If you’ve seen the movie, the novel is still well-worth the read and will stay with you for days, as you ponder the heartless world we humans have made for ourselves and what kind of people we should choose to be in light of this terrifying realization.

73. A Canticle for Lebowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Summary: After a nuclear holocaust, a remnant of Christian monks seek to preserve the truths that science and faith both hold in common in a world that has rejected its God-given purpose.
Analysis: I’m not sure I’ve ever read a more ambitious piece of science-fiction. I find it largely successful, though a bit garbled in spots. There are memorable characters in all three parts of the novel, led by Brother Francis, the Old Jewish Wanderer, the Poet, Brother Joseph, Abbot Zerchi and one of only two female characters, the mysterious and two-headed Mrs. Grales. At its heart, the novel examines the enduring value of human life and the costs of protecting that value, born both by us humans and our creator God.

72. True Grit by Charles Portis (Also read: Norwood)
Summary: An aging U.S. Marshall with an alcohol problem and a self-important Texas ranger attempt to capture an outlaw while accompanied by a precocious young girl whose father the outlaw killed.
Analysis: You may have seen the movie starring John Wayne or the (better) film by the Coen Brothers adapting the same novel, but Portis’s western stands on its own, asking questions about revenge, redemption and grace. There is something intriguing about the period from which American westerns emerged, although it has too often been shamefully romanticized. I believe this book does a decent job at presenting its story without glamorizing that time in history.

71. All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
Summary: A rising political star in the Depression-Era American South negotiates the sacrifices being asked of him to gain power, while a political reporter finds parallels between the life of the politician he covers and his own.
Analysis: This novel does an excellent job examining the flaws in the United States’ system of government through focusing on a very human story. As we learn to despise the moral compromises made by characters in the book, a magnifying glass is held up to our own lives and we’re left to calculate the inestimable value of personal integrity.

Quincy’s List So Far:
71.         All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
72.         True Grit (Also read: Norwood) by Charles Portis
73.         A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
74.         No Country for Old Men (Also read: The Road, Blood Meridian) by Cormac McCarthy
75.         A Morbid Taste for Bones (Also Read: All Brother Cadfael Mysteries) by Ellis Peters
76.         Right Ho, Jeeves! (Also Read: All Jeeves and Wooster and Mulliner Short Stories and Novels) By P.G. Wodehouse
77.         Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
78.         The Time Quintet by Madeline Le’Engle
79.         The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
80.         Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
81.         The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (All Flavia de Luce novels) by Alan Bradley
82.         Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
83.         Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
84.         Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
85.         Moby Dick by Herman Melville
86.         Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
87.         On the Road by Jack Kerouac
88.         Three-Fifths by John Vercher
89.         The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
90.         Americanah by Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie
91.         What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Short Stories) by Raymond Carver
92.         Before the Fall (The Good Father) by Noah Hawley
93.         Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Marukami
94.         Everything is Illuminated (Here I Am, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – Jonathan Safran Foer
95.         Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
96.         There, There by Tommy Orange
97.         Fathers and Sons (Home of the Gentry) by Ivan Turgenev
98.         In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
99.         Track Series by Jason Reynolds
100.       The End of Baseball by Peter Schilling, Jr.

Quincy's Top 100 Novels: 90-81

 

90. Americanah by Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie (Adult language)

Summary: Adiche tells the story of two Nigerian immigrants – one to the U.S. and one to the U.K. – in their time away from their home country and after their return.
Analysis: Americanah effortlessly combines the reality of racial dynamics in our world, the lasting nature of romance, and the tension of becoming an adult. Adichie gives her characters memorable voices which help readers experience the perspective of Nigerian immigrants in Western societies in a manner that increases both compassion and understanding in the flow of a dramatic and captivating story.

89. The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson (Adult language)
Summary: An orphan attempts to live amidst the propaganda-driven, totalitarian regime of North Korea.
Analysis: Johnson did extensive research to try to understand as much as possible of the reality of life in North Korea, and he puts it in a gripping narrative that leads us into a place of compassion and a desire to help those who are hurt by the North Korean government. This would be a better story if it were told by a North Korean… but we are not permitted to hear those stories, and that is enough reason to read this novel, and to pray for those in nations like that who have no one to advocate for them.

88. Three-Fifths by John Vercher (Adult language and situations)
Summary: Amidst the cultural setting of the O.J. Simpson trial, a mixed-race teenager is caught up in a violent racial incident involving a family member and reckons with the fallout.
Analysis: I will never know the experience of being Black in America. I will never know the experience of not being white in America. So, I seek novels that help me understand how those who are Black, those who are not white, experience life around me and in different places than I live. Do I have to agree with their perspectives? No, but I should seek to understand and empathize before I seek to distinguish my own viewpoint. With that said, I find Vercher’s narrative a compelling expose of how the ethnic identity and color of someone’s skin is not something that many in the United States can take for granted, sadly. This book pushed me to be a better advocate for hearing those who experience racism and to find ways to use whatever voice I have to speak up for them – all just in telling a thrilling story. I appreciate that.

87. On the Road  by Jack Kerouac (Adult language and situations)
Summary: A coming-of-age story combined with a road trip narrative, this novel defined a generation of baby boomers as they entered adulthood.
Analysis: Believe it or not, On the Road is a story of people looking for salvation, salvation they can only find as God gives it to them. I know, I was as shocked as you probably are now to discover that as I read it. I’m glad Jesus is in pursuit of hippies, beatniks, drug users, vagabonds, and lost souls (like me).

86. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Adult language and situations)
Summary: A satirical account of military life during World War II, highlighting the absurdity of war.
Analysis: As we honor the Greatest Generation and appreciate their sacrifices, we should not glorify or sanitize the horrors of war. Writers like Heller use humor as a sword to pierce defenses we’ve built to quiet our cognitive dissonance about what we know killing each other does to our souls. It’s a funny read and a sobering one, which is a difficult dynamic to pull off.

85. Moby Dick by Herman Mellville
Summary: A crazed sea-captain sacrifices everything to hunt an elusive, murderous white whale.
Analysis: It’s important to be aware that Melville is attacking the capriciousness of God and of nature in this novel. It is blasphemous… but so are parts of Ecclesiastes. So is Psalm 22, in parts. We can learn something when we listen to the cries of the human who is frustrated at the seemingly uncaring nature of Providence revealed in the reality of suffering. Moby Dick is too self-important, yes, but it is well-written and it (unintentionally) directs us to run to Jesus for the relief and salvation only He can give.

84. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (Adult situations)
Summary: The granddaughter of a formerly-enslaved woman tries to make her way in life and find love.
Analysis: This story is heart-breaking and difficult to read… so why read it? First, many people from backgrounds like mine wonder about some of the issues facing families in cultures different from their own. This novel helps demonstrate how American culture and white society tried to force Black Americans into situations in which stability and health was impossible to establish. Yet, Black woman endured and were victorious in winning the right to live, love, and care for their families. This is a victory worth celebrating and appreciating.

83. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Summary: Shelley’s monster reveals that the true depravity is found within humans.
Analysis: Shelley tells a good, frightening story and leaves readers with good questions about how we pervert nature and misuse others in pursuit of a life we find preferable. This book is far more than fertile grounds for a monster movie; it reveals the monster lurking inside each of us.

82. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Summary: A ghost story in which a man’s second wife discovers her new home is haunted.
Analysis: There is something to be said about a story that frightens, mystifies, and entices you to turn pages as quickly as you can to reach the conclusion. In this case, Du Maurier is also talking to us about the chains of our past and the hidden realities we try to ignore that refuse to be forgotten. Scripture talks about this reality as well, and says, “Bring those burdens to Jesus, because He cares for you.” This is an exciting and chilling mystery worth a careful reading.

81. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley Also Read: All Flavia de Luce novels)
Summary: Incorrigible, precocious and loveable, 11-year old genius Flavia tries to help solve a murder in her family’s post-World War II English countryside estate.
Analysis: Flavia de Luce is a delight. She shows that girls can love science, love life, and love their family while terrorizing them at the same time. This mystery is a delectable ride at every turn of the page. (All Flavia books are great, but this one is the cream of the crop). Flavia reminds me of the joy we should take time to stop and appreciate the world that God has given us and in the unique human beings He has created to populate that world. All should be treasured, examined, protected, and prodded.

Quincy’s List So Far:
81.         The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (All Flavia de Luce novels) by Alan Bradley
82.         Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
83.         Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
84.         Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
85.         Moby Dick by Herman Melville
86.         Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
87.         On the Road by Jack Kerouac
88.         Three-Fifths by John Vercher
89.         The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
90.         Americanah by Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie
91.         What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Short Stories) by Raymond Carver
92.         Before the Fall (The Good Father) by Noah Hawley
93.         Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Marukami
94.         Everything is Illuminated (Here I Am, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) – Jonathan Safran Foer
95.         Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
96.         There, There by Tommy Orange
97.         Fathers and Sons (Home of the Gentry) by Ivan Turgenev
98.         In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
99.         Track Series by Jason Reynolds
100.       The End of Baseball by Peter Schilling, Jr.