DIKSIA.COM - If you are a book lover who wants to explore the classics of the 20th century, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of novels that have been published in the past hundred years.

How do you choose which ones to read? How do you find the ones that suit your taste and interest?

How do you avoid missing out on the gems that have shaped the literary landscape of our time?

One way to answer these questions is to consult the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list.

This is a list of the best English-language novels published during the 20th century, as selected by Modern Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House that specializes in publishing classic books.

The list was created in 1998, with the purpose of bringing the Modern Library to public attention and stimulating sales of its books.

The list is divided into two categories: one based on the opinions of the Modern Library editorial board, and one based on the votes of readers who participated in an online poll.

The editorial board consisted of ten prominent writers, critics, historians and scholars, such as Daniel J. Boorstin, A. S. Byatt, Christopher Cerf, Shelby Foote, Vartan Gregorian, Edmund Morris, John Richardson, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., William Styron and Gore Vidal.

The reader's list was open to anyone who wanted to vote for their favorite novels online. More than 200,000 votes were cast, resulting in a very different ranking from the editorial board's list.

The reader's list was dominated by science fiction and fantasy novels, such as The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, and Dune by Frank Herbert.

The Modern Library 100 Best Novels list is not meant to be a definitive or authoritative ranking of the best novels of the 20th century.

It is rather a subjective and diverse selection that reflects the preferences and perspectives of different groups of readers and experts.

It is also a dynamic and evolving list that can change over time as new books are published and new opinions are formed.