The best crime/mystery novel of the Twentieth Century

[GA Russell]

I'm always open to suggestions.

Which ONE crime/mystery novel do you consider to be the best of the Twentieth Century?

[Larry Kart]

Probably Raymond Chandler's "The Long Goodbye," but competition is fierce.

[BruceH]

That's a hell of a question.

[J.A.W.]

Probably Raymond Chandler's "The Long Goodbye," but competition is fierce.

Seconded, and for me also Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon.

[jostber]

Well you have this previous thread here for your inspiration:

A list of the 100 top mystery novels:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Top_100_Crime_Novels_of_All_Time

My suggestion would be Raymond Chandler - The Long Goodbye

[paul secor]

Probably Raymond Chandler's "The Long Goodbye," but competition is fierce.

Seconded, and for me also Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon.

Too many choices. Probably easier to choose the best crime novel of the 20th century than the best jazz record of the 20th century, but I couldn't pick one in either case.

Edited June 26, 2011 by paul secor

[jazzbo]

Lots of choices. For me it is either a Chandler, Cain or Thompson novel.

[paul secor]

A list of the 100 top mystery novels:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Top_100_Crime_Novels_of_All_Time

100 Top Crime Novels Selected by the Crime Writers' Association, ed. Susan Moody (London, 1990)

and

The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time Selected by the Mystery Writers of America (New Tork, 1995)

Not one Simenon on either list. ????????????

[medjuck]

I've always liked The Big Sleep more than the Long Goodbye even though the plot doesn't quite make sense. The first half of The Long Goodbye is great but the second half strikes me as marking the beginning of Chandler's decline. (I'm one of the few Chandler fans who likes Altman's

film version: IMHO it has a much more satisfying ending.

[jostber]

A list of the 100 top mystery novels:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Top_100_Crime_Novels_of_All_Time

100 Top Crime Novels Selected by the Crime Writers' Association, ed. Susan Moody (London, 1990)

and

The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time Selected by the Mystery Writers of America (New Tork, 1995)

Not one Simenon on either list. ????????????

Well, you'll find him on this list, on page 2 and several on page 8:

http://addictivebooks.com/bookrank/bookrank_1.htm

[Big Beat Steve]

This may be against the usual "wisdom" in this field and I would not claim I have read enough in this field to be able to make a definite choice, but from what I've read (including some Chandler, for ex.) I'd say that a good dose of REX STOUT would have to figure high on any "top whatever" list.

[BillF]

Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels come high in my list of favourites.

[Teasing the Korean]

"The Killer Inside Me" by Jim Thompson

[jazzbo]

This may be against the usual "wisdom" in this field and I would not claim I have read enough in this field to be able to make a definite choice, but from what I've read (including some Chandler, for ex.) I'd say that a good dose of REX STOUT would have to figure high on any "top whatever" list.

I'm a big Rex Stout fan! I've read all the Nero Wolfe, all the Tecumseh Fox, the Doll Bonner. . . and others.

And yeah. . . Simenon. A master!

Edited June 26, 2011 by jazzbo

[GA Russell]

Thanks for your ideas, but so far I see only three titles mentioned. Any specific recommendations from the authors you've mentioned?

[Teasing the Korean]

Thanks for your ideas, but so far I see only three titles mentioned. Any specific recommendations from the authors you've mentioned?

Not the answer you're looking for, but all of Raymond Chandler's novels are collected in two volumes, and seriously, they are all great and worth reading - chronologically, alphabetically, or any other way.

His short stories are generally not as good, IMHO.

[jazzbo]

I'll throw some titles out of names I'd mentioned.

The Long Goodbye, Raymond Chandler

The Killer Inside Me, Jim Thompson.

(Both of these were mentioned before, for good reason).

The Postman Always Rings Twice, James M. Cain

Simenon is harder. . . there are many good ones and they're consistently good. I'd say The Blue Room, or Maigret and the Killers. . .or the three "African" novels. . . there are many good ones.

[BillF]

If you only read one Ripley novel, it should be the first, The Talented Mr Ripley.

[medjuck]

I think I have read most of the Nero Wolfe books. Which ones are recommended as the best?

[jazzbo]

I really like the earliest ones best, though there's some later on that are timeless as well.

I'd recommend "Fer de Lance," "The League of Frightened Men" and "The Red Box."

The three with the enigmatic Zeck are good as well, especially "In the Best Families" when Wolfe sort of runs and hides . . . . Zeck is a peripheral nemesis also in the earlier "And Be a Villain" and "The Second Confession."

The Wolfe books are so entertaining. I love how Archie goads Wolfe into action. My youngest brother got me started on Stout because he said that Archie Goodwin reminded him of me and there were a number of similarities: we're both born in Canton, Ohio, we both would prefer to drink a tall glass of cold milk if given a choice, and (according to my brother) we both know how to talk to and charm the ladies.

Edited June 26, 2011 by jazzbo

[Chuck Nessa]

Ain't no best. Just a couple thousand opinions. Ain't that great!

Lots of favorites though.

[johnlitweiler]

I've always liked The Big Sleep more than the Long Goodbye even though the plot doesn't quite make sense. The first half of The Long Goodbye is great but the second half strikes me as marking the beginning of Chandler's decline. (I'm one of the few Chandler fans who likes Altman's

film version: IMHO it has a much more satisfying ending.

Yes. And Farewell My Lovely has the most diverse characters and wildest scenes of all Chandler's novels as well as perhaps less of his unpleasant personal quirks. I'm a fiend for this stuff. Re Nero Wolfe, there's quite a post-WW2 darkness and gloom about the 3 Zeck novels.

Dancing Bear by James Crumley is terrific and chapter 3 is the best writing of any American crime writer. Crumley's The Wrong Case and, for much of the way, The Last Good Kiss are also xlento (Hank Mobley's word).

Great plot in Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson. I like the tension of Maigret at the Crossroads by Simenon - it was made into one of Jean Renoir's first sound movies - wonderful, no English subtitles but perfectly clear if you read the novel first.

Don't miss A Coffin for Dimitrios (The Mask of Dimitrios) and Journey into Fear by Eric Ambler. For that matter, don't miss the Sherlock Holmes short stories.

[jazzbo]

I've always liked The Big Sleep more than the Long Goodbye even though the plot doesn't quite make sense. The first half of The Long Goodbye is great but the second half strikes me as marking the beginning of Chandler's decline. (I'm one of the few Chandler fans who likes Altman's

film version: IMHO it has a much more satisfying ending.

Yes. And Farewell My Lovely has the most diverse characters and wildest scenes of all Chandler's novels as well as perhaps less of his unpleasant personal quirks. I'm a fiend for this stuff. Re Nero Wolfe, there's quite a post-WW2 darkness and gloom about the 3 Zeck novels.

I'm a fiend for the Chandler stuff. Agree about the darkness and gloom in the Zeck novels.

[BruceH]

I haven't read all of the crime/mystery novels of the 20th century, so I can't say for sure, but "The Maltese Falcon," and "The Daughter of Time" both sound like good choices to me.

[BFrank]

If you're looking for suggestions, I don't think you can go wrong with ANY of the Chandler or Hammett novels. Read 'em all!