Enjoyed browsing a fascinating list over at Open Culture of the 100 Greatest Novels of All Time according to my fellow-Brits back in 2003. One joyous surprise, that isn't commented on in the accompanying article: Joyce's Ulysses makes the list at 78.
Since the list very obviously comprises genuinely popular favourites (plenty of Harry Potter in there, for example) this is surely proof positive of something that I've believed for years. This supposedly unreadable masterpiece speaks to ordinary folk outside the groves of academe because it's about them and they recognise this. The so-called obscurities of the text are embraced because it's fun to read and everyone likes a good puzzle.
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