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The best English novel ever?

So, I'm doing coursework for A2 AQA English Literature and would like to know what you recommend as a good novel and give your justification too.

I'm a bit inexperienced in terms of reading English novels, mostly Russian and French authors have my attention at the minute so fire away. :wink:

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Reply 1

Profesh

Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett.

Reply 2

inksplodge

I'm at a loss what to do for my lit coursework too :frown:

Soo hard to choose books :p:

Reply 3

ramzwj

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

or

1984 by George Orwell

Edit: Justifications: A Passage to India: Witty, moving, and thought-provoking, this book gives a picture of British Raj through the eyes of an Indian. It is simply spectacular. The characters work, the plot is gripping - it is quite simply my fav novel of all time.

1984: Scary, more than anything.

Reply 4

morfin

I'm doing Brave New World by Huxley and The Handmaid's Tale by Attwood for my coursework.

Reply 5

username115564

Dickens' well known classics will probably feature high on the lists of many; Great Expectations, Bleak House, Hard Times and so on.

Personally I'm a big fan of Hardy as a novelist (though I know many aren't) so something like Tess of the D'Ubervilles and Far From the Madding Crowd would be up there for me.

It's probably impossible to ascertain which is actually the best novel, but if you're at a lost read Conrad's The Secret Agent, or Nostromo.

Or Vanity Fair.

Reply 6

zoe1989

I did The Handmaid's Tale and 1984, really good if you want something easy to compare (and from a history nerds perspective :smile:

)

Reply 7

inksplodge

Personally I'm a big fan of Hardy as a novelist (though I know many aren't) so something like Tess of the D'Ubervilles and Far From the Madding Crowd would be up there for me.

Good book. So glad we got to do that for GCSE coursework! :biggrin:

Reply 8

ramzwj

somethingbeautiful

The Liar, by Stephen Fry. Because it's funny, witty and charming.

Ooohhhh, agreed. Have you read the Hippopotamus? Equally brilliant!

Reply 9

BJack

English as in the language or the country?

Reply 10

zoe1989

inksplodge

Good book. So glad we got to do that for GCSE coursework! :biggrin:

you got to do that for GCSE coursework? I wish we did :frown:

Reply 11

Absurd

I wouldn't say it's the 'best English novel ever', but North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell is pretty damn good. So is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.