Best of Different Genres

Hi all. I thought it might be interesting to get readers favorites in the 1001 list for different genres. What are your favorite novels (so far) in the following genres or categories, and why?

(1) Drama
(2) Mystery/Crime
(3) Comedy
(4) Horror
(5) Science Fiction
(6) Experimental or "Weird"
(7) Romance
(8) Fantasy
(9) Classic
(10) Contemporary

Only makes sense I should answer my own post :).

(1) Drama

I know this is a broad category, but I think it is safe to say that To Kill A Mockingbird is still the best drama, and quite possibly the best book, that I have read so far in the list.

(2) Mystery/Crime

The Talented Mr. Ripley because Patricia Highsmith created an amazing villian in Tom Ripley.

(3) Comedy

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy because Douglas Adams makes me laugh out loud and think at the same time...of course, mostly I am thinking about how loud I am laughing, but still...

(4) Horror

This is a difficult one, because I have really liked all of the horror novels I have read so far. I am going to say Frankenstein though, because it is such a pathetic and tragic tale, and the creature is a fantastic and sympathetic villian.

(5) Science Fiction

Another really tough category because, again, there are some great scifi novels in this list. I guess I will go with Brave New World because Aldous Huxley discusses so many fascinating philosophical and social problems in the novel.

(6) Experimental or "Weird"

I was going to say Vanishing Point, because I had never read a book written like it before, yet I still enjoyed it. But then I decided with the variety of the short story collection Amateurs by Donald Barthelme. Even though there are several stories he writes that completely confound me, when I connect with his writing, it is quite extraordinary.

(7) Romance

A Room With A View because E.M. Forster knows how to write a classic love story while still keep enough dry humor to avoid the sappiness.

(8) Fantasy

The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings. The details, the mythology, the characters, the storytelling...all excellent.

(9) Classic

I honestly haven't read a lot of these, but so far I enjoyed Don Quixote the most. The characters of Quixote and Sancho are what make this long story work well.

(10) Contemporary

Again, haven't read a lot of the newer books, but I really enjoyed Life of Pi

I'm glad you answered your own post, because I use different labels. Okay, I'll think about it a bit and post back in the next day or so.

Fun question!

That is a good question media1001 and a good excuse to go back through the list in a more critical way. I've only read 91 of the 1001 but still had a hard time picking a diverse top 10!

1. Drama: I have to give this to Dickens, whether it's Bleak House or David Copperfield.

2. Mystery: I don't know whether it's technically a mystery, but I loved Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.

3. Comedy: Tristram Shandy

4. Horror: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

5. Science Fiction: 2001: A Space Odyssey gets this by default since I have read very little sci fi.

6. Experimental: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

7. Romance: If romance can count as strange or twisted relationships, I'd pick The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch or The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy.

8. Fantasy: Lord of the Rings trilogy

9. Classic: This is hard since most of what I've read on the list could be termed classic. I'll pick Proust's In Search of Lost Time series since I probably would never have embarked on it if it was contemporary.

10. Contemporary: Middlesex

Maybe I made this request too large. If you have opinions on the best books in *any* of the genres listed below, please post it to this thread. I am interested in hearing of the best of the best in any genre. Thanks, M1001.

The genres are:

(1) Drama
(2) Mystery/Crime
(3) Comedy
(4) Horror
(5) Science Fiction
(6) Experimental or "Weird"
(7) Romance
(8) Fantasy
(9) Classic (or "author is dead")
(10) Contemporary (or "author is still alive")

(1) Drama
The Great Gatsby

(2) Mystery/Crime
The Outsider - Albert Camus. Not sure this entirely counts but I didn't really want to say the only other one I think counts, which is The Black Dahlia

(3) Comedy
Dirk Gently's Hollistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

(4) Horror
Dracula in the hope that this is classified as horror. I didn't find it scary at all though apparently others may.

(5) Science Fiction
The Time Machine

(6) Experimental or "Weird"
Does Everything is Illuminated count? or Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

(7) Romance
A Room with a view or Pride and Prejudice

(8) Fantasy
The Hobbit as I think it's the only fantasy book I have read, due to not having completed LOTR in it's entirety yet.

(9) Classic (or "author is dead")
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

(10) Contemporary (or "author is still alive")
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

These are my picks but I'm not the best person to be making this list. I have only read 56 of the books on the list which does limit my options!

(1) Drama
To Kill a Mockingbird

(2) Mystery/Crime
The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night Time by Mark Haddon

(3) Comedy
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

(4) Horror
??

(5) Science Fiction
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

(6) Experimental or "Weird"
The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan

(7) Romance
Possession by A.S Byatt

(8) Fantasy
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

(9) Classic (or "author is dead")
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

(10) Contemporary (or "author is still alive")
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Message #6:

The Black Dahlia most definitely counts as a crime story and maybe even a mystery. It is a really good book, I enjoyed it a lot.

I haven't read The Outsider yet. I think I have been avoiding Albert Camus , or anything related to existentialism, ever since I struggle through Nausea :).

By the way, although it is not number 1 in my Drama category, I just finished reading Of Mice and Men and I think it was one of the best dramatic short stories I have read since starting this project. The themes, the characters and the relationships fit together so perfectly. A heartbreaking tale.

-- M1001

#8.

I enjoyed The Black Dahlia though I found it a bit slow going after the first hundred pages, whereas I finished The Outsider within a couple of hours.

>9 media1001: media1001, I haven't read that one since school but I have rediscovered Steinbeck this year through Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. He's really a wonderful writer, and his characters have such depth. I may have to revisit Of Mice and Men.

(1) Drama
CANCER WARD

(2) Mystery/Crime
Kafka on the shore

(3) Comedy
The long dark teatime of the soul

(4) Horror
Dracula

(5) Science Fiction
The time machine

(6) Experimental or "Weird"
Kafka on the shore

(7) Romance
The red queen

(8) Fantasy
Lord of the rings

(9) Classic
Agnes Grey

(10) Contemporary
The life of insects

I thought I would go ahead and bump this thread again. I have seen several threads asking about best books in specific genres, but if you want to share you favorite picks all at once, this is a thread to post them on.

-- M1001

Revenge: The Count of Monte Cristo
Adventure: The Three Musketeers
Suspense: Dracula
Science Fiction: The Time Machine
Comedy: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Fantasy: Narnia series
Allegorical Commentary: The Crucible

*anyone know why Dumas books are not working in touchstone?