Six years ago, TIME Magazine put out a list of the "100 best English-language novels" from 1923 to 2005. The novels were handpicked by book critic/fiction writer/blogger Lev Grossman and TIME editor at large/art critic/blogger Richard Lacayo. In "How We Picked the List," Lacayo writes, "Lists like this one have two purposes. One is to instruct. The other of course is to enrage." This statement is proven accurate in the very amusing "Your Opinion" section, in which readers can share their feelings about what constitutes a good novel.
Every now and again, I visit this list. For the most part it makes me feel unaccomplished and uncultured, but it also reminds me of how important fiction is in our world. The way I see it, the novel (and fiction in general) is a springboard. As we all know, fiction inspires critical thought and creative work. More often, it moves everyday people who are bored at work to think and fantasize. Fiction, in my opinion, is one of the main reasons for why the world still works. It keeps us interested and gives us hope.
Reading 100 All TIME Novels is a manifestation of all this. Just a regular guy, "MyRev," has embarked on a quest of a lifetime. His mission? To read every novel on TIME's list and review each one. This guy understands the importance of the great novel and has made tackling this project seem like a piece of cake. He has taken something that is essentially high-brow and transformed it into something both down-to-earth and accessible. I'm impressed, and happy there are people out there doing stuff like this.
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