Which Is The Best London Novel? The Results

By · February 2, 2010 at 10:04 am · No comments · Miscellaneous · Report an error ·

Londonnovels2.jpg
Here are some we read earlier…

Thanks to everyone who voted for their favourite London novel. We received over 300 votes via Twitter, Facebook, comments and email. You nominated 115 different novels for the accolade which, if nothing else, provide one hell of a reading list. So without further ado, here are the top 10 novels as voted for by you:

1. The Borribles, Michael de Larrabeiti, 34

2. Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman, 28

=3. Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf, 17

=3. Hangover Square, Patrick Hamilton, 17

5. 20,000 Streets Under The Sky , Patrick Hamilton, 14

6. London Fields, Martin Amis, 13

7. Mother London, Michael Moorcock, 9

8. Bleak House, Charles Dickens, 8

9. Saturday, Ian McEwan, 7

=10. The Quincunx, Charles Palliser, 6

=10. Night Watch, Sarah Waters, 6

=10. Hawksmoor, Peter Ackroyd, 6

Congratulations to The Borribles trilogy. It should be noted that our winner was languishing in mid-table until a vigorous Twitter campaign by a spokesborrible. But, as he pointed out, Virginia Woolf’s estate were welcome to do the same.

Second place goes to the fantastical Neverwhere, a novel about a hidden city beneath London, with the largely plotless but both excellent Mrs Dalloway and Hangover Square sharing the bronze. Patrick Hamilton is the only author to feature more than once in the Top 10.

Only four authors could boast more than two novels among the nominations. Charles Dickens, of course, featured no fewer than six times. Other multi-mentions came from Margery Allingham (4), Peter Ackroyd (3) and Will Self (4).

There were also some notable absences and surprises. The recently deceased JG Ballard received just one nomination (for High Rise), as did Arthur Conan Doyle (for The Sign of Four). We personally felt that Alan Moore’s From Hell deserved better than 13th place, although perhaps that number is appropriate. Angela Carter is entirely absent.

Congratulations to @louiselamont and @brightonblogger who were randomly selected from the entrants to win a copy of City-lit London.

The complete set of results can be viewed as a Google Document by anyone who wishes to dig a little deeper into the nominations.

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  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/adriancooper/ AdrienneCooper

    At the risk of being shot down for sounding snobbish it depresses me slightly that this was won a book described on wikipedia as being ‘young adult fiction’.

    Of course, if the people that voted for it were actually under the age of 19 that would be slightly different. But you’re not, are you?

    Ah well.

  • http://undefined xland

    It’s a shame that this poll was hijacked, although if only 34 people voted even after a ‘vigorous Twitter campaign’ it doesn’t really reflect well on the Borribles books.

    I’ll certainly read all of the books on the top 10 which I haven’t yet read: but will start with those which were voted by Londonist readers rather than random twitter users.

  • http://undefined SebBrennan

    @AdrienneCooper: But have you read the Borrible Trilogy? I’ve read most of the top ten, it includes several of my favourite books, but I’d still put The Borribles at the top of the list. It’s funny, angry, fizzing with energy and it’s the reason I first fell in love with London as a child. If this is ‘Young Adult Fiction’, well, I prefer it to the seedy mid-life crisis fiction that is London Fields…

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/adriancooper/ AdrienneCooper

    I haven’t read the Borribles and, to be honest, I have no interest in doing so (there are plenty of books that could be described as funny, angry and fizzing with energy and some of them were intended for grown ups).

    I enjoyed London Fields when I read it as a 19 year old. I suspect it wouldn’t appeal any more – tastes change, just because you liked something once doesn’t mean that you still will many years later.

    I’ve only read a handful of novels that made the list – partly because a lot of my favourite authors aren’t English but also partly, it would seem, because I don’t want to read books intended for people with a reading age barely in double figures.

  • http://undefined SebBrennan

    “I’ve only read a handful of novels that made the list – partly because a lot of my favourite authors aren’t English but also partly, it would seem, because I don’t want to read books intended for people with a reading age barely in double figures.”

    Well, that’s me telt!
    It’s a shame, you’re missing out on a wonderful bit of London mythology. But hey, keep making snap decisions based upon a wikipedia entry.

  • http://www.michaeldelarrabeiti.com The Borribles!

    Hahahahahahaha!

    At the risk of sounding triumphalist,

    CHAMPIONS \o/ *CLAP* \o/ *CLAP* \o/ CHAMPIONS \o/ *CLAP* \o/ *CLAP* \o/ CHAMPIONS \o/ *CLAP* \o/ *CLAP* \o/ CHAMPIONS \o/ *CLAP* \o/ *CLAP* \o/

    Huge, huge thanks to everyone who voted for us!

    @Adrienne, you really are missing out if you’re judging us based on the fact that we’re YA. I think the comment thread with the votes on it shows how broad our appeal is.

    @xland Please accept my most sarcastic apologies for hijacking this vote. We should have just sat on our hands and not encouraged readers to vote for us, you’re right. Bollocks to democracy!

  • http://www.purlinterrupted.co.uk Deadly Knitshade

    Woo hoo! I heart the Borribles and voted for it because it was the first one that popped into my head. I only saw the Twitter thing afterwards (which did get slightly annoying with it’s constant whining for votes. Very unBorribly).

    They’re fab books.

    But then I do like knitting and small dogs. So I was probably lost long ago.

  • http://www.michaeldelarrabeiti.com The Borribles!

    Point totally taken about the annoying tweets. With the vote so close we wanted to get as many votes as possible, and we probably went a bit over the top. It was definitely a Spiff-like bending of Borrible rules and might even have been un-Borrible. Rest assured that we’re making amends today by turning over the Asda on Lavender Hill.

    Ain’t nothing wrong with small dogs and knitting. We’re always in need of a supply of hats.

  • http://undefined Alexandra

    Firstly I am not on twitter nor am I a fan of twitter and secondly I voted for the Borribles because it’s a great story no matter how old you are as long as you have an adventurous spirit.

    Don’t Get Caught Borrible fans!

  • http://undefined Cat

    I wish people would stop using “fantastical”. There’s a perfectly good word to use instead: “Fantastic”, which is the adjective of “fantasy”, thank you very much. Saying “fantastical” is making an adjective out of an adjective. There is no genre called “fantastical”. FFS.

    If people enjoyed “Neverwhere” they can also enjoy Neverwhere Jr, also known as “Un Lun Dun” by China Mieville. It also borrows somewhat from “Roofworld”, which sort of acts as a double to Neverwhere.

  • Lindsey

    I just finished ‘Hangover Square’ on the strength of this recommendation and not only is it an excellent London novel, it happens to cover the south coast strip I grew up in. A devastating read. Can’t wait to start ’20,000 Streets…’ as a follow up.

    Plus, I never knew that the play, Gaslight, which was also made into a rather good suspense film, was by him too.

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