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Goodreads Most Difficult Novels: 2021 Update, Now Much Longer - Page 5

"Novels that made you work the hardest. Let's assume that you actually finished the book and felt that it was worth the effort" (Goodreads).
Despite the Goodreads instructions, in practice I think there were many different interpretations of 'difficult'. Hence the inclusion of "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer. Anyway IMHO the list could be used as a fairly wide-ranging and challenging TBR.
Criteria for inclusion: at least 3 votes OR 2 votes and 100+ ratings.
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made by Markd9528
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Page 5 of 9
Germinal (Émile Zola)
Germinal
161
Émile Zola
A Separate Peace (John Knowles)
A Separate Peace
162
John Knowles
The Turn of the Screw (Henry James)
The Turn of the Screw
163
Henry James
Re: Colonised Planet 5, Shikasta (Doris Lessing)
Re: Colonised Planet 5, Shikasta
164
Doris Lessing
Snow (Orhan Pamuk)
Snow
165
Orhan Pamuk
Sometimes a Great Notion (Ken Kesey)
Sometimes a Great Notion
166
Ken Kesey
Money (Martin Amis)
Money
167
Martin Amis
Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier)
Rebecca
168
Daphne Du Maurier
The Iliad (Homer)
The Iliad
169
Homer
A Fable (William Faulkner)
A Fable
170
William Faulkner
The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
The Mists of Avalon
171
Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Odyssey (Homer)
The Odyssey
172
Homer
Shadow of the Torturer (Gene Wolfe)
Shadow of the Torturer
173
Gene Wolfe
Vineland (Thomas Pynchon)
Vineland
174
Thomas Pynchon
Codex Obscura (Kane X. Faucher)
Codex Obscura
175
Kane X. Faucher
The French Lieutenant's Woman (John Fowles)
The French Lieutenant's Woman
176
John Fowles
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Dave Eggers)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
177
Dave Eggers
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Henry Fielding)
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
178
Henry Fielding
The Island of the Day Before (Umberto Eco)
The Island of the Day Before
179
Umberto Eco
Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel)
Wolf Hall
180
Hilary Mantel
Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner)
Angle of Repose
181
Wallace Stegner
Disgrace (J.M. Coetzee)
Disgrace
182
J.M. Coetzee
The Obscene Bird of Night (Jose Donoso)
The Obscene Bird of Night
183
Jose Donoso
The Luminaries (Eleanor Catton)
The Luminaries
184
Eleanor Catton
American Pastoral (Philip Roth)
American Pastoral
185
Philip Roth
Neuromancer (William Gibson)
Neuromancer
186
William Gibson
Jerusalem (Alan Moore)
Jerusalem
187
Alan Moore
A Brief History of Seven Killings (Marlon James)
A Brief History of Seven Killings
188
Marlon James
Anansi Boys (Neil Gaiman)
Anansi Boys
189
Neil Gaiman
Only Revolutions (Mark Z. Danielewski)
Only Revolutions
190
Mark Z. Danielewski
Something Happened (Joseph Heller)
Something Happened
191
Joseph Heller
Hawaii (James A. Michener)
Hawaii
192
James A. Michener
Sword and Citadel (Gene Wolfe)
Sword and Citadel
193
Gene Wolfe
The Return of the Native (Thomas Hardy)
The Return of the Native
194
Thomas Hardy
The Voyage Out (Virginia Woolf)
The Voyage Out
195
Virginia Woolf
Pedro Páramo (Juan Rulfo)
Pedro Páramo
196
Juan Rulfo
Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka)
Metamorphosis
197
Franz Kafka
Life: A User's Manual (Georges Perec, Trans. David Bellos)
Life: A User's Manual
198
Georges Perec, Trans. David Bellos
Coraline (Neil Gaiman)
Coraline
199
Neil Gaiman
The Winter King (Bernard Cornwell)
The Winter King
200
Bernard Cornwell
Page 5 of 9
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