Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novel Of The 1940's

quite a few years w/o a big canonical heavy hitter, and thus more idiosyncratic choices as well as ties

hopeful Musil will win this, tho I think my vote will go to Camus

Animal House, nice work

Chandler or Nabokov or Camus. Feels weird to see two Orwells in there.

Richard Wright cut Native Son to make it acceptable (still a close call in the early 40s, I suspect) to the Book of the Month Club, which was a huge deal back then. The restored Library of America version is astonishing, esp. the way he delves into Bigger's mental processes: poetic illumination, with 0 grandiosity, or downplaying/overplaying the violence the cost to all.
The Horse's Mouth is also remarkable, though not quite as unusual, in that the rowdy painter's imagery reminds me of some of Henry Green's London black-out fire warden details in Caught and Surviving , so that helps put Native Son over the top, myvotewise.
(As usual, haven't read most. 1984 is strong, but doesn't have Native Son's inner x outer life to such an extent, don't remember Animal Farm.)

it's about pigs

Animal Farm was a clever critique of contemporary ideological politics, particularly Stalinism, by transposing it into an extended talking animal fable. It was seized on by anti-communist conservatives who praised it to the skies and ensured its wide dissemination. It was included in US high school curricula for the next few decades. Orwell obviously intended it as a call for a return to basic socialist ideals, but it was publicized and often taught as a repudiation of socialism.

Definitely my favorite Nabokov novel. The first one he wrote in English, and by far the most charming. It has a sort of tender sweetness that, earlier or later in his career, he would have laced with quite a bit more cyanide.

Orwell: Pink Floyd's Animals over Bowie's Diamond Dogs.

Otherwise: Scott Walker's "The Plague" over the Cure's Peake-indebted "Drowning Man".

Sonic Youth "Mildred Pierce" over Titus Groan "s/t" (1970 LP)
Anthony Phillips "1984" over Rick Wakeman "1984"

I remember the synopsis of Animal Farm, but not the reading experience---maybe I never read it?
The same year our State Legislature-mandated Anticommunism studies kicked in, the Eighth Graders had to read that (haaated the misuse of animals, I heard), and we Ninth Graders devoured the ugly beauty of 1984, also appreciated Winston and Julia in bed---thanks, State Legislature!

The Horse's Mouth is hilarious. The film version (with script by Alec Guinness) is almost it smatch.

Nothing I know or love enough to vote for here.

A favorite from the decade is Cry, the Beloved Country. Sexus another. Notre-Dame-Des-Fleurs. Borges has a bunch too.

Went for Musil, but otherwise Blanchot.

Love to read Cain.

Picking up Mildred Pierce in anticipation of Todd Haynes' series and expecting a pulp novel, I was blown away by its goodness: a fictional take on life for a working class woman during the Depression and New Deal. I recommend it.

Capture the Castle, one of my favourite novels. Will try to read the Carey, Cain and Sebastian Knight based on the above recommendations.

I would say that Pnin is a much more charming and just a better book than Sebastian Knight and maybe flamboyant tie goon might agree with me!

Two beers good, four beers better

Mildred Pierce is a good movie too, the best Joan Crawford (not our Loves Chachi JC, but the original) that I've seen.
Why no Henry Green on these threads? He's runnng oot of decades. This one's write-in: Caught, or is it Loving? Damn. Good thing I haven't read Back yet, probably.

Seconding. WHERE'S GREEN

Orwell being read more than Green is a tragedy for this world.

Orwell obviously intended it as a call for a return to basic socialist ideals, but it was publicized and often taught as a repudiation of socialism

Yeah, the vast gulf between these two realities is still stunning. It almost has my vote but this is a tough decade, damn

Ward, I love Pnin too, but tend to think of it as a story collection (like Bech: a Book)

Loving got 3 votes in the 1945 poll to Orwell's 7. This is what democracy looks like.

:-(

Don't remember what I voted for, b-but hadn't read Loving then! Oh to go back--

i capture the castle over peake, cary & nabokov. read it earlier this year and it's absolutely delightful. one day i'll get to the musil & blanchot.

bump for the weekday crowd

I've read orwell orwell peake camus chandler, not strongly for or against any of them. I always get i capture the castle and we have always lived in the castle mixed up but I've only read the latter.

been meaning to read Thomas the Obscure for a long while. I don't know most of these. Meaning to get to Peake at some point, possibly 2024

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

The only three I've read are The Plague, Put Out More Flags, and 1984 (but that was a long time ago). I have Mildred Pierce but haven't read it yet. I guess I'd vote for The Plague.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I've tried to start that Musil novel twice.

Musil and Pessoa's The Book of Disquiet have been the two things I feel have really joined the canon in the last 20 years.

Was genuinely worried Orwell might win this so thank fuck