海角大神

has published its list of the bestselling books of the first half of 2014, and one thing is perfectly clear: the list is dominated by titles aimed at young adults. Some sales are undoubtedly fueled by recent film versions of the books ("The Fault Is In Our Stars" by John Green, "Divergent," by Veronica Roth, and "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, for instance.) Overall, however, there's no denying the fact that young adult titles are the trend du jour.

But what did young adults read before there was John Green and Veronica Roth? James Thurber, the great American humorist who died in 1961, had his own thoughts on the subject 鈥� and his own list.

About Thurber, you already know. Along with funny biographical pieces he collected in books like 鈥淢y Life and Hard Times,鈥� Thurber鈥檚 best known for 鈥淭he Secret Life of Walter Mitty,鈥� his short story about a daydreamer whose fantasies pose a sharp contrast to his ordinary life. The story鈥檚 been adapted for film twice, most recently in last year鈥檚 movie with Ben Stiller as the title character.

Like most great writers, Thurber was also an avid reader, but he worried that good books, once placed on a list, acquire an air of obligation that makes people want to read them less, not more. He had noted, for example, that a wonderful and accessible book like Willa Cather鈥檚 鈥淢y Antonia鈥� turned off his then-young daughter Rosie 鈥渕erely because it was listed on a reading list.鈥�

There鈥檚 the contradiction: the more you try to elevate books by placing them on a list, the more you might doom them to oblivion, embalming them as assigned reading.

In spite of his concerns, though, Thurber couldn鈥檛 resist compiling a list of about two dozen books he thought young adults, especially, might enjoy. (Thurber jotted down 18 entries, but a few of them include more than one title.) He made the list for Rosie and sent it along to the headmistress of her boarding school. 鈥淭his is not, needless to say, my selection of the Great Books, it is merely intended as a stimulation to a young lady who, if she ever reads them, may happily discover that writing may be hard, but also desirable, and as exciting as the theater,鈥� Thurber wrote in a June 1, 1949 letter.

Here are Thurber鈥檚 picks for great reads:

1. 鈥淕entle Julia,鈥� by Booth Tarkington 鈥� a romantic comedy set in Indiana of the early 20th聽century, featuring a conflict between the title character and her bratty younger cousin.

2. 鈥淟inda Condon,鈥� 鈥淛ava Head,鈥� 鈥淲ild Oranges鈥� by Joseph Hergesheimer 鈥� these three fictions established Hergesheimer鈥檚 highly descriptive style, a form of storytelling that would influence both Sinclair Lewis and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

3. 鈥淭he Wanderer鈥� by Alain Fournier 鈥� a romantic story of unrequited love that is little-read today, but it's a charming period piece.

4. 鈥淭he Great Gatsby鈥� by F. Scott Fitzgerald 鈥� Fitzgerald鈥檚 timeless story of playboy Gatsby鈥檚 rise and fall was popular in Thurber鈥檚 time and still holds up today.

5. 鈥淭he Sun Also Rises鈥� by Ernest Hemingway 鈥� The adventures and anxieties of American expatriate Jake Barnes in a novel that was obviously inspired by Hemingway鈥檚 own experiences.

6. 鈥淚nvitation to the Waltz鈥� by Rosamond Lehman 鈥� A 17-year-old girl鈥檚 coming of age at her first big dance.

7. 鈥淭his Simian World,鈥� 鈥淕od and My Father,鈥� by Clarence Day 鈥� Day鈥檚 humorous tales of his eccentric family at the dawn of the 20th聽century seemed like a model for Thurber鈥檚 autobiographical writings. Day鈥檚 young life inspired the classic movie 鈥淟ife With Father.鈥�

8. 鈥淭he House in Paris鈥� by Elizabeth Bowen 鈥� A psychological novel about a little girl whose day in Paris leads her into a series of mysteries that unlock like a set of nesting dolls, revealing many surprises. It's considered one of Bowen鈥檚 best.

9. 鈥淎 Lost Lady,鈥� 鈥淢y Mortal Enemy鈥� by Willa Cather 鈥� Thurber was a big fan of Cather鈥檚 deceptively simple yet elegant style, which is much in evidence in these two fictions.

10. 鈥淎 Handful of Dust,鈥� 鈥淒ecline and Fall,鈥� by Evelyn Waugh. 鈥� It鈥檚 no surprise that the mordantly humorous Thurber would put the wickedly funny Waugh on a list of books for young girls. He assumed 鈥� no doubt correctly 鈥� that they were old enough to appreciate Waugh鈥檚 droll wit.

11. 鈥淗eaven鈥檚 My Destination,鈥� 鈥淭he Cabala鈥� by Thornton Wilder 鈥� 鈥淗eaven鈥檚 My Destination,鈥� a comic novel, and 鈥淭he Cabala,鈥� Wilder鈥檚 vivid account of European aristocracy in decline, affirmed his reputation as a novelist, although he鈥檚 better know today as the playwright behind 鈥淥ur Town.鈥�

12. 鈥淔ebruary Hill,鈥� 鈥淭he Wind at My Back鈥� by Victoria Lincoln 鈥� 鈥淔ebruary Hill,鈥� a novel about a charming if eccentric family, and 鈥淭he Wind at My Back,鈥� which assembles three short novels, made Lincoln famous in Thurber鈥檚 time, though she鈥檚 little-read today. She鈥檚 actually better known for 鈥淎 Private Disgrace,鈥� her nonfiction book about Lizzie Borden.

13. 鈥淏lue Voyage鈥� by Conrad Aiken 鈥� Although better known as a poet, Aiken advanced himself in the novel 鈥淏lue Voyage鈥� as a master of interior monologue, influencing many young writers of his day, such as Malcolm Lowry.

14. 鈥淭he Bitter Tea of General Yen鈥� by G.Z. Ston 鈥� Made into a highly popular film directed by Frank Capra, Stone鈥檚 novel chronicles an American missionary in China and her complicated relationship with a local warlord.

15. 鈥淟ady into Fox鈥� by David Garnett 鈥� Certainly the strangest entry on Thurber鈥檚 list, Garnett鈥檚 novel concerns how a husband deals with his changed relationship when his wife is mysteriously transformed into a fox.

16. 鈥淗ow to Write Short Stories鈥� by Ring Lardner 鈥� Thurber apparently thought that Lardner鈥檚 primer on writing short fiction would benefit general readers, too.

17. 鈥淭he Return of the Soldier鈥� by Rebecca West 鈥� During World War I, a shell-shocked soldier returns home to the three women who love him. An especially timely novel in this centennial year of the start of what was, too hopefully, called 鈥淭he War to End All Wars.鈥�

18. 鈥淢iss Lonely Hearts鈥� by Nathaniel West 鈥� West鈥檚 celebrated tale of an advice columnist for tormented souls who faces quite a few agonies of his own.

Thurber didn鈥檛 include 鈥淥ne Man鈥檚 Meat,鈥� E.B. White鈥檚 classic collection of essays, in his initial list, but in an addendum of sorts within his letter to Rosie鈥檚 headmistress, he says of the collection that 鈥淲hite鈥檚 perfect writing should be on every reading list.鈥�

Danny Heitman is a Monitor contributor.