The Great American Novel!!

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Kurben

Kurben

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The Great American Novel does exist but if you tried to chose one from each decade which one would you choose? Difficult. I'll go first.

1880,s: Mark Twain: Huckleberry Finn (1884)
1890,s: Stephen Crane: The Red Badge of Courage (1895)
00,s: Jack London: Call of the Wild (1903)
10,s: Willa Cather: My Antonia (1918)
20,s: Dashiell Hammett: Red Harvest (1929)
30,s: John Steinbeck: Grapes of Wrath (1939)
40,s: Norman Mailer: The Naked and the Dead (1948)
50,s: Herman Wouk: The Caine Mutiny (1951)
60,s: Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)
70,s: Ursula K. LeGuin: The Left Hand of Darkness (1978)
80,s: Larry McMurtry: Lonesome Dove (1985)
90,s: Donna Tartt: The Secret History (1992)
00.s: Joyce Carol Oates: Blonde (2000)
10,s: Stephen King: 11/22/63 (2011)

I dont like Hemingway and Fitzgerald is really not my cup of tea so they are out in my lists. Atwood would be there but she is canadian. Havent read much Faulkner sadly. In some decades i really wanted to choose two or more but i tried to be disciplined. So come on ...... Disapprove and suggest other books.
 
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doowopgirl

doowopgirl

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Kurben said:
The Great American Novel does exist but if you tried to chose one from each decade which one would you choose? Difficult. I'll go first.

1880,s: Mark Twain: Huckleberry Finn (1884)
1890,s: Stephen Crane: The Red Badge of Courage (1895)
00,s: Jack London: Call of the Wild (1903)
10,s: Willa Cather: My Antonia (1918)
20,s: Dashiell Hammett: Red Harvest (1929)
30,s: John Steinbeck: Grapes of Wrath (1939)
40,s: Norman Mailer: The Naked and the Dead (1948)
50,s: Herman Wouk: The Caine Mutiny (1951)
60,s: Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)
70,s: Ursula K. LeGuin: The Left Hand of Darkness (1978)
80,s: Larry McMurtry: Lonesome Dove (1985)
90,s: Donna Tartt: The Secret History (1992)
00.s: Joyce Carol Oates: Blonde (2000)
10,s: Stephen King: 11/22/63 (2011)

I dont like Hemingway and Fitzgerald is really not my cup of tea so they are out in my lists. Atwood would be there but she is canadian. Havent read much Faulkner sadly. In some decades i really wanted to choose two or more but i tried to be disciplined. So come on ...... Disapprove and suggest other books.
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Don't like Hemingway myself. Fitzgerald has his moments. The rest of it I'll have to think about.
 
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Kurben

Kurben

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Rrty said:
I'm fascinated by the inclusion of 11/22/63. What is the definition of The Great American Novel? Wouldn't time travel automatically disqualify it?
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No, why would different narrative methods disqualify anything? A great novel is a great novel in my view. It Shouldnt have to be a mirror of its time or something like that. The author should of course be american but otherwise i have chosen novels that have made a big impact. On me but also on others. It is easier, in my opinion, to question The Left Hand of Darkness which does not even take place on earth. But it is a great novel.
 
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GNTLGNT

GNTLGNT

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3b8a361cb22184be02d5c166511f8344.jpg
 
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R

Rrty

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Jun 4, 2007
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The image of the cat is extremely hilarious. For some reason, when I reread my post, then read Kurben's excellent reply, and then viewed the author cat, it struck me so funny I laughed -- there was something in the rhythm of it.

Kurben, by your definition, I do see the validity of its inclusion; I checked out what the usual definition of the term is, as well as some examples, and I guess I'll just have to think about this more. Did not know that about the Le Guin book -- I thought the King book was the only fantasy novel on there.

By the way, if we use Kurben's approach, then perhaps 'Salem's Lot would be a fitting answer to the query.
 
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kingricefan

kingricefan

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GNTLGNT said:
...like your double post...:p
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That's because of the internet issues that I'm having with Comcast now that I've replaced my old modem with their new, flashy one. It likes to bounce me off of the net for a split second here and there. It's driving me INSANE!!! I'm giving them another week to get it fixed or I'm gone! Makes for a pleasant time when I'm trying to, oh let's say, pay on-line for my car tabs, or do a survey, ya know, fun stuff like that....
 
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GNTLGNT

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
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kingricefan said:
That's because of the internet issues that I'm having with Comcast now that I've replaced my old modem with their new, flashy one. It likes to bounce me off of the net for a split second here and there. It's driving me INSANE!!! I'm giving them another week to get it fixed or I'm gone! Makes for a pleasant time when I'm trying to, oh let's say, pay on-line for my car tabs, or do a survey, ya know, fun stuff like that....
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...yeah, ok...
 
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