'100 greatest British novels'

       At the BBC they polled book critics outside the UK -- "82 book critics, from Australia to Zimbabwe" -- to see what outsiders consider The 100 greatest British novels. (Apparently however only English-speaking/reading critics were polled -- though of course it would be kind of fun to see what linguistic outsiders would choose.)
       Each critic: "submitted a list of 10 British novels, with their pick for the greatest novel receiving 10 points". The point-totals are, unfortunately not revealed -- just titbits, such as that the top title was named on 42 per cent of the ballots; surprisingly, only 228 novels in all were named, suggesting considerable agreement among the critics.
       Several of the choices are under review at the complete review -- including the top choice:

• 1. Middlemarch by George Eliot
• 15. Atonement by Ian McEwan
• 35. Remainder by Tom McCarthy
• 39. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
• [44. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel]
• [49. Possession by A.S.Byatt]
• 61. The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch
• 67. Crash by J.G.Ballard
• 71. Old Filth by Jane Gardam
• 79. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

       The list is classics-heavy, with Atonement, at 15th, the top-ranked post-1950 novel. Virginia Woolf and Charles Dickens, with four titles apiece (and two and three respectively in the top eight) did particularly well; there are also four Jane Austens, but she didn't crack the top ten. There are definitely some odd selections -- including the Julian Barnes (of all the Barnes, that one ?). There's a single Iris Murdoch, a single Amis (père).
       Ah, well, always fun stuff to complain about and debate.