TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

Week of May 26, 1985

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
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1
4
IF TOMORROW COMES
Sidney Sheldon
Cover of IF TOMORROW COMES

IF TOMORROW COMES

by Sidney Sheldon · Morrow

9 wks at #1 · 18 on list
3
NEW
JUBAL SACKETT
Louis L'Amour
Cover of JUBAL SACKETT

JUBAL SACKETT

by Louis L'Amour · Bantam

1 wks on list

Jubal Sackett explores the West and meets a Kickapoo brave who helps him save the Natchez princess Itchakomi from a Spanish soldier.

5
2
INSIDE, OUTSIDE
Herman Wouk
Cover of INSIDE, OUTSIDE

INSIDE, OUTSIDE

by Herman Wouk · Little, Brown

10 wks on list

A "truly enjoyable" journey through one man's Jewish American experience by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Marjorie Morningstar (Newsday). Herman Wouk's classic novel moves on from the grand themes which have won him international acclaim - war, the fate of nations, and the indomitable spirit of man - to the quest for identity, in the clash between the Inside of faith and family and the Outside of the glittery American dream. Inside, Outside sweeps through more than sixty years, from the pre-war, pre-atomic innocence of the twenties and thirties to the turbulent immediate past. Scenes of rollicking family humour and show-business comedy alternate with sudden tragedy, the spectacle of a falling President and the explosion of war. A bittersweet first love, relived after forty years, and a tense secret wartime mission between Washington and Jerusalem call forth the author's renowned storytelling gift. An intense, personal book about intimate things, Inside, Outside is a merry, poignant, sometimes ribald picture of the American Jewish experience, by a master at the peak of his powers. "Extremely funny." - The Wall Street Journal "A social comedy of Jewish-American life reaching from New York to Jerusalem and spanning much of the 20th century" - Publishers Weekly "Wouk reaffirms his position as one of the nation's eminent storytellers." - Newsday "Wouk`s most significant work since The Caine Mutiny." - Chicago Tribune "Generously stuffed with zestfully old-fashioned humor and sentiment." - Kirkus Reviews

6
3
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
Tom Clancy
Cover of THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

by Tom Clancy · Naval Institute Press

10 wks on list

Both the Americans and the Soviets commence an intense naval search when a trusted and skilled Soviet naval officer defects--using the USSR's most valuable nuclear submarine as his escape vehicle

7
6
THINNER
Richard Bachman
Cover of THINNER

THINNER

by Richard Bachman · New American Library

13 wks on list

For use in schools and libraries only. After an old gypsy woman is killed by his car, lawyer Billy Halleck is stricken with a flesh-wasting malady and must undertake a nightmarish journey to confront the forces of death.

9
5
THE CLASS
Erich Segal
Cover of THE CLASS

THE CLASS

by Erich Segal · Bantam

5 wks on list

They were Harvard '58, the class who thought they could change the world. Danny, the musical prodigy, risks all for Harvard, even a break with his domineering father. Yet his real problems are too much fame too soon - and too many women. Ted spends four years as an outsider. He is obsessed with climbing to the top of the academic ladder, whatever the cost. Jason, the golden boy - handsome, charismatic, athletic - learns at Harvard that he cannot ignore his Jewish background. Only in tragedy will he find his true identity. George, a Hungarian refugee, comes to Harvard with the barest knowledge of English. But with ruthless determination he masters not only the language but the power structure of his new country. Andrew is haunted by three centuries of Harvard ancestors who cast giant shadows on his confidence. It is not until their dramatic 25th reunion that the men must confront their classmates, and the value of their lives.

11
NEW
THE CIDER HOUSE RULES
John Irving
Cover of THE CIDER HOUSE RULES

THE CIDER HOUSE RULES

by John Irving · Morrow

1 wks on list

Dr. Wilbur Larch does the "Lord's work" at his isolated orphanage and prepares Homer Wells to take his place.

13
4
THE LONELY SILVER RAIN
John D. MacDonald

THE LONELY SILVER RAIN

by John D. MacDonald · Knopf

8 wks on list

"Travis McGee is back in action and he is in fine, fine form....What a treat. It is John D. MacDonald's 21st Travies McGee book and, without reservaton, his best." THE SAN DIEGO TRIBUNE Searching for a wealthy friend's yacht, Travis McGee puts himself square in the center of the international cocaine trade, and finds himself the target of some of the most ruthless villains he's ever met. Contemplating his own mortality for the first time, Travis McGee discovers amid all the danger the astonishing surprise behind the cat-shaped pipe cleaners someone is leaving at his door. This is vintage McGee in a novel that confirms John D. MacDonald's reputation as one of the greatest storytellers of all time.

14
3
PROOF
Dick Francis
Cover of PROOF

PROOF

by Dick Francis · Putnam

10 wks on list

Incomparable New York Times bestselling author Dick Francis offers a compelling tale of fine living, fast horses, and shattering suspense... Wine merchant Tony Beach has expertly catered his latest society soiree, but the fun’s over when a team of hit men crash the party...literally. The event leaves Tony with a bitter aftertaste of suspicion—and sets off a mystery that’s an intoxicating blend of deception, intrigue, and murder.

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.