The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels... May 2026

: Chinua Achebe ( Things Fall Apart ), Mulk Raj Anand, and V.S. Naipaul. Comparison with the Famous "Top 100"

: Chosen by a panel of experts; James Joyce’s Ulysses took the #1 spot. The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels...

Unlike the original 1998 board-selected list which focused on the entire 20th century, this specific collection focuses on the . : Chinua Achebe ( Things Fall Apart ), Mulk Raj Anand, and V

The Modern Library is famous for its definitive "best of" book lists, but many readers are surprised to find there isn't just one. While the is the most cited, the "Two Hundred" often refers to a separate, highly curated selection by authors Carmen Callil and Colm Toíbín titled The Modern Library: The 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950 . The 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950 Unlike the original 1998 board-selected list which focused

: The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger), To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), and Midnight’s Children (Salman Rushdie).

The Modern Library: The 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950

: 194 books were chosen by the editors, while 6 were selected by readers.