The Great American Novel!!

[skimom2]

I'd humbly replace few (on first glance). Whether you like him or not, Fitzgerald's Gatsby(1920s) has been hugely influential, for a variety of writers and times. You still find his influences in modern novels, whereas Hammett, while clearly talented, hasn't had nearly the same effect.

1950s has to be East of Eden. It was a family tale, a philosophical treatise, a war story... not another book like it since Tolstoy.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Damn, I wish I didn't have to decide between this and Mockingbird. It's book I don't care for, but it does capture the anger and rebellion and despair and defiance many people were feeling in the 60s and 70s.

1970s--I'd go with The World According to Garp, myself. Another novel and writing style that has been hugely influential over time (and no wonder, since Irving borrows just a little bit from Dickens, in his style--lol).

 

[skimom2]

I thought of another: 1900's I'd exchange Upton Sinclair's The Jungle (1906) for Call of the Wild. I love London's book, but The Jungle created new social and political paradigms in the US--that's POWERFUL.

 

[GNTLGNT]

...I prefer the Great American Chevelle myself....never really cared for the Chevy Novel....

 

[muskrat]

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. A definite 'high water mark' in American letters.

Sh*t, did I just type that, or think it? Was I speaking? Can they hear me?

 

[Kurben]

I'd humbly replace few (on first glance). Whether you like him or not, Fitzgerald's Gatsby(1920s) has been hugely influential, for a variety of writers and times. You still find his influences in modern novels, whereas Hammett, while clearly talented, hasn't had nearly the same effect.

1950s has to be East of Eden. It was a family tale, a philosophical treatise, a war story... not another book like it since Tolstoy.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Damn, I wish I didn't have to decide between this and Mockingbird. It's book I don't care for, but it does capture the anger and rebellion and despair and defiance many people were feeling in the 60s and 70s.

1970s--I'd go with The World According to Garp, myself. Another novel and writing style that has been hugely influential over time (and no wonder, since Irving borrows just a little bit from Dickens, in his style--lol).

Havent read Sinclair at all im afraid so i mut sta wit London. I had problems with the 20,s since i intellectually know Gatsby is clearly the much more influential book but it was never a book i enjoyed at all. So i fell back on Hammett who had a more limited influence but without him i find it difficult to see Chandler, John D Macdonald and Ross MacDonald rise to the heights they did in the hardboiled crime genre which is very american in its origin. East of Eden fell because i wanted to limited myself to one book for every author. I chosed Grapes of Wrath over East of Eden. A bit unfair admittedly but i just wanted as many writers as possible. Leguin is a personal favorite of mine. Her influence on SF is immense. It was either that book or The Dispossesed, also by LeGuin. I feel irvings influence is more america limited while LeGuins is worldwide. I might be wrong about that But no doubt Irving capture the times much better. But I never really felt that was a prerequisite. A great novel is a great novel. And Kesey.... A great book but for me, when you had to chose between him and Lee, it was a simple choice. That was my reasons anyway. But I agree your alternatives. are great books too. As said in many decades i really wanted to put up more alternative.

 

[Kurben]

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
The Godfather
East Of Eden


There's just too many.....

Agree about two of your choices, great books. In the case of Puzo i must say i think thats one of the rare instances where i think the movie was better than the book. For me the book did not have the same impact at all. And therefore, in my view, just good but not great. But you are right, there is so many of them.....

 

[Doc Creed]

I have a favorites list around here somewhere, in a notebook, but I have a headache and don't feel like searching for it. It's basically a list of titles by decade, World Literature. As for American novels, I'll try to think of some that were meaningful to me and therefore ranked highly. Forgive me Kurben but I may have to cheat a little by placing two in a slot.

20s: Look Homeward, Angel- Thomas Wolfe and The Sound And The Fury- William Faulkner
30s: (still thinking)
40s: The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers and Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty
50s: East Of Eden- John Steinbeck and Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
60s: To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee
70s: Sophie's Choice- William Styron and Angle of Repose- Wallace Stegner
80s: The Color Purple- Alice Walker and Housekeeping- Marilynne Robinson
90s: A Widow For One Year- John Irving

Wow, hard to choose. These are some that spring to mind. So many I could name...Lonesome Dove? Of course. Their Eyes Were Watching God? Yep.

 

[Kurben]

I have a favorites list around here somewhere, in a notebook, but I have a headache and don't feel like searching for it. It's basically a list of titles by decade, World Literature. As for American novels, I'll try to think of some that were meaningful to me and therefore ranked highly. Forgive me Kurben but I may have to cheat a little by placing two in a slot.

20s: Look Homeward, Angel- Thomas Wolfe and The Sound And The Fury- William Faulkner
30s: (still thinking)
40s: The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers and Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty
50s: East Of Eden- John Steinbeck and Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
60s: To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee
70s: Sophie's Choice- William Styron and Angle of Repose- Wallace Stegner
80s: The Color Purple- Alice Walker and Housekeeping- Marilynne Robinson
90s: A Widow For One Year- John Irving

Wow, hard to choose. These are some that spring to mind. So many I could name...Lonesome Dove? Of course. Their Eyes Were Watching God? Yep.

Interesting choices, most of which i Havent read. Thank you.

 

[Doc Creed]

Interesting choices, most of which i Havent read. Thank you.

Thank you for the awesome thread. Now, I'll be racking my brain to think of some I've overlooked from the early 20th century.

 

[Winter]

One of my all time favorite books! I only ever met one other person who has actually read that book. I tried one of her other books and didn't like it. But Wheel of Fortune is a real winner.

Oh yay! I know, almost no-one ever knows it! I am from New Zealand and when I went to the UK a couple of years ago, I drove all the way over to the Worms Head and stayed at the hotel there. So beautiful. Couldn't walk out as low tide was 4am in the middle of winter.

 

[champ1966]

On the Road - Jack Kerouac

 

[champ1966]

V -Thomas Pynchon

 

[champ1966]

Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

 

[doowopgirl]

Oh yay! I know, almost no-one ever knows it! I am from New Zealand and when I went to the UK a couple of years ago, I drove all the way over to the Worms Head and stayed at the hotel there. So beautiful. Couldn't walk out as low tide was 4am in the middle of winter.

I've never actually been to the Gower Peninsula, but I have been in a lot of places in Wales. So good to meet a Wheel of Fortune fan.

 

[no bounce no play]

Great list, Kurban The only book I can think of to add to your list is Animal Farm.

 

[Kurben]

Great list, Kurban The only book I can think of to add to your list is Animal Farm.

A bit difficult isn't it? Orwell is british if i'm not totally wrong. But you inspired me to make a new list with british authors......

 

[kingricefan]

A bit difficult isn't it? Orwell is british if i'm not totally wrong. But you inspired me to make a new list with british authors......

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

 

[no bounce no play]

A bit difficult isn't it? Orwell is british if i'm not totally wrong. But you inspired me to make a new list with british authors......

You're right, Orwell is British lol

I wanted to include Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut but it was written in the 60's and I don't want to bump To Kill a Mockingbird... plus I'm probably only one of very few people who consider Cat's Cradle a great American novel lol.

If SK's story The Body was a novel, I would include it. I am tempted to bump The Secret History for SK's The Green Mile though

 

[no bounce no play]

And when I click on the 'like' button, sometimes it doesn't show that I've 'liked' the post, and I have to do it a few times, so you guys may end up seeing some ''unlike' in your notifications.

I've wondered about that. I just disliked/liked your post three times. Do any dislikes show up in your alerts?

 

[kingricefan]

I've wondered about that. I just disliked/liked your post three times. Do any dislikes show up in your alerts?

None have shown up so far. I'm blaming the Hell that is Comcast (my internet provider). I recently had to replace my modem with a gargantuan one with many bells/whistles and it seems like every 10 seconds it 'bumps' me off of the net. Keeps trying to switch over to Wi-Fi, which I don't have. It's lots of fun when you're trying to purchase car tabs or make a purchase somewhere else as each time it does this you have to start all over again with your credit card info, etc. I'm gonna give them a few more days and if it doesn't stop then I'm cancelling my services.