: Re: How Can I Reliably Find Well Written Novels? Let me open by saying that I wasn't entirely sure how to ask this question and stay on topic. This is my best attempt. I do believe this question

@Sarah872

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Samuel Delany claims that it's nearly impossible to write a book better than the books you read, so from that point of view, I understand your question. On the other hand, no book is perfect, and sometimes an otherwise poorly written book can have some extraordinarily good feature that makes up the difference.

I've generally found the "great classics" to be a mixed bag, but they can be a good place to start, because when they're good, they are generally very good. The truly great ones tend to stay fresh and current, even when they are hundreds of years old. If you haven't read your way through a "great books" list, I would start there.

For more recent works, your best bet is to find a critic (or a few) whose tastes you respect. Many authors are passionate about promoting work that speaks to them. I've found many good books by following the recommendations of authors I like.

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