Here continues my list of quintessential American literary works:
PART II of II
The Things They Carried
by Tim O’Brien
A classic, life-changing meditation on war, memory, imagination, and
the redemptive power of storytelling
Rated 4.4 on amazon.com
Gone With the Wind
by Margaret Mitchell
Widely considered The Great American Novel, and often remembered for its epic film version, Gone With the Wind explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia. A superb piece of storytelling, it vividly depicts the drama of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Rated 4.6 on amazon.com
The Catcher in the Rye
By J.D. Salinger
A controversial novel originally published for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage angst and alienation.
Wikipedia
Rated 4.0 on amazon.com
To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.
Rated 4.7 on amazon.com
Moby Dick
By Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is a novel by American writer Herman Melville, published in 1851 during the period of the American Renaissance.
Rated 4.7 on amazon.com
The Crucible
By Arthur Miller
Based on historical people and real events, Arthur Miller’s play uses the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence unleashed by the rumors of witchcraft as a powerful parable about McCarthyism.
Rated 4.1 on amazon.com
Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau
An essay by American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau that was first published in 1849. In it, Thoreau argues that individuals should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that they have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican–American War.
Rated 4.5 on amazon.com
Of Mice and Men
By John Steinbeck
Published in 1937, it tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States.
Rated 4.4 on amazon.com
The Sound and The Fury
By William Faulkner
The tragedy of the Compson family, featuring some of the most memorable characters in literature: beautiful, rebellious Caddy; the manchild Benjy; haunted, neurotic Quentin; Jason, the brutal cynic; and Dilsey, their black servant. Their lives fragmented and harrowed by history and legacy, the character’s voices and actions mesh to create what is arguably Faulkner’s masterpiece and one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century.
Rated 3.9 on amazon.com
All great novels, ones worth rereading.
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Such a great list! Thanks for sharing! ❤
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Rich books
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Reblogged this on worldtraveller70.
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You’ve given me some great ideas on a few books I should read… or reread. It’s always been my Fondest memory … baking Christmas treats and watching Gone With The Wind with my Mom and Grandma. We only did it twice but it was the best times I’ve ever had baking and now watching Gone With The Wind means so much more to me because of it! Thanks for making me think about that again!
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You have no books from Mark Twain on your list but he’s in the poll?
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He was in Part 1 😀
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Great list. I would add Catch 22 to the list. Many people find it difficult to understand or read. However, to me, it’s one of the best satire’s ever written. The first time I read it I laughed. The next time I shook my head in sorrow. That’s because between the first and second reading I realized that it was an accurate depiction of society and particularly the true basis of contemporary warfare.
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