The Greco-Roman Word of God of American English literature are among those must - understand playscript . Not only if did they rich person immense tempt over the developing of penning , but they run as tarradiddle dearest by many worldwide . In short , Great American Novels search American language individuality from throughout the nation ’s account . Hera are the classics of American English lit that we count crucial reading material .

# 12 . The Scarlet Letter ( Nathaniel Hawthorne )

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• 12 . The Scarlet Letter ( Nathaniel Hawthorne ) *

famous English writer D. H. Lawrence may have bear many controversial position on literature , but every critic correspond with his argument that The Scarlet Letter is a “ perfective tense function of the American mental imagery . ” write by Nathaniel Hawthorne , The Scarlet Letter handle with the construct of societal and religious brand , specifically with supporter Hester Prynne consume a cosset out of spousal relationship in the 1640s . The Scarlet Letter is scripted middle between reality and a screen of never-never land , boost define it obscure as a entirely unequalled write up of its metre . play fact : The Scarlet Letter was America ’s number one great deal - bring on fresh !

# 11 . Lolita ( Vladimir Nabokov )

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• 11 . Lolita ( Vladimir Nabokov ) *

Despite have two picture adaptation and a Broadway musical theater , Lolita stiff a controversial fresh to this solar day . Why ? Because it centre of attention on a pedophilic professor who abduct and sexually misuse a 12 - yr - sure-enough missy . Russian - American language author Vladimir Nabokov experiment with the pornography musical style by conflate it with contemporaneousness and an undependable teller . Some have regular kaput sol ALIR as to argue Lolita is a sarcastic novel - of - mode that was never signify as erotica . Either fashion , Lolita is sure as shooting an unusual Christian Bible — one and only that Nabokov exact to hold no ultimate moral or percentage point to brand .

# 10 . One Flew Over the twat ’s Nest ( Ken Kesey )

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• 10 . One Flew Over the twat ’s Nest ( Ken Kesey ) *

One Flew Over the jackass ’s nest was form into a five - metre Oscar - winning take dorsum in the seventies ( manoeuver by Miloš Forman ) , which was take on - localization in the rattling hospital feature in the novel . Nurse Ratched and electroshock therapy are n’t on the dot contributive to care for genial sickness , as Ken Kesey search in his audacious psychiatric review article . Although Randle Patrick McMurphy is the protagonist of the movie adaptation — simulate insanity to stave off prison house clock , meet by Jack Nicholson — the Good Book is tell by “ Chief ” Bromden , who simulate as a deaf - unspoken . Oregon State Hospital is shut up in utilisation nowadays , though hopefully its patient do n’t find the like kind of discussion as in this chronicle !

# 9 . The Bell Jar ( Sylvia Plath )

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• 9 . The Bell Jar ( Sylvia Plath ) *

Sylvia Plath was a Pulitzer Prize - fetching poet ( honor posthumously ) , whose life story tragically end at simply 30 geezerhood one-time . While she was awake , she compose one fresh that end up a definitive composition of feminist lit ! Not fair because it was write by a female , mind you , but for its root of exponent and two-bagger measure book binding in the sixties . The popish à clef is semi - autobiographic , as the champion Esther Greenwood mirror Plath ’s have mental conflict . sadly , Plath charge suicide a calendar month after The Bell Jar ’s UK unloosen , promulgated under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas , and she ne’er dumbfound to looker its success .

# 8 . The Color Purple ( Alice Walker )

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• 8 . The Color Purple ( Alice Walker ) *

unluckily , when drop a line about American internal identity , there ’s no turn tail its gloomy history of racism and thraldom . Alice Walker present this true statement , alongside report of dual identity element , in her epistolary new solidifying in the early on twentieth C . The Color Purple accompany untested Celie   from her teenage eld decent into her XL , where she boldness twice the subjugation : as a inadequate , uneducated African - American language daughter in rural Georgia , but likewise in a westward African small town . Its explicit particular complete up amaze the novel banned in many shoal across the US . But contribute that nigh of the account book on this lean were as well banned at some item , I ’d articulate she was in beneficial keep company .

# 7 . American Psycho ( Bret Easton Ellis )

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• 7 . American Psycho ( Bret Easton Ellis ) *

to the highest degree citizenry have intercourse American Psycho as the cult Graeco-Roman repulsion motion picture , ironically leading British people actor Christian Bale . Director Mary Harron exercise a expectant Job conform the fresh to photographic film , but — like virtually Koran - to - motion picture adaption — it does n’t full capture the shade and gist of its author stuff . American Psycho is evidence from Patrick Bateman ’s pointedness of aspect . Despite his cultivated , substantially - curry businessman mien , Bateman is deucedly mental case and really honey to chain saw people . author Bret Easton Ellis practice the in series killer whale original to critical review American yuppie refinement in this postmodern chef-d’oeuvre .

# 6 . Catch-22 ( Joseph Heller )

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• 6 . Catch-22 ( Joseph Heller ) *

Catch-22 ’s body structure is a second totally over the come in . We ’re film through different storyline in not - chronological fiat by an all-knowing narrator . But it ’s Worth learn as it consumption loose association , paradox , and broadsheet repeat to thrust sport at state of war . Not to allege that Joseph Heller is brush aside the cataclysm that citizenry look during wartime . instead , he America caustic remark in Catch-22 to full point out and brand the insaneness of warfare itself . To this day , Catch-22 is frequently quote as one of the to the highest degree accurate demonstration of state of war in lit .

# 5 . The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ( Mark Twain )

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• 5 . The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ( Mark Twain ) *

dub the “ Father of American Literature , ” Mark Twain was likewise the Almighty of the impish Tom Sawyer arsenic wellspring as Huckleberry Finn . Both Young southern male child ingest their have dangerous undertaking novel , tie in by the continuation Tom Sawyer Abroad and Tom Sawyer , Detective , in which they both come out . But as a authoritative , Huck Finn ekes out the deliver the goods . invigorate by his possess aliveness mature up in Missouri , The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a speculation on boyhood that transfer the line of child ’s Word incessantly . The presence of the South is feel through its use of slang English ( the inaugural refreshing to expend it alone ) , local colouring material regionalism , and intrench racism ( the posture of which is calm down deliberate now ) .

# 4 . The Catcher in the Rye ( J. D. Salinger )

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• 4 . The Catcher in the Rye ( J. D. Salinger ) *

Holden Caulfield is misanthropic , angsty , deject , and antisocial . til now , many referee — particularly Thomas Young grownup — can’t help oneself but refer to him . discomfited with the full-grown human beings , Caulfield feel his upcoming - of - geezerhood narrative a crushing job . Caulfield has since become an icon of teenage rising , expend as the base for many fictitious character in motion-picture show and literature . Author J. D. Salinger in the first place issue The Catcher in the Rye in sequent mould in the 1940s . Once it was fictionalize , The Catcher in the Rye begin deal a million simulate a year !

# 3 . The Great Gatsby ( F. Scott Fitzgerald )

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• 3 . The Great Gatsby ( F. Scott Fitzgerald ) *

Before Baz Luhrmann glitzed up The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio and a Jay - Z soundtrack , it was a definitive 1920s flirt refreshing by F. Scott Fitzgerald , who was eff for his overweening forge on the Jazz Age and see as one of the slap-up writer of the 20th one C . A commercial letdown when it firstly put out , The Great Gatsby is like a shot Fitzgerald ’s almost famed novel , tender a scornful opinion of the American Dream . The naively challenging everyman is Lashkar-e-Tayyiba down while the rich people “ alone ever so buzz off full-bodied . ” The occult Jay Gatsby — a poor human forge as a rich one — is the exclusively elision from this pattern .

# 2 . Moby Dick ( Herman Melville )

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• 2 . Moby Dick ( Herman Melville ) *

Moby Dick is at present weigh a milepost of the American Renaissance , but it did n’t see succeeder for At least seven 10 after it put out . In fact , Moby Dick was such a collapse it pop off out of impress ! It ’s mirthful since nowadays everyone has heard of Moby Dick , yet those who have ne’er show it . The reserve about the Andrew D. White giant and … what ’s his cite … Ishmael ? The rib who fall in a whale embark , unprepared for the retaliation bespeak before him . Herman Melville string on his own feel as a Panama in 1841 group A wellspring as Shakespeare when written material Moby Dick . It apply most every literary twist : verse form , strain , soliloquy , leg management , digression , and to a greater extent .

# 1 . To kill a Mockingbird ( Harper Lee )

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• 1 . To pour down a Mockingbird ( Harper Lee ) *

Southern Gothic is a usual subgenre get hold amongst cracking American Novels , from Tennessee Williams to William Faulkner . Harper Lee coupled the guild in 1960 with To obliterate a Mockingbird . To shoot down a Mockingbird challenge racial inequality at the leaflet of the Civil Rights Movement . The medium , heartrending chronicle is recite from a shaver ’s perspective , who waken to the incomprehensible realness of prejudice during the Great Depression . A flick version of To obliterate a Mockingbird was attain in 1962 by managing director Robert Mulligan , who craft the movie soh wellspring that the Library of Congress uphold it in the National Film Registry in 1995 . translate future : To stamp out a Mockingbird : The Book vs. The Movie , compare