American Literature contains the body of literary worksin the English languageproduced in the United States. before the formation of usa As a nation, American literature was greatly influenced by the literature of Great Britain. After the American Revolution, writers in the United States began to develop a style that was unique and distinctly different from that of Great Britain. Published in 1789, William Hill Brown’s The Power of Sympathy is widely regarded as the first American novel. the second half of the following century saw some of the great American novels that continue to be widely read. these include moby-dick by herman melville; little women oflouisa may alcott; andthe adventures of huckleberry finnbymark twain. along with huck finn, the great gatsby, produced in the first half of the yes of the 20th century, is often cited as the “great American novel”. In addition, the post-World War II American novels catch-22 and The Catcher in the Rye are generally regarded as masterpieces of 20th-century literature. . here are the 10 most famous novels by American authors.
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#10 beloved
Author: Toni Morrison
Published: 1987
toni morrison was an African-American writer whose best-selling work explored black identity in America. among other things, she received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 . beloved is toni morrison’s most famous work. examines the destructive legacy of slavery through the story of a family of former slaves whose home is haunted by a malevolent spirit. The novel was inspired by the real-life incident involving Margaret Garner, a runaway slave from Kentucky who fled to the free state of Ohio in 1856. however, Garner was captured again under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. In addition to slavery and its psychological effects, the novel explores the themes of family and motherhood. beloved won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1988. a survey of writers and literary critics compiled by the new york times ranked him as the Best American Fiction from 1981 to 2006.
#9 the old man and the sea
Author: Ernest Hemingway
Published: 1952
ernest hemingway was one of the leading figures in 20th century literature. hemingway’s last great work of fiction to be published during his lifetime, the old man and the sea is a short novel that tells the story of an aging cuban fisherman named santiago who is involved in a fight to catch a giant marlin far out in the gulf stream. The real-life fisherman Gregorio Fuentes is often considered the model for Santiago, the novel’s protagonist. The Old Man and the Sea was an instant hit and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953. It was also cited by the Nobel Committee as a factor in awarding Hemingway the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. it has been adapted for the screen three times; is still popular; and is widely regarded as a 20th century classic. Although the sun also rises is usually considered his best book, the old man and the sea is undoubtedly the most famous work of ernest hemingway.
#8 invisible man
Author: Ralph Ellison
Published: 1952
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ralph ellison was a novelist, literary critic, and scholar famous for writing this masterpiece. Invisible Man is narrated by a unnamed young black man who struggles to come to a conception of his own identity. because the people he meets “only see my surroundings, themselves or figments of his imagination”, he is effectively invisible. the outstanding themes of the novel are racism as an obstacle to individual identity; the limitations of ideology; and the danger of fighting stereotype with stereotype. the invisible man won the u.s. National novel book award in 1953. In 1998, Modern Library ranked The Invisible Man 19th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century while Time magazine included it in its time the 100 best novels in English from 1923 to 2005.
#7 capture-22
Author: Joseph Heller
Published: 1961
In 1953,joseph heller began writing catch-22, the work that would permanently etch his name on American literature. Set during World War II, the novel is widely regarded as one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century. The novel is set during World War II, from 1942 to 1944. It mainly follows the life of the anti-hero Captain John Yossarian, an American. army air force b-25 bomber who desperately wants not to die during the war. a catch-22 is a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape due to conflicting rules or constraints. Coined by Heller, the term has been used in this context ever since. catch-22 examines the absurdity of war and military life; and is considered to be one of the most significant works of protest literature to appear after World War II. world. in addition to critical acclaim, the satirical novel was also a commercial success. the modern library ranked catch-22 as the seventh (by the review panel) and 12th (by the public) best English-language novel of the 20th century; while time magazine also included it in its list of top 100 modern novels in English.
#6 moby dick
Author: Herman Melville
Published: 1851
herman melville was a 19th century writer whose reputation grew only after 1919, mainly due to moby-dick. the novel is an epic account of the voyage of the whaling ship pequod and its captain, ahab, who relentlessly pursues moby-dick, a giant white sperm whale that in the ship’s previous voyage bit ahab’s leg at the knee. It was first published in London as The Whale. The novel was a commercial failure and was out of print when Melville died in 1891. Moby-Dick’s reputation grew by leaps and bounds in the 20th century to the point that it is now regarded as one of the greatest american novels. it has since been adapted or depicted in art, film, book, cartoon, television, and comic book formats. The most famous of these is perhaps the 1956 film Moby Dick directed by John Huston. Moby-Dick has also achieved critical acclaim. among others, famous English writer d. h. lawrence called it “one of the weirdest and most wonderful books in the world” and “the best book about the sea ever written”.
#5 little women
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Published: 1868
In addition to being a renowned writer, louisa may alcocott worked as a civil war nurse, fought against slavery, and registered women to vote. her best-known work, little women, follows the life of the sisters four marches; meg, jo, beth, and amy; and details her coming of age from childhood to adulthood. The novel is loosely based on the real life of Alcott and her three sisters of hers. as such it has been called semi-autobiographical. Little Women was an immediate success both commercially and critically. After its initial publication in 1868, Alcott wrote another volume which was published the following year. the two volumes were published together in 1880 as a single novel titled Little Women. according to the prominent English critic g. k. chesterton, alcott in little women “was twenty or thirty years ahead of realism”. little women never run out. it is reported that approximately 1,000 copiesof it are sold each month. it has been adapted for television, stage, film and musicals on numerous occasions. In 2003, Little Women was ranked 18th in The Big Read, a BBC poll of the British public.
#4 the catcher in the rye
Author: J. D. Salinger
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Published: 1951
jerome david salinger has been recognized as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. his best-known work, the catcher in the rye, details two days in the life of holden caulfield, 16, after he was expelled from high school . The novel was an immediate success and Holden Caulfield became America’s best-known literary tramp since Huckleberry Finn. furthermore, The Catcher in the Rye quickly achieved cult status, especially among teenage readers. the novel remains very popular, selling more than 250,000 copies a year in paperback. however, “catcher” was also controversial when it was first published due to various reasons, including “excessive use of amateur swearing and foul language”. a 1979 censorship study noted that “it had the dubious distinction of being both the most frequently censored book in the entire country and the second most frequently taught novel in public high schools”. The Catcher in the Rye appears on several best novel lists, including Modern Library, Time Magazine and BBC’s Survey The Big Read.
#3 to kill a mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
published: 1960
in 1959, harper lee finished the manuscript of her first novel, which was first titled go set a watchman, then atticus, and later kill a mockingbird. on july 11, 1960, to kill a mockingbird was published by j.b. lippincott company. the book was an immediate bestseller and was critically acclaimed. It won several awards, including the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1961. there are over 30 million copies of the book in print and it continues to sell hundreds of thousands of copies a year. despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality, To Kill a Mockingbird is famous for its warmth and humor i >. In addition, the narrator’s father, Atticus Finch, has served as a hero to many readers for his integrity. The novel was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1962 by director Robert Mulligan. In 1999, To Kill a Mockingbird was voted “best novel of the century” in a poll conducted by the library journal. In 2006, British librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one that “every adult should read before they die.”
#2 the adventures of huckleberry finn
Author: Mark Twain
Published: 1884
mark twain is recognized worldwide as one of the most influential writers in the english language. such is his influence on his nation that he has been called “the father of American literature”. This novel tells the first-person story of huckleberry “huck” finn, a street urchin whose father is a drunk. huck finn is friends with tom sawyer. he has recently acquired some money and is learning to be a gentleman. one of the main characters in the book is jim, an adult black slave who has run away. Throughout the story, Huck is morally conflicted by the values he has been taught in society, but he chooses Jim’s friendship based on his own assessment of him. the novel is notable for being one of the first works written by an American in the vernacular English; for its coarse language; and for its severely critical satire on established attitudes , particularly racism. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered by many to be the best American novel.
#1 the great gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published: 1925
f. Scott Fitzgerald has been widely recognized as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. however, at the time of his death, he believed himself to be a failure and his work forgotten about him. the great gatsby, his magnificent work, describes the interactions of the narrator nick carraway with the mysterious millionaire jay gatsby and Gatsby’s obsession to reunite with his ex-lover, Daisy Buchanan. when initially published, the novel sold poorly and attracted many negative reviews. however, there was a surge in interest in the novel during World War II and by 1960 it was selling 50,000 copies a year. In 1998, the Modern Library voted it the greatest American novel of the 20th century. The Great Gatsby has sold over 25 million copies worldwide as of 2013 and annually sells an additional 500,000 copies. It is widely considered one of the greatest works of English literature and, along with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is the leading contender for the title of “Great American Novel”.
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