Buzz
The entries on this list may not come as a shock, given that ten individuals who received the prize arguably were undeserving of the honor. This compilation highlights ten writers who undoubtedly deserved the Nobel Prize for their literary contributions. Make sure to explore the other list once you finish this one.
10. Jorge Luis Borges 1899-1986
Borges had two decades of eligibility for the Nobel Prize and was a strong contender for much of that time. However, the Nobel Committee denied him the award due to his endorsement of right-wing dictators such as Pinochet. While his support may have been misguided, the Committee frequently honored writers who backed left-wing dictators like Joseph Stalin. Was Pinochet truly worse than Stalin?
Borges crafted some of the most exceptional surrealist literature ever written and was awarded the inaugural International Pulitzer Prize. Arguing over politics appears to be a futile endeavor.
9. Vladimir Nabokov 1899-1977
Nabokov, one of the most brilliant non-native English writers, is best known for his masterpiece, Lolita. He also produced numerous outstanding works of fiction, criticism, and poetry translations. Nominated in 1974 alongside Graham Greene (not the actor), he lost to Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson, who shared the prize. Both winners were Swedish and members of the Nobel Committee at the time.
8.
W. H. Auden
1907-1973
Regarded as one of the most influential poets of the 20th century, he secured the Pulitzer and the National Book Award, leaving an indelible mark on subsequent generations of poets, particularly those writing in English. The Committee allegedly rejected him due to mistakes in his translation of a work by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dag Hammarskjold and his implication that Hammarskjold, like Auden, was homosexual.
7. Robert Frost 1874-1963
Undeniably the greatest American poet of the 20th century, Frost earned the title 'Bard of the Northeast.' He received four Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry and was honored with over 40 honorary degrees from prestigious institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, and Harvard. Eugene O’Neill, the only other four-time Pulitzer winner in literature, also won a Nobel Prize. Frost’s fourth Pulitzer came two decades before his death, yet the Nobel Committee overlooked him throughout that period.
6. Emile Zola 1840-1902
The foremost figure of French literary naturalism, Zola authored more than 30 novels, each of which could easily win a Pulitzer today, even in a competitive field. His two opportunities for the Nobel Prize were thwarted for the same reason as the next entry on this list.
5. Henrik Ibsen 1826-1906
Norway’s most celebrated author and one of history’s greatest modern playwrights, Ibsen had six opportunities to win the Nobel Prize since its inception in 1901. However, disputes over Alfred Nobel’s eligibility criteria, as outlined in his will, prevented his victory. Nobel sought winners who demonstrated “lofty and sound idealism,” but from 1901 to 1912, the Committee interpreted this as “ideal direction.” Ironically, Ibsen, the pioneer of modern drama, was deemed not to be steering literature in the ideal direction.
4. Marcel Proust 1871-1922
Proust penned one of the most significant works of 20th-century fiction, *In Search of Lost Time* (*A la Recherche du Temps Perdu*), a seven-volume masterpiece that pioneered the stream-of-consciousness narrative style. Despite this, the Committee awarded the 1920 prize to Knut Hamsun, a Norwegian author closer to Swedish roots, for his work *Growth of the Soil*. Today, which book is more widely read? Undoubtedly, *In Search of Lost Time*.
3. Mark Twain 1835-1910
The creator of the American novel, renowned for *Tom Sawyer* and *Huckleberry Finn*, Twain stands as one of history’s greatest novelists, humorists, essayists, critics, and all-around literary figures. Like Tolstoy, he had ten opportunities to win the Nobel Prize but was overlooked each time in favor of the following eleven authors:
Sully Prudhomme, Theodor Mommsen, Bjornstjern Bjornson, Frederic Mistral and Jose Echeragay (both in 1904), Henryk Sienkiewicz, Giosue Carducci, Rudyard Kipling, Rudolf Christoph Eucken, Selma Lagerlof, Paul Heyse.
I’d wager you’ve only heard of one of these names. With three English degrees, I’ve only recognized one myself. Yet, Mark Twain’s name remains universally known.
2. Leo Tolstoy 1828-1910
The pinnacle of literary realism and arguably the greatest novelist in history, Tolstoy’s monumental works, *War and Peace* and *Anna Karenina*, would have easily earned Knut Hamsun the prize. Had Tolstoy been born closer to Sweden, the Committee might have overlooked their contentious interpretation of Nobel’s will. Evidently, they did not believe Tolstoy was guiding modern literature in “the ideal direction.”
1. James Joyce 1882-1941
The most exceptional Irish writer after W. B. Yeats, who did win the Nobel Prize, Joyce is also the foremost master of stream-of-consciousness fiction. He revolutionized speculative fiction with his final work, *Finnegans Wake*, a nearly impenetrable text he considered his masterpiece. However, he is best known for *Ulysses*, *Dubliners*, and *A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man*.
