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What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?

"Beloved," by Toni Morrison, center, was chosen as the best American fiction of the last 25 years. Runners-up were, from left: Philip Roth, Cormac McCarthy, John Updike and Don DeLillo.
Credit...From left: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; Derek Shapton/The Associated Press; Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; The Associated Press; Don Hogan Charles/The New York Times

By The New York Times

Early this year, the Book Review's editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify "the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years." [Read A. O. Scott's essay. See a list of the judges.] Following are the results.

Toni Morrison
(1987)

Don DeLillo

(1997)

Cormac McCarthy

(1985)

John Updike

(1995)

(1990)

(1981)

(1971)

(1960)

Philip Roth

(1997)

John Kennedy Toole

(1980)

Marilynne Robinson

(1980)

Mark Helprin

(1983)

Don DeLillo

(1985)

Philip Roth

(1986)

Don DeLillo

(1988)

Raymond Carver

(1988)

Tim O'Brien

(1990)

Norman Rush

(1991)

Denis Johnson

(1992)

Philip Roth

(1993)

Richard Ford

(1995)

Philip Roth

(1995)

Cormac McCarthy

(1999)

(1998)

(1994)

(1992)

Philip Roth

(2000)

Edward P. Jones

(2003)

Philip Roth

(2004)