Could You Please Define “The”?

The only thing we enjoy more than giving our own opinion is picking the nits in others’ opinions. So imagine our delight when The New York Times published the results of its survey of “prominent writers, critics, editors, and other literary sages” to select the best work of American fiction from the past 25 years. Oh, so many plump, juicy nits to pick! From what constitutes a “work” to how to define “best.”

The list itself, compiled from a predictable pool of popular industry insiders, is unimaginative and dominated by middle-age white men writing about middle-age white men. Quelle surprise.

The top picks: Beloved by Toni Morrison; Underworld by Don DeLillo; Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy; Rabbit Angstrom: The Four Novels by John Updike; and American Pastoral by Philip Roth. You can see the complete list here (requires registration or go to BugMeNot.com).

Tell us what you think. What nits do you have to pick?