Greatest American Novels

[Jessiealan]

I am looking for a nice simple list of the 100 best American novels. If I find something suitable, I shall add it.

It seems to me they are basing a lot on how well written the choices are, not how interesting or entertaining.

[Sysop3]

These Best lists make me wonder why they're mostly books and writers from many years ago. Does this mean few of the writers over the past 30 years are worth adding?

[ladylinda]

I'm not going to offer a '100 best books' list but I'll mention a few American novels I've particularly enjoyed.

Mark Twain - Huckleberry Finn

Herman Melville - Moby Dick

Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter

Henry James - The Golden Bowl

Ernest Hemingway - A Farewell to Arms

John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men

Richard Powell - Don Quixote USA (one of the funniest novels I've ever read)

Alfred Grossman - Marie Beginning (almost as funny as Powell and his satire has a lot more bite)

Maxine Kumin - A Daughter and Her Loves

F M Busby - Rissa Kerguelen (one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written)

Suzy McKee Charnas - Walk to the End of the World (a great science fiction dystopia)

Lynn Abbey - Daughter of the Bright Moon (a great fantasy novel with a strong female protagonist)

Maya Angelou - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (beautifully written and heartbreaking)

That should do for starters!

[josephdphillips]

You left out the Sleeping Beauty trilogy.

Ahem.

[beth]

Dec 30, 2015 19:17:07 GMT -5 josephdphillips said:

You left out the Sleeping Beauty trilogy.

Ahem.

I'd agree with you if Anne could write her way out of a paper bag. Yes, I know she's one of the queens of best sellers, but, in my humble opinion ... she's a terrible writer. Thank goodness for her she can come up with provocative subject matter.

[Dex]

Dec 30, 2015 18:09:57 GMT -5 ladylinda said:

I'm not going to offer a '100 best books' list but I'll mention a few American novels I've particularly enjoyed.

Mark Twain - Huckleberry Finn

Herman Melville - Moby Dick

Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter

Henry James - The Golden Bowl

Ernest Hemingway - A Farewell to Arms

John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men

Richard Powell - Don Quixote USA (one of the funniest novels I've ever read)

Alfred Grossman - Marie Beginning (almost as funny as Powell and his satire has a lot more bite)

Maxine Kumin - A Daughter and Her Loves

F M Busby - Rissa Kerguelen (one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written)

Suzy McKee Charnas - Walk to the End of the World (a great science fiction dystopia)

Lynn Abbey - Daughter of the Bright Moon (a great fantasy novel with a strong female protagonist)

Maya Angelou - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (beautifully written and heartbreaking)

That should do for starters!

A lot of these are the books we had to read in school. I'm pretty sure I never would have picked them up if it hadn't of been for a grade.

Twain and Steinbeck were okay.

[ladylinda]

I haven't actually read many of Ann Rice's books, Joe, and certainly not the trilogy.

I'll check it out - thanks for bringing it to my attention.