its 10 favorite novels of the 21st century

Its list shows an assertive taste for stories with high dramatic tension. For example, whether intimate or crossed by violence. Meanwhile, He favors stories where fate suddenly rocks, often by an error, an accident or manipulation. For example, There is also a curiosity for historical or political frescoes with a uchronic dimension and dystopian universes. In addition, It seems sensitive to stories that combine moral complexity, dense atmosphere and ambiguous characters.

And it will not be surprised that most of the titles of its top 10 in the first quarter of a century have found the way to the large. However, small screen – for a novelist whose work has continued to inspire cinema and television.

His list opens onto Expiation (Atonement) of Ian McEwan, translated from English by Guillemette Belleteste in 2003, for Gallimard. Consequently, A family fresco signed by the British its 10 favorite novels 21st novelist -. For example, adapted for cinema in 2007 by Joe Wright -, where an irreparable error upsets the fate of several lives, crossing decades as a scar never closed. Therefore, Then comes Dublin’s missing (Christine Falls) of the Irishman John Banville. Meanwhile, who signs here under the pseudonym Benjamin Black, translated by Michèle Valencia (Robert Laffont, 2007). However, A twilight black novel that plays with the art of pretense. Moreover, immersing the reader in an atmosphere of disorder and mystery.

We also find The Chardonneret (The Goldfinch) Donna Tartt. translated by Édith Soonckindt (Plon, 2014), story of a young orphan haunted by loss and a tiny invaluable table, both Talisman and curse. For this work, she won a pulitzer prize for fiction. It was adapted in 2019 to the cinema by John Crowley.

Stephen King also retained Appearances (Gone Girl) by Gillian Flynn. translated by Héloïse Esquié (Sonatine, 2012), its 10 favorite novels 21st relentless psychological thriller on manipulations within a couple in crisis, adapted to the cinema in 2014 by David Fincher. The tone is drier. relentless with nOn, this country is not for the old man (No Country for Old Men) of Cormac McCarthy, translated by François Hirsch (L’Olivier, 2007), where violence, fate and morality clash in an arid Texas. This time brought to the screen, not by one but two important filmmakers, the Coen brothers.

Dystopia invites itself into The last man (Oryx. Crake) by Margaret Atwood, translated by Michèle Albaret-Maatsch (Robert Laffont, 2005), which intertwines several voices to tell a world ravaged by ecological disturbances. More intimate. felted, Fingertips (The Paying Guests) of Sarah Waters, translated by Stéphane Roques (Denoël, 2016), trains the reader in London in the 1920s, between social tensions, criminal intrigue and subtle exploration of female intimacy.

With The plot against America (The its 10 favorite novels 21st Plot Against America) of Philip Roth. translated by Josée Kamoun (Gallimard, 2006), Stephen King greets an uchronia where Charles Lindbergh, hero of aviation, becomes pro-Nazi president of the United States, altering the course of history. The novel was adapted to miniseries by HBO, with Winona Ryder, John Turturro and Zoe Kazan.

Then comes The sympathizer (The Sympathizer) Viet Thanh Nguyen. translated by Clément Baude (Berfond, 2017), portrait of a double agent shared between two worlds, mixing espionage, political satire and quest for identity. Finally. the selection closes on Dome (Under the Dome) by Stephen King himself, translated by William Olivier Desmond (Albin Michel, 2010), camera in a small town in Maine, prisoner of an invisible and impenetrable barrier.

Two works adapted in series: the first in 2024 by Park Chan-Wook. Don McKellar, the second by CBS, under the direction of Brian K. Vaughan.

The ten essential its 10 favorite novels 21st books since 2000. according to Stephen King:

Expiation – Ian McEwan
Dublin’s missing – John Banville, under the pseudonym Benjamin Black
The Chardonneret – Tart woman
Appearances – Gillian Flynn
No, this country is not for the old man (No Country for Old Men) – Cormac McCarthy
The last man – Margaret Atwood
Fingertips – Sarah Waters
The plot against America – Philip Roth
The sympathizer – Viet Thanh Nguyen
Dome – Stephen King

To read – Deemed unsuitable, this novel by Stephen King soon in the cinema

The list of 100 most striking books published since 2000 reflects, like that of Stephen King, a strong presence of Anglo-Saxon literature, but also includes votes from Italy, France (Annie Ernaux, Marjane Satrapi), Korea (Han Kang), Norway (Jon Fosse), Russia (Svetlana Aleksievitch) (Roberto Bolaño).

From 50ᵉ to 1ᵉʳ row. we also meet large historic frescoes (2666, Pachinko, the heat of other suns), intimate accounts (The years, the its 10 favorite novels 21st year of magic thought, M for Mabel), that ambitious works of fiction (The road, Cloud mapping, Americanah). The top of the ranking is occupied by The prodigious friend by Elena Ferrante.

More recently. Stephen King also participated in another big survey of the New York Times, this time on the best films of the 21st century.

We find there The fall of the black hawk by Ridley Scott. brutal immersion in the chaos of war in Somalia, The secret of Brokeback Mountain of Ang Lee, chronicle of an impossible love, Infiltrated by Martin Scorsese, plunged into a shadow between Mafia and Police.

But also Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan. monumental fresco on the father of the atomic bomb, and O’Brother Coen brothers, offbeat epic with accents of comedy musicale. S’ajoutent No Country for Old Men of the same – who therefore doubles -. Million Dollar Baby by Clint Eastwood, drama on its 10 favorite novels 21st resilience and sacrifice, Last train for Busan of Yeon Sang-Ho, rail nightmare in full zombie apocalypse, as well as The Rule of Jenny PennNew Zealand thriller noticed this year.

Photo credits: Tussauds (CC by-Sa 2.5)

By Hocine Bouhadjera
Contact : [email protected]