3 Critics + 100 Books = Something to Argue About

The ballots have been counted. Enter the experts, to decode the numbers. Not statisticians, but rather our very well-read staff book critics Dwight Garner, Alexandra Jacobs and Jennifer Szalai, here to analyze our 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list — and to reveal some of their own preferences. Scott Heller, an editor at the Book Review, posed the questions.

We were deliberately loose about how the people we polled could define what made a “best” book. How did you define it?

JENNIFER SZALAI First, I had to actually enjoy the book. I know that sounds ridiculous, but given how many books announce themselves as “important,” that was a necessary condition. I also wanted something that — I’m just going to say it — stayed with me in some way. That’s not to say I remember everything in the book, because I have a terrible memory for certain details. But the experience itself had to resonate.

DWIGHT GARNER I had no idea what “best” meant, so I went by feel. Each book on my list, I’d like to think, has a certain sting in its tail — a lasting sting. Each puts a prickle on my neck. They’re written by writers who see the world as if it were new.

There’s a tendency when making book lists — especially ones that will be made public — to reach for high-minded titles because, you know, they’re testaments to your discerning nature and the fineness of your moral weave. I check my moral weave in the mirror at least twice a day. But I tried not to fall into that trap.