From the poptastic Top 10s of High Fidelity to the life-saving work of Oskar Schindler, here are some of the best tabulations in literature

In an age of information overload, lists – like this one – are the ultimate quick fix. A kind of therapy and addiction all in one, the list is appealing because of the way it neatly puts things in order, seemingly curating life’s contingency. Fictional lists have their own special charge. They can describe or prescribe, and, in the right hands, summon magic or malevolence.

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