50 Novels That Defined The 20th Century Utica Public Library

YOU ARE READING: 50 Novels That Defined The 20th Century Utica Public Library AT PhebinhvanhocEN

Literists might not regard Day of the Triffids, Jonathan Livingston’s Seagull, or Peyton’s Place as masterpieces of the English language. Likewise, a literary snob might label some of the books on this list as “garbage” or petty pulp fiction. it’s easy to dismiss works of fiction that don’t meet literary standards for prose and style. however, some novels can encapsulate and reflect the mood, mindset, or sentiment of a decade; current, previous or future.

From highly detailed examinations of small-town American life, to cheating, pill-taking show business, to the self-absorbed, materialistic existence of 1980s yuppie culture, these books captured the essence of decades and lifestyles. they were exploring. although some of them were clearly not literary masterpieces and are not necessarily “great” novels, they struck a chord. the following 50 novels arguably defined the 20th century.

You are reading: Books published in the 20th century

1900

sister carrie by theodore dreiser 1900
heart of darkness by joseph conrad 1902
the jungle by upton sinclair 1906

1910

towards the end by e.m. forster 1910
the magnificent ambersons by stand tarkington 1918

1920

main street by sinclair lewis 1920
babbitt by sinclair lewis 1922
an american tragedy by theodore dreiser 1925
the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald 1925
the sun also rises by ernest hemingway 1926
blacker is the berry by wallace thurman 1929
the sound and the fury by william faulkner 1929

1930

brave new world by aldous huxley 1932
the tobacco route by erskine caldwell 1933
of mice and men by john steinbeck 1937
the big dreamby raymond chandler 1939
the grapes of wrath by john steinbeck 1939

1940

native son by richard wright 1940
black boy by richard wright 1945
el naked and the dead by norman mailer 1948
1984 by george orwell 1949

1950

the catcher in the rye by j.d. salinger 1951
the day of the triffids by john wyndham 1951
east of eden by john steinbeck 1952
invisible man by ralph ellison 1952
fahrenheit 451 by ray bradbury 1953
go tell it the mountain by james baldwin 1953
peyton place by grace metalious 1956
on the road by jack kerouac 1957

1960

to kill a mockingbird by harper lee 1960
catch-22 by joseph heller 1961
the spy who came in from the cold by john le carre’ 1963
valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann 1966
the godfather by mario puzo 1969
portnoy’s complaint by philip roth 1969

1970

I know why the caged bird sings by maya angelou 1970
jonathan livingston seagull by richard bach 1970
fear of flying by erica jong 1973
carrie by stephen king 1974

1980

midnight’s children by salman rushdie 1981
the color purple by alice walker 1982
ironweed by william kennedy 1983
money by martin amis 1984
loved by toni morrison 1987
the bonfire of the vanities by tom wolfe 1987
Presumption of innocence by scott turow 1987
the silence of the lambs by thomas harris 1988

1990

the suburban buddha by hanif kureishi 1990
american psycho by bret easton ellis 1991
bridget jones diary by helen fielding 1996

* as is the case with any “list”, there is no definitive list of novels or movies that is above discussion, disagreement, or alternative viewpoints. This list was compiled from cumulative research and is presented in good faith as a guide to the 50 novels that defined the 20th century.

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