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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsThe Search for the Great American Novel
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018341297#post12I threw out John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces. Tuesday Afternoon countered with Capote's In Cold Blood -- an outstanding choice, assuming that is actually is a novel (it is based on a true story).
So what else has come close to that Platonic ideal of the Great American Novel? I'm not even going to bother with a poll, 'cause there'll be way more than ten seelctions!
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)Catcher in the Rye
Little Women
Moby Dick
The Great Gatsby
The Old Man and The Sea
Look Homeward, Angel
Tom Sawyer
I am just getting started ....
lots of good books out there
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Are we talking about the greatest novel written by an American, or the greatest novel about America?
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)or perhaps not ...
confusion, I have a dose.
uselessobot
(43 posts)on an American Ship harvesting whales for America.
So why did you throw out Confederacy of Dunces?
There is no single great American Novel, I believe that about every 10 years or so a great novel comes out capturing a slice of America that is just right for the times and because it sells well or is popular it gets called the great American novel or if it is on Oprah's Book club it gets hailed as a great piece of literary work just because Oprah sez so.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)i.e. threw its hat in the ring.
RiffRandell
(5,909 posts)Closest depiction of dysfunctional families.
catnhatnh
(8,976 posts)Great book, great author. My favorite author, in fact.
Taverner
(55,476 posts)Spike89
(1,569 posts)Not my favorite personally, but it is still powerful.
vanlassie
(5,637 posts)Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)cliffordu
(30,994 posts)Tom Ripley
(4,945 posts)However, there are several tied for second place.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)Arctic Dave
(13,812 posts)Mailer or Hemingway for the "guy" books.
And I agree with the other suggestions in this thread.
I asked a similar question years ago to a person at the bookstore and was directed to Atlas Shrugged. If I ever see that guy again I'm going punch him right in the junk.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Doesn't sound like his junk would present much of a target.