The Best German Novels of the Twentieth Century is a list of books compiled in 1999 by Literaturhaus München and Bertelsmann, in which 99 prominent German authors, literary critics, and scholars of German ranked the most significant German-language novels of the twentieth century. The group brought together 33 experts from each of the three categories.Wolfgang Riedel, "Robert Musil: Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften" in Lektüren für das 21. Jahrhundert: Schlüsseltexte der deutschen Literatur von 1200 bis 1900, ed. Dorothea Klein and Sabine M. Schneider, Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann, 2000, , p. 265 Each was allowed to name three books as having been the most important of the century. Cited by the group were five titles each by Franz Kafka and Arno Schmidt, four by Robert Walser, and three each by Thomas Mann, Hermann Broch, Anna Seghers and Joseph Roth.
Top 10
#YearTitleAuthor11930 (Volume 1)1933 (Volume 2)1943 (Volume 3)The Man Without QualitiesDer Mann ohne EigenschaftenRobert Musil21925The TrialDer ProzessFranz Kafka31924The Magic MountainDer ZauberbergThomas Mann41929Berlin Alexanderplatz51959The Tin DrumDie BlechtrommelGünter Grass61970 (Volume 1)1971 (Volume 2)1973 (Volume 3)1983 (Volume 4)Anniversaries. From the Life of Gesine CresspahlJahrestage 1-4: Aus dem Leben von Gesine CresspahlUwe Johnson71901BuddenbrooksBuddenbrooks: Verfall einer FamilieThomas Mann81932Radetzky MarchRadetzkymarschJoseph Roth91926The CastleDas SchlossFranz Kafka101947Doctor FaustusDoktor FaustusThomas Mann
See also
NRC's Best Dutch novels
References
External links Der Kanon – article on the novels of the German literary canon