The Best?

I bet there was more than just a letter in that envelope.
God... there had to be.

What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?
New York Times
"Beloved," by Toni Morrison, center, was chosen as the best American fiction of the last 25 years. Runners up were, from left: Philip Roth, Cormac McCarthy, John Updike and Don DeLillo.

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Early this year, the Book 's editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify "the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years." [Read A. O. Scott's essay.] Following are the results.

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Note
This feature will appear in the May 21 issue of the print edition of the Book .


Related
In Search of the Best: An Essay by A. O. Scott The Judges Forum: Discuss the Choices THE WINNER:
Beloved
Toni Morrison
(1987)


THE RUNNERS-UP:
Underworld
Don DeLillo

(1997)

Blood Meridian
Cormac McCarthy

(1985)

Rabbit Angstrom: The Four Novels
John Updike

(1995)

: 'Rabbit at Rest'(1990)

: 'Rabbit Is Rich'(1981)

: 'Rabbit Redux'(1971)

: 'Rabbit, Run'(1960)

American Pastoral
Philip Roth

(1997)

THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ALSO RECEIVED MULTIPLE VOTES:
A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole

(1980)

Housekeeping
Marilynne Robinson

(1980)

(This book was not ed by The Times.)
Winter's Tale
Mark Helprin

(1983)

White Noise
Don DeLillo

(1985)

The Counterlife
Philip Roth

(1986)

Libra
Don DeLillo

(1988)

Where I'm Calling From
Raymond Carver

(1988)

The Things They Carried
Tim O'Brien

(1990)

Mating
Norman Rush

(1991)

Jesus' Son
Denis Johnson

(1992)

Operation Shylock
Philip Roth

(1993)

Independence Day
Richard Ford

(1995)

Sabbath's Theater
Philip Roth

(1995)

Border Trilogy
Cormac McCarthy

(1999)

: 'Cities of the Plain'(1998)

: 'The Crossing'(1994)

: 'All the Pretty Horses'(1992)

The Human Stain
Philip Roth

(2000)

The Known World
Edward P. Jones

(2003)

The Plot Against America
Philip Roth

(2004)