TIME has gone through the effort of choosing the best novels from 1923 to the present day. How did they go about this endeavor? Read on:
For the books project, Grossman and I each began by drawing up inventories of our nominees. Once we traded notes, it turned out that more than 80 of our separately chosen titles matched. (Even some of the less well-known ones, like At-Swim Two Birds.) We decided then that we would more or less divide the remaining slots between us. That would allow each of us to include books that the other might not have chosen. Or might not even have read. (Ubik? What's an Ubik?) And that would extend the list into places where mere agreement wouldn't take it. (source)
Gosh, this would make a swell gift idea. After buying one of these books on reprint, I might as well attach a small note that says that this was one of the best novels ever written since 1923.
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