What is generally regarded as the "Great American Novel"?
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josie (
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August 15th, 2017
When I bought my condo, the broker, as part of her pitch, showed me this cool little office area and said “Here is where you can write the Great American Novel.”
Not that it sold the condo, but it’s an intriguing notion.
Until I finish the replacement, what is the current “Great American Novel”
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22 Answers
Too broad to answer. Ask 20 different literature teachers and you’ll get 20 different answers. And are you talking about a contemporary novel or a classic?
If you narrow it down to that, I’ll hazard some opinions.
The Great Gatsby.
Hate that damn book.
Several well-known candidates come to mind: The Great Gatsby, Moby-Dick, Huckleberry Finn, and others. Personally, I don’t think there is one; it’s just an elusive notion that invites useless analytic exercises, debates that seem meaningful but are actually pointless.
So go ahead and write yours, @josie. The prize is still unclaimed.
@janbb
Just do your best with what you have
Ok – I would probably choose My Antonia by Willa Cather but most pundits would very likely say The Great Gatsby or Huckleberry Fin. Getting a little more current To Kill a Mockingbird or The Grapes of Wrath would be high on my list and for contemporary, perhaps The Underground Railroad by Colsun Whitehead.
But, gosh darn it, there are so many “great American novels”!
To me it just means a highly-regarded American novel that is specifically about the “American experience” (at any point in history). So the ones named so far do qualify (whether I like them or not) lol
Gee, I alway thought if not Huckleberry Finn, then An American Tragedy by Dreiser was THE American novel.
The english translation of “Mein Kampf”.
“The Grapes of Wrath” maybe but there are many others reflecting different aspects of America at different periods of time. A great American novel set in the Trump years (or months) would be fascinating. Go for it!
I say we wait for @josie ‘s book to come out before drawing any firm conclusions….
Another I haven’t seen mentioned here, but often elsewhere, is The Catcher in the Rye.
But I think I’d probably read Josie Goes to Camp or Dyin Ain’t Much of a Living if you want to write them.
Oh, I go with @janbb‘s list.
I might add Shogun and The Thornbirds.
@Dutchess_III Neither Shogun or Thornbirds are about Americans or set in america. How could they be The Great American Novel?
(and, they were good fun reads, but not quite literature and really didn’t provide any insight into human nature).
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (which I was not crazy about) or Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner are two more candidates. And USA by John Dos Passos is another.
I will cast my vote for the best book that I ever read. It is definitely an American “classic.” I have recommended this book to everyone who is interested in good books. It is Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg. It came out in 2002. In my opinion, it is an extraordinary book about ordinary people.
Here is a Peak at the Story
@Dutchess_III All of Fannie Flagg’s books are terrific, but this particular one is the best book I’ve ever read from any author.
I was thinking of Catcher in the Rye.
^^^ Very yes!
Uncle Remus stories. Haven’t read them since I was a kid. I bet I’d see them in a whole different light as an adult.
We have an entire generation of kids who will never know the depths and beauty of those books because they never read.
Something that evokes heroic exploits previously thought impossible by the entourage of those within the story, and which more often than not is heavily characterized by some American concept/ideal or event/time period used to emphasize and accentuate the characters.
Wtf that meant.
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