Quote:
Originally Posted by JSWolf
Here are some that fit the old classic.
War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontė
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
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Some of these I've read too recently or they're not long enough. And ironically, Galsworthy did win the Nobel, but
The Forsyte Saga is really just light fiction IMO, one of those "sweeping family sagas" that I don't care for, although I liked it when I read it back in the day. That said, thank you for recalling
Tom Jones to me, which is a perfect fit. Long, important, I haven't read it since college and I like that it's earlier than the 19th century. And funny! A very serious contender.
Much as I'm being tempted by a few suggestions, I think I need to limit this challenge to six novels or risk being overwhelmed. At first I thought I'd have a set list, but now I'm thinking maybe a list of eight or nine of the top contenders, so I'd always have a choice as the year wound down.