About this list

New York Herald Tribune, 20 Books

In the 9 May 1965 Book Week supplement of the New York Herald Tribune, editors canvassed 200 prominent critics, authors, and literary editors, asking each to list “the works of fiction by American writers, published between 1945 and 1965, that are most memorable and likely to endure.” Ballots were counted by simple frequency of citation, and the twenty novels that garnered the most mentions were published in rank order under the banner “Distinguished Fiction, 1945–1965.” Because the voters spanned major newspapers, magazines, and publishing houses, this snapshot captured a broad mid-century critical consensus; ever since, scholars have cited the poll as a key barometer of post-war American literary reputation.

This list was originally published in 1965 and was added to this site 12 months ago.