Ten Years That Shook the Book World

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It’s irrelevant to this post, but Neil Young had an album called “Decade.”

Some decades have nicknames: “The Roaring Twenties” (1920s), “The Swinging Sixties” (1960s), etc. When it comes to authors, there are those who’ve had such an impressive run of novels in a particular 10-year period (starting with a year ending in zero) that one could almost name a decade after THEM.

Let’s start with Jane Austen, whose six major novels all came out in the 1810s — the last two books posthumously. Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1816), and Persuasion and Northanger Abbey (both 1818). Quite a run!

In the 1830s, among Honore de Balzac’s outpouring of great novels were The Magic Skin (1831), Eugenie Grandet (1833), Old Goriot (1835), and Cesar Birotteau (1837).

Alexandre Dumas powered through the 1840s with the impressive Georges (1843), The Three Musketeers (1844), The Count of Monte Cristo (1844-1846), Twenty Years After (1845), and more.

Charles Dickens had several decades of creating iconic works, but the 1850s was probably the most notable. David Copperfield (1850), Bleak House (1853), Hard Times (1854), Little Dorrit (1857), and A Tale of Two Cities (1859).

The 1880s was the peak authorial decade for Mark Twain, with a mix of fiction and nonfiction books. A Tramp Abroad (1880), The Prince and the Pauper (1881), Life on the Mississippi (1883), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889).

That same decade was also consequential for Henry James — with such works as Washington Square (1880), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Bostonians (1886), and The Aspern Papers (1888).

And for Emile Zola, too, whose best novels from that time span were Nana (1880), The Ladies’ Paradise (1883), Germinal (1885), The Masterpiece (1886), and The Earth (1887).

In the 1920s, Sinclair Lewis churned out five classics: Main Street (1920), Babbitt (1922), Arrowsmith (1925), Elmer Gantry (1927), and Dodsworth (1929).

The 1930s weren’t too shabby for Agatha Christie; her 20 mysteries that decade included the iconic trio of Murder on the Orient Express (1934), Death on the Nile (1937), and And Then There Were None (1939).

Stephen King has produced a huge amount of writing for a half century, with his first published decade among his most acclaimed: Carrie (1974), ‘Salem’s Lot (1975), The Shining (1977), The Stand (1978), and The Dead Zone (1979).

The also-prolific John Grisham has had several excellent decades, including the 1990s that saw him produce such novels as The Firm (1991), The Pelican Brief (1992), The Client (1993), and The Chamber (1994) — the last of which I’m currently reading.

The 2000s were an awesome decade for J.K. Rowling, as the fourth through seventh books of her Harry Potter series came out — all longer and more complex than the first three installments from the 1990s. The four were Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007).

Kristin Hannah had quite a 2000 to 2020, with the latter decade including excellent novels such as Winter Garden (2010), Night Road (2011), Home Front (2012), The Nightingale (2015), and The Great Alone (2018).

Liane Moriarty also thrived in the 2010s with The Hypnotist’s Love Story (2011), The Husband’s Secret (2013), Big Little Lies (2014), Truly Madly Guilty (2016), and Nine Perfect Strangers (2018).

Yes, some writers build LOTS of momentum in a certain decade.

Any thoughts on, or other examples of, this topic?

Dave’s literary-trivia book is described and can be purchased here: Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Authors and the Greatest Novels of All Time.

In addition to this weekly blog, Dave writes the 2003-started/award-winning “Montclairvoyant” topical-humor column every Thursday for Montclair Local. The latest piece — about a diverse new Township Council and an extension for the local schools superintendent — is here.

64 thoughts on “Ten Years That Shook the Book World”

  1. Howdy, Dave!

    If you American Earthlings in the social construction of your reality had chosen to go with the Dewey Duodecimal System instead of the Dewey Decimal System, then all of Ian Fleming’s novels would have been completed in 10 years. Sadly, though, my back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest James Bond’s run would not have begun with a year ending in zero in this corner of the multiverse.

    Missed it by that much . . .

    J.J. McGrath (Alias MugRuith1)

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    • Ha! 😂 Thank you, J.J.!

      Yes, a productive decade beginning with a “zero” year is kind of an artificial construct when some other authors had great 10-or-so-year runs, such as Ian Fleming from roughly the mid-1950s to roughly the mid-1960s.

      Nice to hear from you; it’s been a while. 🙂

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  3. In the case of Belgian writer Georges Simenon (1903-1989), it would be hard to pick the decade in which he was most able and/or most productive. His output was rightfully legendary, and his dedication to craft such that he broke off from an affair with Josephine Baker, and toured rivers and canals of France with his wife for six months. “Without the distractions provided by Josephine Baker, Simenon’s tally of published popular novels increased from 11 in 1927 to 44 in 1928.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Simenon

    And this was before he had written a single Maigret novel–of which, there a 75, written between 1930 and1972!

    from wikipedia:

    “Simenon’s published works include 192 novels written under his own name,[81] over 200 novels written under various pseudonyms, four autobiographies and 21 volumes of memoirs.[82] He also wrote a large quantity of short fiction. His novels had sold over 500 million copies by the time of his death, making him one of the highest selling novelists in history.”

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  4. Great post Dave !

    Let me start with Mark Twain.

    So many Fiction and non-fiction books.

    The Adventure of Tom Sawyer , Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and so many others

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    • My chance to sat this now Now about Twain’s other connection to Cincinnati, the infamous quote: “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always 20 years behind the times.”

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      • Thank you, Bebe! Mark Twain definitely had a memorable 1880s as a writer, and the 1870s and 1890s weren’t too shabby, either.

        Funny/kind of obnoxious Twain quote about Cincinnati! Twain could be quite cleverly insulting.

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        • Thanks Dave, as I am in OH….sometimes I see it is more of a DT town and I do open my mouth , so far I am okay no one has attacked me as yet

          This sandwich place I go to once a week, one lady is 80ish, rides a bus and opens her mouth even She works there.

          She goes other day..no one could be any more liberal than Her.

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  5. Between 1971 and 1977 Jean Patrick Manchette (1942-1995) published: Laissez bronzer les Cadavres / Let the Corpses Tan – co-authored by Jean-Pierre Bastid (1971) L’Affaire N’Gustro / The N’Gustro Affair (1971) – English translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith O dingos, O chateaux! / The Mad and the Bad / Run Like Crazy, Run Like Hell (1972) – English translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith Nada (1973) – English translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith L’Homme au Boulet rouge / The Red Ball Gang (1972) Morgue pleine / No Room at the Morgue (1973) – English translation by Alyson Waters Que d’os! / Skeletons in the Closet (1976) – English translation by Alyson Waters Le Petit Bleu de la Côte Ouest / 3 to Kill / West Coast Blues (1976) – English translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith Fatale (1977) – English translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Patrick_Manchette

    Manchette is a current guilty pleasure, because he writes noir fiction from a leftist perspective, while also making good on his intention to write pure action comparable to passages of Dashiell Hammett’s earlier work in books like “Red Harvest”.

    from wikipedia: “These novels marked the kickoff of the movement Manchette himself later on called the “neo-polar,” a radical departure in crime fiction from the formulaic French cops-and-robbers novels of the 1950s and ’60s. Here, Manchette used the crime thriller as a springboard for social criticism.”

    Of the novels published 1971-77, I have read, in English translation: “The Mad and the Bad”, “The N’Gustro Affair”, “Nada”,”No Room At the Morgue”,”Skeletons In the Closet”, and “Fatale”.

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    • Thank you, jhNY! That’s an impressive 1970s output for Jean-Patrick Manchette, who I should give a try. “…noir fiction from a leftist perspective” sounds good to me. 🙂 I appreciate the detailed comment!

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  6. Don’t laugh! But the first author I thought of for this, outside of several of the ones you already mentioned, was R.L. Stine hahaha!! Especially if you were in elementary or Junior High in the 90s, I think you could argue the guy OWNED that decade, cranking out all those Goosebumps books faster than I could collect them. And I collected them quick! 🙂 I also really liked the Fear Street books of his, although I think those were more the late 80s, I’d have to double check. A post that sparked some awfully fun reading memories for me Dave! 🙂

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    • Thank you, M.B.! Not laughing at all. 🙂 Some authors of books for younger readers are amazingly prolific. Heck, Dr. Seuss (for even younger readers) had a heck of a decade in the 1950s: “Horton Hears a Who,” “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” etc.

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  7. The very first author I thought of–and I thought I had a winner–was Amy Tan, but some of her biggest, and my favorite, books of hers were 1989-2001–just outside the decade box! Drat! Another interesting column, Dave!

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    • Thank you, Lee! Yes, many just-misses. If only decades lasted 12 years… 🙂

      I’m also a fan of Amy Tan from reading “The Joy Luck Club,” “The Kitchen God’s Wife,” and “The Bonesetter’s Daughter.” (The first of course from 1989 and the third from 2001 — the years you referenced.)

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  8. I’m going with Joy Fielding on this one.

    From 2001 – 2010 Joy had 9 books published.

    I want say many made it onto the NY Times best seller list, but they may all have made it., including my fave Grand Avenue, also Still Life , & Puppet.

    I mention those because we have both read them.

    The decades have been kind to her by and large, but this was her best…imho!

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  9. Fun column, Dave, as usual. Productivity isn’t the only measure, of course. If it were, the 5,161 blog posts I’ve published (as of today) in about 19.5 years would win me some sort of prize, perhaps one that I’d receive only if I’d agree to quit writing them.

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    • Thank you, Bill! Wow — 5,161 blog posts!!! That’s incredible! I’ve written a mere 500 or so posts during the 10 years of this (weekly) literature blog. Ha — 😂 — the way you finished your comment. I’m sure your readers would not want to see your blogging end.

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  11. There’s an excellent documentary on PBS on Amy Tan. She’s had a strong literary run starting with “The Joy Luck Club.”

    I’ve finally finished Streisand’s memoir and will be starting Tan’s “Backyard Bird Chronicles. ” So looking forward to her beautiful prose with her lovely sketches of wonderful birds on her Sausalito property.

    Michele

    E & P way back and happy bird nerd 🤓

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    • Thank you, Michele! Amy Tan — an excellent author — definitely spread her novels out over several decades. Didn’t realize there was a documentary about her!

      Congratulations on finishing Barbra Streisand’s (hefty) memoir. 🙂

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  12. This was an interesting topic, Dave. It’s fun to think about authors in their prime. I discovered authors and read their books in waves. That might help their numbers, but I think I’ve been out of sync with their best years. Of course, some of them were gone before I discovered them.

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    • Thank you, Dan! I guess many authors indeed have their primes, while many others write very good novels published quite a few years/decades apart.

      I hear you about reading certain authors in waves. I’ve done that, too. 🙂

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  14. Another great topic that sent me down a rabbit hole of thought, Dave. The writer that came to mind was Leon Uris. In the 1960s and 1970s, Leon Uris’s novels were at the peak of their popularity. His works, such as “Exodus” and “QB VII,” were widely acclaimed and became bestsellers. Although Leon Uris’s popularity waned in the late 20th century, his impact on the literary world remains significant.

    And here is the rabbit hole:

    Readership plays a crucial role in determining an author’s popularity. The number of readers directly influences how widely an author’s work is known and appreciated.

    My other thought is how the values and transitions of society play a significant role in shaping the success of a writer and the reception of their books. Writers often draw inspiration from the world around them, (Think Charles Dickens) reflecting societal values in their work. As society evolves, so do the themes and messages portrayed in literature. Writers who can effectively capture the zeitgeist (think Virginia Woolf) of their time are more likely to resonate with readers and achieve success.

    Societal transitions can impact the way books are received by the public. Changes in cultural norms, political landscapes, and technological advancements all influence what readers are drawn to and how they engage with literature.

    As Joyce Carol Oates once noted: “Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.”

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    • Thank you, Rebecca! Leon Uris’ best-known novels seem to have been spread over several decades: “Exodus” (1958), “Mila 18” (1961), “Trinity” (1976), etc. And GREAT point (amid an excellent comment) about how an author’s success within a specific span of time can at least partly be attributed to how well her or his books fit with the zeitgeist of that time. Glad you used the “z” word. 🙂

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  15. I have to mention Somerset Maugham, who was the most prolific writer I can think of re: decades of churning out great fiction. I just recently began listening to audio files of his short stories, and they never seem to end. I have only read two of his novels, Of Human Bondage and The Razor’s Edge. I’m not completely sure, but I believe his best years were 1900s to 1930s. Great theme Dave. Thanks, Susi

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    • Thank you, Susi! Maugham’s best novels seem to have been spread over several decades. The five I’ve read — all of which I liked a lot and two of which you mentioned — are “Of Human Bondage” (1915), “The Moon and Sixpence” (1919), “The Painted Veil” (1925), “Cakes and Ale” (1930), and “The Razor’s Edge” (1944).

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  17. The African American novelist Toni Morrison comes to mind. Her work gained momentum in the 1970s. In the 1980s, she achieved national recognition on receiving the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. International success came in the 1990s with the 1993 Noble Prize in Literature.

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    • Thank you, Rosaliene! I thought about Toni Morrison, but her excellent works were spread kind of evenly over several different decades — including “Beloved” in the 1980s and “Song of Solomon” in the 1970s. 🙂

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    • Thank you, James! Definitely a great run, although the “Rabbit” books were more approximately once a decade rather than clumped in one decade. Of course, Updike filled those gaps with various other novels. 🙂

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